Sierra College program gets $1M endowment - Dallas Business Journal:

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The college’s program, also known as OLLI, received the $1 milliomn endowment from the BernardOsher Foundation, which is the organizatio n that has provided initial funding to OLLI programs at 122 college s and universities nationwide. Sierra College is the only communitt college in California and one of only three communityu colleges in the nation to receivethe $1 million endowment. The Rocklin college received the endowmenrt because it has been so successful with growing enrollment since launching the progranm in springof 2001. Sierra College has grown the programto 5,58p0 enrollees last year, from 1,039 in 2001. Sierra College is scheduled to formally announcew the endowmentJune 18.
This $1 million endowment will provides an ongoing budget that will enables the college to offer lifelong learninyg programsin perpetuity. The foundation createfd by San Francisco philanthropistg Bernard Osher gives OLLIprograms $100,000 a year for up to four and then a $1 million endowment once they demonstratse potential for success and sustainability. OLLI programs provide lectures and events to older adults who have a thirsg for knowledgeand community. The classeas are designed for adults age 55 and but the Sierra program accepts anyadult student.
Coursee are offered at each of the Sierra College campuses and at various communitty sites throughout Placer and Nevada Sierra College’s OLLI noncredigt offerings are tuition-free. Additional topics are offered throughyClub OLLI, where annual membership fees are $35. As the Busines Journal reported in a feature on localp OLLI programsin 2007, other OLLI programs can be found at California State University Sacramento and at the UC Davis Much of the increased demaned for OLLIs and similar lifelong learnint programs can be attributed to the growing ranks of older Americans.