NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – Registration has begun for more
than 120 courses in art, music, language and other interests for adults over 50
offered this spring in Central New Jersey by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Rutgers
(OLLI-RU).  In addition to sites in
Highland Park and Freehold, OLLI-RU programming will be offered in Bridgewater
through a new partnership with Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) that
responds to the growing popularity of lifelong learning.

Classes will be offered in five- and 10-week sessions
from Feb. 22 through May 4 at RVCC@Bridgewater at 14 Vogt Drive; March 5
through May 8 at The Reformed Church of Highland Park, 19 S. 2nd Ave.; and
March 8 through May 11 at the Western Monmouth Higher Education Center at
Brookdale Community College, 3680 Route 9 South, in Freehold. 

Courses are designed to appeal to the diverse interests
of adults over 50. Popular course areas include painting and drawing, film and
theater, personal development, and computer and social media skills. New
courses are being offered this session in astronomy, history, music, current affairs and recreation.

 The noncredit courses are taught by current and retired
instructors from area colleges, including Rutgers and RVCC, and high schools.
There are no grades or tests, and a college degree is not required to enroll.

 The complete catalog and course descriptions along with
registration information can be found online at olliru.rutgers.edu. For a print
catalog, send email to olliru@docs.rutgers.edu, or call 732-932-7233, ext.
4200.  Information about RVCC’s
lifelong learning programs also may be found at
www.raritanval.edu/lifelonglearning. Registrations
are accepted up to and including the first day of a class, provided space is
available.

 OLLI-RU is a unit of Rutgers’ Division of Continuing
Studies. The program was established by Rutgers in 1993 in The Reformed Church
of Highland Park. The Freehold location was added in 2006.

 n its 19 years, OLLI-RU has grown from 75 students and
eight courses to 1,772 students enrolled in 96 classes at two sites in Fall
2011.

 OLLI-RU receives funding from the Bernard Osher
Foundation, which was established in 1977 to benefit a wide range of
educational and cultural activities. Osher, a Maine native and San Francisco
resident, is a successful businessman, community leader and a patron of the
arts and education. His wife, the Honorable Barbro (cq) Osher, consul general
of Sweden in San Francisco, serves as chair of the foundation.