Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Ringling College Announces its Fall Semester: Sept. 28-Nov. 20, 2026

Registration is open for the 2026 fall semester at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Ringling College, which offers noncredit educational opportunities for adults to pursue new interests, expand intellectual horizons, and enrich their lives. The semester, which runs Sept. 28-Nov. 20, 2026, features more than 70 classes, events, and programs covering a wide variety of topics, including arts and entertainment, history, music appreciation, health, literature, philosophy, religion, and science. Semester highlights include The Great Debate: Monogenism vs. Polygenism; America 250: America Defiant; Funny Girls: Women of Stand-Up Comedy; Do Books Have a Future?; and GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Drugs. OLLI at Ringling College is located in the Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. To register, or for information about becoming an OLLI member, visit OLLIatRinglingCollege.org or call 941-309-5111.

Highlights of the 2026 fall semester include:

Funny Girls: Women of Stand-Up Comedy –From grungy clubs in Manhattan and Los Angeles, to headliner status on the world's greatest stages, women have claimed their share of the stand-up audience for generations. We'll look at who they were (and are) and all they've contributed to the art of stand-up comedy. Tuesdays, Sept. 29-Oct. 13, 2-3:20 pm

Can You Pass the U.S. Citizenship Test? What It Really Takes – Most Americans assume the U.S. citizenship test is a simple civics quiz. In reality, it requires applicants to demonstrate knowledge of the U.S. government and history, as well as basic English speaking, reading, and writing skills—often under pressure. In this interactive presentation, participants will experience a brief demonstration of the oral civics exam, along with the reading and writing components. Friday, Oct. 2, 2-3:30 pm

The Great Debate: Monogenism vs. Polygenism – Across centuries, theologians and philosophers, anthropologists and ethnologists, taxonomists and geneticists, colonizers and abolitionists have taken sides. This five-part course will look at the various ideas about what constitutes a species and the physiologic basis of human difference, and why, from Adam and Eve to modern genomics, human sorting has been an ongoing obsession. Mondays, Oct. 19-Nov. 16, 10-11:20 am

GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Drugs – Originally developed to treat Type 2 Diabetes and subsequently discovered to have dramatic weight loss properties, these drugs have profound effects on metabolism and behavior. Their biological structure and function will be explained with analogies and metaphors that are accessible to non-scientists. Thursdays, Oct. 22 and 29, 2-3:20 pm

Do Books Have a Future? – This presentation will examine the history of books from ancient times to the Gutenberg printing press, from the rise of books as a form of mass communication in the early 19th century to their current state. Friday, Oct. 23, 1-2:20 pm

Inside Cairo’s Museums: Mummies, Gold, and Pharaohs – Explore three of Cairo’s most remarkable museums and discover the stories behind their ancient treasures: Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), Egyptian Museum, and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. Wednesdays, Nov. 11 and 18, 10-11:20 am

America 250: America Defiant – Why did Britain’s American colonies revolt against the empire when other colonies did not? What were the causes of America’s violent defiance? Why did other colonies around the world not follow suit? The reasons for America’s defiance continue to influence America’s place in the world today. Friday, Nov. 13, 1-2 pm

OLLI at Ringling College also offers four lectures during the fall semester: The Many Origins of Sarasota with Meg Lepak, Oct. 13, 10-11 am; The Haunted History of Florida with Christopher Daley, Oct. 15, 10-11 am; Discovering New Plant Species: Selby Gardens Expeditions in the Tropical Andes with John L. Clark, Ph.D., Oct. 15, 1-2:20 pm; and How to Become a Nomad and Travel the World with Jeff and Patti Spaulding, Nov. 12, 1-2:30 pm. General admission is $20 per lecture.

New this year, OLLI is pleased to offer classes through the Osher Online (OOL) network in collaboration with Northwestern University School of Professional Studies. These six-session courses will be held via Zoom: The History and Experience of Route 66, Oct. 5-Nov. 9, 7-8:30 pm; Apple at 50: How it Revolutionized Computing and Transformed Daily Life, Sept. 29-Nov. 3, 7-8:30 pm; Mexico City: Empires, Revolutions, and Everyday Life, Sept. 29-Nov. 3, 1-2:30 pm; and Power and the People: The Evolution of the U.S. Federal Judiciary, Oct. 15-Nov. 19, 1-2:30 pm. Registration requires a membership with OLLI at Ringling College:

To register, or for more information about becoming an OLLI member, visit OLLIatRinglingCollege.org or call 941-309-5111.