91原创

The 91原创 is founded on the idea that we can expand our horizons at any age by sharing in the experiences and expertise of others. That鈥檚 why Rebecca Worley, a retired 91原创 professor and longtime OLLI instructor, and her co-instructor, Pam Meitner, collaborated with the Center for Global Programs and Services to bring students and instructors from some of 91原创鈥檚 more than 100 study abroad programs together with OLLI members to talk about the insight and enjoyment that came from their embrace of international adventure as undergraduates.  

鈥淚 wanted to connect OLLI with what the study abroad program does and what opportunities it provides for 91原创 students,鈥� Worley said about their course, 鈥淪tudy Abroad Stories: 100 Years.鈥� 鈥淚 wanted OLLI members to see the profound, life-changing growth that 91原创鈥檚 study abroad brings.鈥� 

Both programs have a long and treasured history at 91原创. Founded as the Academy of Lifelong Learning in 1980, the academy became the 91原创 Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in 2010. Today, more than 2,100 OLLI members from Delaware and neighboring states participate in the cooperative鈥檚 courses and programs in Dover, Lewes, Ocean View, Wilmington and online.

At 100 years old, 91原创鈥檚 study abroad program was the nation鈥檚 first to embrace overseas learning opportunities, and in recent years has included themed trips like 鈥淰ictors and Spoils: Competition in Ancient Greece,鈥� a three-week micro study abroad program led by Tyson Sukava, assistant professor of classics. 

Sukava and his students told the OLLI learners how they traveled to Athens during the winter break and explored how the ancient Greeks turned many social activities into contests, giving them a deeper understanding of both ancient and modern Greek culture. 

鈥淥ne of the delights I get from the program is watching the students become increasingly more comfortable in that space,鈥� he said to the OLLI class. 鈥淲e start off in the Pangrati, a small neighborhood near the Athens city center. The students arrive very late in the day 鈥� they land in a completely new place; they take a bus and they're dropped off at their apartments in an unknown area. Naturally, it鈥檚 disorienting. 

鈥淪o, for the first few days, they need me to accompany them when they want to do something like find a store or a restaurant. But, in a very short time, they鈥檙e like, 'No, no, no, Tyson, we got this. We know exactly where to go.鈥� It fills me with joy to see their confidence and their reliance on each other grow. They forge relationships that extend well beyond the end of the program.鈥� 

Kelsey McNamara, a recent 91原创 graduate and biochemist who works in cancer research, was one of Sukava鈥檚 students in the Greece program. She agreed that the relationships she formed on the trip were meaningful and lasting. She told the OLLI class, 鈥淣ot only did I find a new close friend and a new boyfriend among my classmates; I befriended Greek people as well.鈥� 

鈥淲e often found ourselves at this little bar around the corner from our apartments after a long day, and we became good friends with one of the bartenders who was also an actor,鈥� she continued. 鈥淗e shared stories about what it was like to grow up in Greece and told us things you wouldn't hear in a lecture or a museum. I actually went back to Greece six months later and reconnected with him. Now, we follow each other on Instagram.鈥� 

For Dan Leininger, who told the OLLI class about the year he studied in Hamburg, Germany, from 1967-68, the friendships he made during his study abroad have lasted a lifetime.  

鈥淚n my courses called 鈥楪erman for Foreigners,鈥� I was with 30 students from 18 different countries,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he University of Hamburg did so much to encourage students to travel. Trips were available to all students, particularly foreign students, at incredibly low prices, so in my year in Germany, I visited 13 countries.鈥� 

His presentation for the class was a mix of photos of his study abroad in Germany taken from vintage 1960s slides and recent photos of the people he met on that trip whom he still regularly visits and who come to the U.S. to visit him. After graduating with the 91原创 class of 1969, he took a job as a high school teacher and spent the next 33 years sharing his love of the German language and culture with his students: He organized 17 trips to Germany for them over his career. 

Reflecting on his study abroad experiences, Leininger said, 鈥淢y international friendships really did change my perception of the world.鈥� 

The Study Abroad stories clearly inspired the class at OLLI, where adults aged 50-plus take and teach classes together. Course offerings are typically determined by member interest as well as the passions and expertise of the dedicated volunteer member-instructors.

鈥淚 enjoy traveling, so hearing about these experiences is just naturally interesting to me,鈥� course participant Gerri Sanchez said. 鈥淏ut I think this course fits in so well at OLLI because our community is about broadening horizons and understanding others鈥� perspectives. It鈥檚 just amazing how many people in study abroad have maintained relationships, sometimes over decades, or found service opportunities 鈥� or even married 鈥� because of their travel. People really are changed by their study abroad.鈥� 

The OLLI course 鈥淪tudy Abroad Stories: 100 Years鈥� included talks from study abroad program directors and participants, including OLLI members who are 91原创 alumni, who visited numerous countries, such as Australia, Brazil, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, Italy, France and even Antarctica. Recordings of the class sessions will be available online for OLLI members in 2024.

From Delaware to the World

2023 marks the 100-year anniversary of study abroad, pioneered at the 91原创 in 1923 when 91原创 language professor and World War I veteran Raymond Kirkbride took eight students to France for their junior year. Today, 91原创 boasts more than 100 study abroad programs in 40-plus countries and has an international student population that hails from over 100 countries.

If you would like to be a part of study abroad鈥檚 100th anniversary celebration by supporting global learning for 91原创 students, you can make a gift . Please also visit the  for student perspectives on the study abroad experience.