Ready to learn? Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Ringling College (OLLI at Ringling College)’s winter semester begins January 11 and runs through March 5. And spring is just behind it: March 8–April 30. Registration is now open for both semesters.

OLLI instructor and student Tom Miller says that lifelong learning changed his life. “When I retired seven years ago, I was lost at sea. I had no idea how I was going to replace my workplace persona,” he recalls. “When we moved here, a friend told us to try the Lifelong Learning Academy (now OLLI). Lifelong learning gave my wife and me our intellectual stimulation, our daily structure, and a community of great friends. Today, OLLI is the hub of our life in Sarasota; I really don’t know what we would have done without it. We are happy, involved, and looking forward to tomorrow.”

What’s on the books? Each semester features dozens of classes and programs covering a wide variety of topics. Classes will be offered in a hybrid model—both on the Ringling College Museum Campus and via the Zoom platform. Classes cover a rich diversity of topics, including art and music appreciation, health and well-being, global issues, philosophy, religion, culture and travel, and science. When offered in person, classes will be at the Ringling College Museum Campus (1001 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota); masks and physical distancing will be required. To register for classes, visit www.OlliatRinglingCollege.org, or call 941-309-5111.

Highlights of the winter semester include:

Lecture: “Spy Pilot: Francis Gary Powers, the U-2 Incident, and a Controversial Cold War Legacy” with Francis Gary Powers, Jr. One of the most talked-about events of the Cold War was the downing of the CIA U-2 spy plane piloted by Francis Gary Powers over the Soviet Union in 1960. The event was depicted in the Steven Spielberg movie Bridge of Spies. In this lecture, Francis Gary Powers Jr., Powers’s son and the author of Spy Pilot, will talk about his father’s life based on personal files that have not been previously available. Powers Jr. sets the record straight in this compelling lecture, and the result is a fascinating piece of Cold War history. This is an online presentation, Thursday, January 28, 3–4:30 p.m. To register and for more information, visit www.OlliatRinglingCollege.org, or call 941-309-5111.

The winter Einstein’s Circle presentation is “Attacks on Monuments—Protest or Vandalism?” with Andre Krauss. His talk will explore how, throughout the history of art, iconoclasm—the destruction of images—was at times overtly political, while at other times it was fueled by religious zeal. Andre Krauss will examine where political protest intersects with aesthetic considerations. This online presentation takes place on Wednesday, February 17, 3–4:30 p.m. To register and for more information, visit www.OlliatRinglingCollege.org, or call 941-309-5111.

OLLI at Ringling College’s fall documentary film series, “CONNECTIONS: Exploring Today’s Global Issues,” is an opportunity for students to connect to many of today’s pressing global issues via the penetrating perspectives of contemporary documentary films. The moderator of the series is Julie Cotton, a member of the Advisory Council’s Strategic Program Committee, executive coach, and aficionado of documentary films. The winter term features two films that will be screened via Zoom. Following the screening, participants can engage in a Zoom chat with the moderator and one another about the film’s content and impact, as well as raise questions for further exploration. The films are shown on Tuesdays, 2:30–4:30 p.m; January 19 (The Social Dilemma) and February 16 (Jim Allison: Breakthrough). To register and for more information, www.OlliatRinglingCollege.org, or call 941-309-5111.

The winter semester also features “OLLI at Ringling College Virtual Travel Series” with travel specialist Robert Gaglio and special guest Cristina Amberti. “Explore Siena” looks at one of Italy’s most elegant medieval cities and examines how the idea of a modern Western state was shaped between the 13th and 14th centuries. This online presentation is Tuesday, January 19, 3–5 p.m. “A Pilgrimage in Tuscany” takes students on a journey in the footsteps of ancient pilgrims along the Via Francigena, the historic route leading to the Eternal City of Rome. This online presentation is Tuesday, February 16, 3–5 p.m. To register and for more information, www.OlliatRinglingCollege.org, or call 941-309-5111.