All Harrisburg Courses   

Discover the history of Hoffa's disappearance, who Hoffa was, and why he was so notorious when he went missing in 1975. Learn about the key suspects involved in his disappearance and the problems the FBI encountered in solving his case. Participants will learn about the "mythic Hoffa" who has emerged since 1975 as a result of the claims in various true crime memoirs, and the repeated failed excavations for his body. Watch and discuss film clips from The Irishman and other movies.

Benjamin Rush, personified, will describe the limited realities of medical knowledge and the primitive methods of medical practice that existed at the time of the Revolutionary War in America. Great advancements in biological and medical science were soon to follow, instituting a whole new era in public health. Dr. Benjamin Rush became known as the Father of American Medicine.

This will be a screening of a one-hour documentary about local Middletown African American resident William (Wilbur) Miller Barbour (1908–1957), one of the first African Americans to graduate from Middletown High School, one of the first African Americans to graduate from Elizabethtown College, and the first African American student athlete to play college football in Lancaster County. He was an early civil rights leader working with the National Urban League in the 1930s–1950s. There will be a brief presentation before the film, followed by a presentation with Q&A discussion after the film.

Learn the basics of Mah Jongg in a friendly, no-pressure setting. This beginner course focuses on fun and practice—no scores, no betting—just play! Perfect for anyone curious to learn the tiles, rules, and flow of the game. Come have fun!

Course fee includes $15 for game card. Each participant will receive a card to take home.

Instructor has recommended purchasing A Beginner's Guide to American Mah Jongg.

In this course, participants will explore the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the central Pennsylvania region during the 1950s and 1960s. There's more to it than 100 points.

This course, led by Dr. Libby Tisdell, explores how to embrace life as a pilgrimage in the second half of life, even beyond cancer. Participants will learn to engage in walking and movement-based practices, cultivate gratitude through meditation and artistic expression, and connect with supportive communities that promote well-being. The course integrates spiritual reflection with practical strategies for aging well.

Are you interested in sacred chanting from all the world’s religious traditions and sharing meaningful poetry or song? Come to “Chanting Meets Poetry Meets Woodstock." Dr. Libby Tisdell will provide background to singing sacred chants from the world's spiritual and cultural traditions, on to the Woodstock/The Beatles era. This is a participatory event, and for the most part, we will share poetry and sing chants of simple melodies with easy to invent harmonies, celebrating all that we are as we move into spring, and then sing Woodstock/The Beatles-era tunes. No prior experience with music is necessary. Only bring your open heart and your desire to connect through music and poetry. Feel free to bring chants, instruments, favorite Woodstock-era tunes, or special poetry that will enhance your soul sharing and feed your creative spirit.

Special notes: Prior to the course start date, an email will be sent with the instructor's home address and directions.

Participants will learn how to wire beads to make earrings or a bracelet. Participants will be instructed on how to open and close jump rings and add the wired beads to a bracelet—or to ear wires for earrings. Depending on the amount of beads brought, the participant may be able to make more than one pair of earrings in the allowed class time. Bigger beads will make heavier earrings. You may combine small and big beads together.

Special notes: Each participant will need to bring beads to wire and their own jewelry tools. These tools can be purchased on Amazon or at Hobby Lobby, Michaels, or another craft store. You will need wire cutters, round nose pliers, and either chain nose or needle nose pliers. When opening jump rings, it helps to have two pairs of chain nose or needle nose pliers. The instructor will have a few pairs of pliers to use in class, to work with the opening and closing of jump rings. (The mini jewelry tools might be a little difficult to use.) Other supplies that will be provided are silver-plated wire, nickel-free ear wires, clasps, and jump rings.

Course fee includes $5 for supplies.

The Community Wildlife Safety program is all about equipping our local community to handle wildlife emergencies and increasing the well-being of both the animals and the people who interact with them.

Participants will learn:

• A deeper dive into the field of wildlife rehabilitation
• How to safely handle and transport injured wildlife
• How to determine if an animal truly needs help (and when it's best to leave it alone)
• What to do if you find baby animals—and when the parent is likely just out of sight
• Best practices for human-wildlife interactions

Join bonsai artist Jim Doyle, owner of Nature’s Way Nursery and Bonsai Studio, for an engaging two-hour course exploring the history and artistry of bonsai. Doyle will demonstrate essential techniques for pruning and caring for a bonsai tree while sharing his passion for plants as life forms that sustain us. He will discuss the deep connection between bonsai cultivation and artistic expression, emphasizing how caring for these miniature trees becomes an art form in itself. Participants will also have the opportunity to tour Nature’s Way Nursery and Bonsai Studio, experiencing a diverse collection of bonsai trees up close.

Have a fun time creating a small bouquet of paper calla lilies. The calla lily is great beginner flower to create.

Course fee includes $3.00 for supplies.

Join us in midtown Harrisburg for a tour of the Susquehanna Art Museum. A private guide will provide an informational tour of exhibits to OLLI members, focusing on works by local artists from south central Pennsylvania as well as national artists. Explore the special exhibit, "American Identity: Restoring the Susquehanna River’s Artistic Legacy"—an exhibit on the importance of the Susquehanna river for early American landscape painters. The 20,000-square-foot museum is striking, located in a renovated 1924 bank with 27-foot gold leaf ceilings and highlighting the former Keystone Trust's original vault.

Thanks to the generosity of an OLLI member, the museum admission fee is fully covered for all enrolled. We’re grateful for this thoughtful contribution, which ensures broader access and participation.

Glen Mazis will present from his research that our distinctive human excellences are not the result of transcending our "animal nature," but rather are founded upon the capacities of being an animal and part of the natural world. These excellences stem from our embodiment (versus "a nonmaterial spirit"), whether it is our capacity for thought, language, art, ethics, or care that is shared by many other animals in differing forms.

This course features a full-length film (Lonely, 1 hour 35 minutes), followed by a "reactions period." Thereafter, a brochure will be distributed that contains a challenge. Participants who accept the challenge, focused on impacting loneliness, will reach out (in the next 7 days) to a person they believe to be lonely. Participants will do something to help the person feel less lonely. In the second session, participants will discuss how they met the challenge. Their effort, measured in minutes, will be submitted to a LIGHT (Loneliness Impacted by Getting Healthier Together) Meter, tracking the collective effort.

Course fee includes $15.00 ticket for the movie.

Special notes: Please bring a notepad and a writing instrument so you can write your thoughts as you watch the movie.

Between 1780 and 1865, Central Pennsylvania was ground zero in America's first civil rights movement. Thousands of courageous freedom-seekers fled the brutality of slavery south of the Mason-Dixon line and made their way north and east toward a better life. Along the way, they were aided by Quakers and free Black persons, some known to history and others unknown. In this interactive course, participants will explore how this network formed, the stories of those who escaped along it, and how we know about these efforts.

 

Lasers have been part of our everyday lives for over forty years, but to most people, they're still largely a mystery. In this course, we will attempt to demystify the laser and explain the basic principles upon which it functions. To do so, participants will explore the nature of light, the modern understanding of atomic structure, and the phenomenon of stimulated emission. Several different types of lasers will be demonstrated and disassembled to identify their individual components. No prior background in physics or mathematics is required.

Life transitions can leave us feeling uncertain or disconnected. This course offers a safe and supportive space to explore your personal “why”—the deeper reasons that motivate and inspire you. Learn how purpose is linked to better health and emotional resilience, and take part in hands-on activities designed to help you clarify your values and goals. Come curious, leave empowered.

Doctors interrupt patients after a median of eleven seconds—how do you make those seconds count? This course teaches strategies for effective communication with health care professionals. Participants will learn how to ask better questions, understand diagnoses, and advocate for themselves or loved ones in medical settings.

Hospice of Central PA will provide a course on grief and loss throughout life. Susan Resavy, an experienced LSW, will dispel common misconceptions and examine the various factors that influence an individual's grieving process. The course covers different types of loss, including the often-overlooked area of "disenfranchised grief," and provides practical strategies for navigating holidays and special anniversaries. Participants will discover local community support.

A workshop designed for those who want practical guidance on staying safe online. It is the same price whether participants attend session 1, session 2, or both.

Session 1: Introductory Cybersecurity (1:30–2:45 p.m.)
Covers foundational topics: artificial intelligence, general security basics, common cyberattacks, and website security.

Session 2: Advanced Topics (3:00–4:15 p.m.)
Explores safe public Wi-Fi use, home network security, password strength, and how to recognize deep-fakes and AI-driven attacks.

Both sessions include time for Q&A and hands-on help by Penn State students.

The Hershey Bears have a long and successful history in the American Hockey League. But, did you know that the Bears were not the only hockey team to call Hershey home? Participants will learn about the history of hockey in Hershey in the 1930s.

This course will challenge widely held beliefs about agriculture, the climate, and the agency of the everyday person in creating positive change. Each learner will be responsible for engaging with the material in a way that pushes them to gain agency and to see the complexities of what most people see as either/or choices when it comes to food, where it comes from, how each person's buying habits impact the direction of agriculture, and the role of our everyday decisions on our ecosystems and a changing climate.

Explore the historic architecture of the Harrisburg capital area through a walking tour guided by a Historic State Preservation Specialist. The tour's theme is "Developing an Awareness of the Historic Buildings Around You." Starting from the State Museum of Pennslvania, the walking tour will identify the origins of historical buildings and their significance to Pennsylvania and United States history.