Council Corner
By Carl Booberg (Photo by Tim Hanger)
I find it enjoyable to run across an article in a locally published magazine about a “special secret something” known only to a few insiders. Be it a great restaurant, a service one really needs, or a special gift for a friend, I read the article because I don’t want to miss out on a good thing. That’s the way I feel about the Osher Institute for Lifelong Learning. And I want others, 50 and better, to learn about the great courses, fun activities, and the benefits of becoming a student at the University of Richmond.
The Osher Marketing Team has as its objective to reach as many Richmonders as possible with the news about Osher. That is, if you’re 50 and better, you have the opportunity to become a student once again, but with a difference: no exams, no papers and no grades!
The Marketing Team’s new, computerized slide presentation outlines and emphasizes important information about the Osher Institute. In just a few slides, it’s easy for an Osher representative to give a short presentation to an interested group of people, a presentation that highlights all the important aspects of lifelong learning at the University of Richmond. Key slides include a program summary, how to become a member, flexible membership levels, benefits of membership, and a Q and A prompt for questions and answers. I particularly like one of the graphics that pictures interlocking circles on which are listed significant questions to promote discussion: Do you want to Pursue Your Interests? Share Your Knowledge? Rediscover Your Passion? Engage in Social Issues? Experience the Arts? Of course, membership in Osher is the obvious answer!
Together with the slide presentation, each audience member receives a handsome course brochure which details courses, activities, membership particulars and student benefits.
The Marketing Team wants to share this information with organizations that already know about Osher, as well as with new groups and organizations that should hear about the opportunities available on a beautiful campus right here in Richmond.
Do you belong to a group or organization whose members would enjoy learning about the Osher Institute for Lifelong Learning? Now that you have learned the “secret” of the Osher Institute, would you like to share it with others? Please contact Jane Dowrick in the Osher office, (804) 287-6344 or jdowrick@richmond.edu, to arrange for contact to be made with your group. The slide presentation can be tailored to fit any timeframe in an organization’s program schedule.
One of the many benefits of Osher is the opportunity to meet new and interesting people. While we have 550+ members, organizations like Osher always need to add new members. New members enhance the mix of people from diverse backgrounds to enrich our own life experiences.
If you would like to find out more about the new slide presentation and the plans of the Marketing Team, please contact Jane or call/e-mail me at (804) 379-7732 or cbooberg@aol.com. If you would like to present an informal program about Osher yourself, please let us know. I promise we’ll give you all the help and training you’ll need to share the “best kept secret in Richmond.”