Members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) have an opportunity to attend a special learning experience through UD By the Sea. The event, planned for May 19 through 22, 2026 at the Atlantic Sands Hotel and Conference Center, provides members and guests with activities and social time in Rehoboth.
The event will include two days of topical programs with guest speakers, six educational programming tracks, entertainment, food and social events as well as fun at the beach. There is an opening reception, breakfast, happy hour and more that will allow OLLI members to network and discuss what they learn at the conference.
OLLI is part of the Bernard Osher Foundation who, in 2000, began considering programs targeted toward more mature students that were not currently served by continuing education. Traditional courses often attract students of all ages who are trying to accumulate degree credits. Many older people, who are often retired, simply want to learn new things without the stress of examinations or grades.
For this reason, OLLI was created, providing older adults with the ability to learn without credit or examinations. Membership can be obtained by visiting a local university’s OLLI website, create an account and pay an annual or semester fee. The courses are designed for adults aged 50 plus and there are generally no requirements or tests. Membership offers access to non-credit courses, lectures and university amenities.
The learning tracks offered at the UD By The Sea conference include Lighthouse and Shipwrecks. This track will provide an overview of the many Delaware Bay and coastal lighthouses as well as the many shipwrecks off the Delaware coast.
Ecology and Evolution is the subject for another workshop. This will examine local habitats, including an up-close-and-personal encounter with horseshoe crabs. This workshop is robust and requires bus rides as well as walking.
Southern Delaware has a bounty of locally grown products which serve both our food banks and a growing culinary industry. The Farm to Table workshop will have visits to local farms, meetings with farmers and chefs as well as more information about what “farm-to-table” actually means.
The Lewes Art and Artists Through History program allows participants to meet a local printmaker, a regional painter and a small boat model maker in the area. The meet-and-greets will take place in a Lewes studio and there will also be a special presentation at the Dealware Art Museum. This program requires a bus ride and walking.
Participants will learn about the unique ways coastal Sussex County has been impacted by environmental circumstances with visits to the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays, UD’s College of the Earth, Ocean and Environment Lewes Campus, Fort Miles and Cape Henlopen during the Environmental Impact on Coastal Sussex workshop.
Through the International Affairs Nexus, participants can explore international issues facing the world today. Experts in the fields of academia and the foreign service share insights into geopolitical issues and foreign policy. This activity takes place at the hotel.
The cost for the entire weekend is $250 per person for active OLLI members and $275 per person for guests of OLLI members. Select the desired program track when you register online. To become a member of OLLI, register online.
