Senior Speak NH: November 2025 Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNH – AARP States

Report on the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) Program Feature

Program Overview and Strategic Importance

A November 2025 broadcast of Concord Television’s “Senior Speak NH” program featured the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at the University of New Hampshire. Hosted by AARP NH representative Dan Wise, the segment included an interview with OLLI Director Toniann Leavitt. The discussion centered on OLLI’s statewide program, which provides non-credit, enrichment activities for older adults across four regional centers. This initiative is a critical component in advancing local and global development objectives, particularly the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Core Contribution to SDG 4: Quality Education

The OLLI program directly addresses the targets of SDG 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. OLLI’s contribution is manifested through several key functions:

• Promoting Lifelong Learning: The institute provides a structured platform for continuous learning, intellectual engagement, and skill development for adults post-retirement, a core tenet of SDG 4.
• Ensuring Inclusive Access: By offering non-credit courses statewide, OLLI removes traditional barriers to higher education, making learning accessible to a demographic that might otherwise be excluded.
• Enhancing Quality of Life: The enrichment activities foster personal development and intellectual curiosity, contributing to a higher quality of life through education.

Supporting Health, Equality, and Sustainable Communities

Beyond its primary educational mission, the OLLI program serves as a vehicle for achieving broader societal goals related to health, equality, and community development.

1. SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): The social and cognitive engagement offered by OLLI activities is instrumental in promoting mental health, reducing isolation, and enhancing the overall well-being of older adults.
2. SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): By empowering older adults with knowledge and social networks, the program actively works to reduce age-based inequality and fosters their continued inclusion and participation in society.
3. SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): OLLI strengthens the social fabric by creating engaged, active, and interconnected communities of older citizens, making local communities more inclusive and resilient.

Fostering Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17)

The feature on “Senior Speak NH” exemplifies SDG 17 by showcasing a multi-stakeholder partnership. The collaboration between AARP NH, Concord Television, and the University of New Hampshire effectively leverages media to promote an educational initiative that aligns with sustainable development objectives. This partnership is crucial for raising awareness and encouraging participation in programs that advance the SDGs.

Media Resource

Program Recording: Senior Speak NH – November 2025

The complete segment featuring the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute is available for viewing. This resource provides direct insight into the program’s operations and its impact on the community.

Analysis of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The article discusses a program offering “enrichment classes and activities for older adults.” Such activities are crucial for promoting cognitive health, social engagement, and overall mental well-being, which are key components of ensuring healthy lives for people of all ages.
• SDG 4: Quality Education: The core subject of the article is the “Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UNH,” a program that directly supports lifelong learning opportunities. By providing “non-credit, enrichment classes” for older adults, it promotes inclusive and equitable quality education beyond traditional schooling ages.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The article highlights a collaboration to promote the OLLI program. The television show “Senior Speak NH” is hosted by “AARP NH” and features the director of “OLLI at UNH.” This represents a partnership between a civil society organization (AARP), an academic institution (UNH), and media (Concord Television) to achieve a common goal.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being. The OLLI program, by offering “enrichment classes and activities,” directly contributes to the promotion of mental health and well-being for older adults, helping to keep them active and socially connected.
• Target 4.3: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university. OLLI provides a form of tertiary, lifelong education specifically for “older adults,” thus ensuring this demographic has access to quality learning opportunities.
• Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships. The promotion of OLLI through a collaboration between “AARP NH,” “Concord Television,” and “UNH” is a direct example of a civil society partnership working to disseminate information and encourage participation in an educational program.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• For Target 3.4: The article implies a qualitative indicator through the existence and promotion of programs designed to enhance the well-being of older adults. The program itself, “Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI),” which offers “enrichment classes and activities,” serves as an indicator of community efforts to promote mental health.
• For Target 4.3: The article provides an indicator of access to lifelong learning. The mention that OLLI is a “statewide program” with “four regions around the state” implies a measure of the program’s reach and the participation rate of older adults in non-formal education.
• For Target 17.17: The article explicitly identifies an indicator: the existence of a multi-stakeholder partnership. The collaboration between “AARP NH,” “Concord Television,” and “OLLI at UNH” is a specific instance of a partnership that can be counted or documented as progress toward this target.

4. Summary Table

Source: states.aarp.org