Central Vermont OLLI

with Thomas Visser, Historic Preservation Professor; Author of Field Guide to New England Barns and Farm Buildings

Discover how Vermont’s older barns offer valuable insights into the state’s rural heritage. Explore how the age and use of these structures can be interpreted through their character-defining features. Uncover the stories these barns tell about the evolution of farming and community life in Vermont.

with Christine Hadsel, Director, Curtains Without Borders

Take a lively romp through Vermont’s remarkable collection of 195 historic stage curtains. Focus on the painted scenery found in central Vermont—works of art that once brought drama, beauty, and storytelling to local stages. Discover how these vibrant backdrops reflect the culture and communities of their time, and learn about the efforts to preserve them. Join us for a colorful journey into this unique slice of Vermont’s theatrical past.

Vermont Women and the Civil War
with Howard Coffin, Vermont Author; Civil War Historian

Explore Vermont’s Civil War battlefield victories, like breaking the flank of Pickett’s Charge and the stand at Wilderness. Discover the vital role Vermont women played on the home front. Learn how, with 35,000 men at war, women ran over 30,000 farms, took factory jobs, and produced supplies for soldiers. Examine their roles as editors of anti-slavery newspapers, advocates, nurses in military hospitals and battlefields, and teachers of freed slaves in the South. Delve into their letters and diaries to hear these stories firsthand—including that of one woman who may have secretly enlisted and fought.

with Avram Patt, Cooperative Leader; Former Vermont State Legislator

Delve in to the world of cooperatives – what they are, their key benefits, and the internationally recognized principles that unite all types of co-ops. Examine the various models of cooperative ownership, including customer-owned co-ops, housing co-ops, business-to-business co-ops, worker-owned co-ops, and agricultural co-ops. Trace the history of Vermont’s cooperative movement, highlight its founders, and discuss the current landscape of co-ops in the state.

with Former VT Governor Howard Dean

Explore Vermont’s political landscape through the lens of former Governor Howard Dean. Examine the shifting dynamics of U.S. and international politics. Trace the global rotation of dominant powers and analyze the role America plays on the world stage today.

with Joseph A. Citro, Author; Folklorist; Chronicler of Vermont’s Strange and Supernatural

Join us for a special Halloween program featuring things that go ‘bump’ in Vermont. Encounter ghostly visitations, improbable coincidences, eerie visions, and even monsters! Ponder messages from beyond—are they real? Consider the evidence as you navigate the unknown. Filet fact from fiction through a chilling series of Vermont tales from our state’s expert in all things strange and mysterious.

with Jan Albers, Historian; Author; President of the Vermont Historical Society

Trace the transformation of early 19th-century Vermont from a patchwork of subsistence farms to a booming center of Merino sheep farming. Learn how diplomat William Jarvis sparked this dramatic shift in 1811 by importing Merino sheep from Spain. Explore the rapid rise of the Merino industry and the optimism it inspired across the state. Examine how, within just a decade, the “Merino miracle” collapsed as quickly as it began. Consider the lasting impact of this boom-and-bust cycle on Vermont’s agricultural landscape and history.

with Adelaide Murphy Tyrol, Natural History Illustrator; Fine Artist

Follow Adelaide’s artistic journey from her early career as a commercial painter in New York City to her work as a natural history illustrator in Northern New England. Explore how her experiences in both fields have shaped and informed her current work as a fine artist, blending scientific precision with creative expression.

This satirical and bittersweet comedy by director Lukas Moodysson invites viewers into the daily life of a 1970s Stockholm commune, “Tillsammans” (“Together”). The arrival of a single mother and her children disrupts the group’s social dynamics and ideals, offering a humorous yet heartfelt reflection on socialist values. The film later inspired a 2023 sequel, Together 99.

In this visually clever comedy by writer/director Bent Hamer, post–World War II research on Swedish housewives shifts unexpectedly to solitary men. A Swedish researcher and a Norwegian farmer navigate quiet tension and growing friendship in a setting where every gesture matters. Subtle, absurd, and richly detailed, this film delivers dry humor with surprising warmth.

In this feel-good romantic comedy by Lone Scherfig, nine quirky Danes find unexpected connections through a beginner Italian class. With its blend of humor, emotional honesty, and relatable charm, the film explores how love and community can grow from even the most unlikely situations.