Programming

Osher provides opportunities for lifelong learning through academic programs and participation in a range of social activities.

Osher classroom

Academic Programming 

Explore university-quality, non-credit courses during the spring and fall terms and a summer and winter lecture series.

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Osher classroom

Osher Online

Learn online alongside Osher members at Osher Institutes from across the country.

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crowded osher evening program

SPARK Evening Programming

Discover fun, intriguing topics in this relaxed evening series for curious minds.

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Upcoming trips

Trips to museums, historic homes and other places of interest in Baltimore and beyond provide additional learning experiences as well as social and cultural opportunities.

 

 

 

 

 

Groups, clubs and social activities

Explore special interests and enjoy conversations with friends, old and new, in book clubs, over coffee between classes and during lunches out.

Facilitator: Ruth Spivak

Would you like to join other Osher members for lunch? This is a great chance to meet new people and see friends from Osher classes.

  • Osher members meet at a restaurant the second Monday in July, September, November, January, March and May.
  • Everyone sits at small tables (4–6) and orders from the menu.
  • Each person pays for their own meal.

This allows for several things:

  • The ability to choose different cuisines and locations. Participants recommend and help decide restaurant choices.
  • Instead of a flat rate for a meal with limited choices, people can order what they want and pay for what they order. This opens the group up to more people.
  • Smaller groups at each table allows everyone to hear the conversations at their table more easily.

Get on the list:

Sign up now to get the next restaurant location! . 

  • Send an email to Ruth Spivak to be put on the list if you aren’t already on the list.
  • The email about the restaurant choice and menu will be sent to all who are on the list on the first day of the luncheon month.
  • There is no need to come every time. Come once and see if you like it. You can be removed from the list anytime you request.

Facilitator: Ruth Spivak

The Popular Fiction Book Club meets via Zoom at 10 a.m. on the third Thursday of each month when class is not in session. Open to Osher members.

  • November 20, 2025: The Briar Club by Kate Quinn, facilitated by Charlene Schimberg
  • December 18, 2025: How to Read a Book by Monica Wood, facilitated by Sandy Goldberg
  • January 15, 2026: A Dangerous Business by Jane Smiley, facilitated by Ruth Spivak
  • February 19, 2026: Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall, facilitated by Rose Marcin

Email Ruth Spivak to be added to the list and to receive the Zoom link.

Facilitator: Elaine Kasmer

The Literary Fiction Book Club meets via Zoom at 10:30 a.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month when class is not in session, except for October through December when they are held on the third Tuesday. Open to Osher members.

  • December 16, 2025: Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
  • January 27, 2026: Twist by Colum McCann
  • February 24, 2026: This is Happiness by Niall Williams

The group suggests books based on reviews in respected literary sources (i.e., New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, The New Yorker, The Guardian, NY Review of Books, etc.) to help guide us. Elaine send out the long and short lists for various recent Literary Prizes as a starting point. Check out the Best of 2025 lists as they are announced for more ideas.

Email Elaine Kasmer to be added to the list and to receive the Zoom link.

Facilitator: Dori Grasso

The Science Fiction Book Club meets via Zoom at 7:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month starting in January. You don't need to be a previous science fiction reader, just have an open and curious mind, which you already have since you're an Osher student! Open to Osher members.

  • January 13, 2026: Foundation by Isaac Asimov
  • February 10, 2026: Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov
  • March 10, 2026: Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov

If you've only seen the television adaptation of the series, please read the books. They're very different from the TV version.

Email Dori Grasso to be added to the list and to receive the Zoom link. Dori can also provide information on how to get the books for low or no cost. 

Facilitator: Ruth Spivak

The Mystery Book Club meets at 1 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of each month in person at Edenwald when classes are in session. Open to Osher members.

  • March 12, 2026: The God of the Woods by Liz Moore, facilitated by Sandy Goldberg
  • March 26, 2026: The Truth About the Devlins by Lisa Scottoline, facilitated by Chris Woods
  • April 16, 2026: Down Cemetery Road by Mick Herron, facilitated by Lois Bedell
  • April 30, 2026: Pay Dirt Road by Samantha Jayne Allen, facilitated by Ruth Spivak

Email Ruth Spivak for more information. Otherwise, just show up in the lobby at Edenwald near the fireplace no later than 1 p.m.. We will take you to our mystery location!

Facilitator:

Writing Our Lives meets 1–3 p.m. every Thursday year-round via Zoom. Open to Osher members.

We all have stories to tell about our lives. Come join this supportive, open group as we set aside time to write those stories. Group leader Linda Silvern offers a new prompt each week. You may choose to write on it or to write about anything else that you want to tell. We create a safe space for those who wish to share their story and receive a constructive critique (if desired) about how it was written, not about what was written. You are welcome to come occasionally or on a regular basis.

“Your life and mine is a once-told story, a blending of cherished memories of happy days, special moments, regrets, and losses. But it remains bits and pieces, fragments along the road, unless, as a result of being in touch with our story, the pattern emerges.” Richard L. Morgan, Saving Our Stories: A Legacy We Leave, Geneva Press, Louisville, KY, 1999.

 for more information and the Zoom link.