OLLI at USM offers many diverse activities beyond the classroom. Open exclusively to current OLLI members, our Special Interest Groups provide great opportunities to connect socially with people with similar interests.

A few members of OLLIs “Let’s Knit!” SIG

List of OLLI Special Interest Groups

To participate in any Special Interest Group, you must be a current OLLI member. Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are not intended as instructional events. Many programs run year-round, except for July and August.

Sign up for a SIG!

Review the different Special Interest Groups below.
Make a note of any SIGs you would like to join and then go to Registration Information for your next steps.

Try your hand at a new skill on the third Thursday of each month at 3:15 p.m. A group member will demonstrate and lead an activity (fabric and paper crafts, jewelry making, book arts, knitting, crocheting, mixed-media collage, etc.). This group will meet via Zoom until further notice.

FMI: Contact Linda Werner at lwerner4506@gmail.com

If you like to bike, how about joining a group of OLLI members for a ride every couple of weeks with a delicious treat along the way? This group does not meet in the winter months.

FMI: Contact Mark Love at mlove196@maine.rr.com

Members meet monthly to discuss readings from various genres, including contemporary novels, classics, biographies, memoirs, short stories, etc.

FMI: Contact Karen Winslow at kpwinslow@yahoo.com or Anna Messmer at aemessmer@maine.rr.com

Those who enjoy playing bridge for fun are welcome to join this group, which meets weekly.

FMI: Contact Barbara Freeman at bhfreewoman@gmail.com

A seasonal outlet for downhill skiing enthusiasts, the club welcomes new and returning members. Skiers plan trips to area mountains when snow conditions are good and driving conditions permit.

FMI: Contact Lois Winter at loiswinter54@gmail.com to join the email list for notice of upcoming ski trips.

Embark on a stimulating journey of diverse discussions with our special interest group. Join us for engaging conversations sparked by thought-provoking articles, intriguing podcasts, or captivating topics that resonate with the curious mind. Each month will be a different topic: attend those that interest you.

FMI: Contact Elizabeth Housewright at ehousewright@gmail.com or Star Pelsue at srpelsue@gmail.com

Members read and discuss one work of history each month. Works include social, political, economic, and foreign-policy history as well as biography, autobiography, memoir, and historical fiction.

FMI: Contact Dawn Leland at lelanddm@gmail.com

Are you a knitter in search of a knitting group? Here’s an opportunity to meet and chat with fellow knitting enthusiasts every week in the Wishcamper Center during the USM OLLI Fall, Winter and Spring terms. This is not an instructional group; knitters a basic level of knitting skill is desirable.

FMI: Contact Linda Cunning at cunninglk@gmail.com

This group, directed by an experienced leader and supported by a skilled accompanist, meets weekly to have fun with vocal music and prepare for several performances each year. All are welcome.

FMI: Contact Bob Swerdlow at OLLISingersAtUSM@gmail.com.

Informal weekly lunch gathering for OLLI women interested in making new friends and discussing cultural and political topics. The group will meet at noon in the student union where participants can buy lunch or bring their own. Each gathering will have a topic ranging from popular fiction and films to discussion of life style concerns of older women along with current political topics like global warming. Participants’ feedback will be instrumental in selecting discussion topics. In-person but off-site.

FMI: Contact Pat Taub at pparee2011@gmail.com

Outdoor enthusiasts gather twice a month for invigorating walks in interesting places

FMI: Contact Rae Garcelon at raegarcelon@gmail.com

Shutterbugs at OLLI at USM meet and learn from each other while sharing their love of photography.

FMI: Contact Sharon Roberts at sharonlh@gwi.net.

Come join the fun! Stick figures are our specialty and sometimes they look like the word we are trying to draw. No art ability required. Meets twice monthly on Thursday afternoons via the easy-to-use Zoom whiteboard.

FMI: Contact Stephen Dorneman at stephendorneman@gmail.com.

Each month, this group reads and discusses articles from the latest issue of Scientific American.

FMI: Contact Elizabeth Housewright at ehousewright@gmail.com or visit .

Thespians perform staged readings twice a year at USM and off-campus on several occasions. Senior Players is open to all OLLI at USM members.

FMI: Contact Cheryl Squiers at nenegirl8th@gmail.com or Sidney Lincoln at linck7s@maine.rr.com.

This new walking group strives to get OLLI members outdoors in the Portland area on easy to moderate walks that promote good health, social mixing, and understanding of our natural environment and our cultural heritage.

FMI: Contact David von Seggern at vonseg1@sbcglobal.net.

Use those fun facts you have stored in your gray matter. Join us for some laughs and interesting questions that will have your brain scanning your mental files for what some may call trivial information. You provide your own snacks and beverages. We provide the questions! You are one click away from an evening of good company and laughter. Register once for this Special Interest Group (SIG) and you will remain on the email list until July 2024 and will receive all relevant communications from instructors, including upcoming dates. All sessions will be on Monday evenings at 7PM, but despite what the registration form says, they are not every other week.

FMI: Contact Elizabeth Housewright at ehousewright@gmail.com and Star Pelsue at Srpelsue@gmail.com.

Bibliophile? Looking for the next book to read? Join in and share a title or two. Leave with the title of the next book to add to the stack!

FMI: Contact Anne Cass at annebcass@gmail.com.

Would you like to propose a new SIG and be the coordinator (or renew a current one)?

Please click the link to complete the form. Special Interest Group (SIG) Proposal Form