Summer 2026 Osher Online Learning Courses
TUESDAYS
Discovering Portugal
Instructor: Alison Roberts
When: July 7-August 11 | 10-11:30 a.m. | Live on Zoom
Cost: $90
In this course, we will explore how a tiny nation – Portugal – played an outsized role in world history. We will examine Portugal’s fifteenth and sixteenth century maritime expansion (once called the “Discoveries”), as well as its central role in the transatlantic trade in enslaved people. We will trace how Portugal, once a fringe region of the Roman Empire, emerged as the only independent kingdom on the Iberian Peninsula as Castile grew into Spain. We will follow Portugal’s rise as a global power, with outposts stretching from Brazil to Japan, and then its decline as rival empires overtook it – culminating in twentieth century poverty under Europe’s longest dictatorship. Finally, we will consider how this past continues to shape Portuguese identity and culture in the decades since a revolution ushered in democracy. As we survey Portugal’s landscapes, art and architecture, and food, we will see why record numbers of Americans are now visiting the country.
Horticulture A-Z
Instructor: Chris Baker
When: July 7-August 11 | 4-5:30 p.m. | Live on Zoom
Cost: $90
In this course, we will explore a wide range of horticultural practices with something to offer no matter our experience level or where we live. We will cover container gardening, aquatic gardens, ornamental and fruiting plants, bonsai, landscape design, and pest management. Each week, we will focus on a theme and examine design ideas, plant choices, and long-term care practices for success. Whether we garden on 10 acres or in an apartment, we will find plenty to learn and enjoy in horticulture.
WEDNESDAYS
Hindu Traditions: Ritual, Knowledge, Devotion
Instructor: Eileen Goddard
When: July 15-August 19 | 12-1:30 p.m. | Live on Zoom
Cost: $90
In this course, we will gain a comprehensive introduction to Hindu traditions, emphasizing the importance of ritual, knowledge, and devotion across Hindu traditions from classical to contemporary times. We will introduce Hinduism’s South Asian roots, that can be traced to the Vedic tradition, which provides key conceptual and religious foundations. We will consider early and classical expressions of Hindu thought and religious life through the complex term dharma. Major Hindu deities are then introduced alongside associated narratives, practices, and iconography. We will examine the six major schools of Hindu philosophy using both secondary and primary sources. We will then consider bhakti (devotion) that has characterized diverse Hindu traditions across centuries. Finally, we will consider sacred space and places including temples and tīrthas, as well as the interrelationship of the concept of divine presence and pilgrimage practices that relate to these holy sites.
THURSDAYS
Endless Grounds: Coffee's Social, Economic, and Cultural Life
Instructor: Robert Thurston, PhD
When: July 9-August 13 | 8-9:30 a.m. | Live on Zoom
Cost: $90
Coffee will provide a lively lens on major past and present issues, including climate change, social life, health, global North–South differences, social and economic justice, tourism, and slavery. We will begin “from the ground up,” tracing coffee from planting and processing through shipping and, ultimately, the beverage in our cups - part of nearly two billion cups consumed daily worldwide. We will explore coffee’s global history and its shift from an elite drink to an everyday staple. Drawing on current research, we will examine coffee and health, as well as practical questions such as how more income might reach farmers and how coffee production might adapt to a changing climate. The instructor will share firsthand experiences from coffee farms around the world, discuss a range of brewing methods, and demonstrate how coffee is brewed. Sessions will be interactive, with time for questions throughout.