SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – Springfield Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) is pleased to announce its spring 2026 programs. The first program, on Tuesday, Feb. 24, will be about the Crown Point Road, with local historians and members of the Crown Point Road Association Barry Griffith and Lonnie Lisai.
Sponsored by the University of Vermont, OLLI is run by local volunteer members, and is geared mainly towards seniors who are 50 years of age and older. Anyone who would be interested in this type of program, regardless of their age, is welcome. The topics are a variety, from local and Vermont history, to science, nature, gardening, art, literature, music, travel, and current events.
The programs are held Tuesday afternoons, at 2 p.m., and last about an hour and a half. The meeting location is the Nolin Murray Center on Pleasant Street, next to St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Springfield, Vt.
Following is the listing of programs for the spring 2026 semester.
Feb. 24, Crown Point Road – Learn about the history of this road, which was first marked and cut by the British in 1759, and often is called “Vermont’s first interstate highway.” It was used as a military road during the French and Indian War, as well as the Revolutionary War.
Thursday, March 12, “Abigail Adams: Liberty & Legacy” – Sheryl Faye, award-winning historical portrayal artist, brings this influential first lady to life in a dynamic multimedia performance.
March 24, “Journalism Under Threat” with Nina Keck, senior reporter with Vermont Public. Trace the evolution of radio journalism in the U.S. over the past 40 years, shaped by technology, shifting audiences, digital platforms ,and media consolidation.
April 7, “Discovering New England Stone Walls,” cosponsored by the Springfield Garden Club with Kevin Gardner, master stone wall builder and author – Trace how and why New England came to have thousands of miles of stone walls, examine the techniques used to build dry stone structures, and follow the evolution of their distinctive styles.
April 21, “Historic Log Drives of the Connecticut River” with Helen Pike, author, photographer, and North Country historian. Discover how Helen Pike’s father, logging historian Robert E. Pike, collected the stories of men whose physical strength, resilience, work ethic, and fearless spirit got timber out of the backwoods to mills along the Connecticut River every spring until 1915.
May 5, “The Chance of Ten Lifetimes: Restoring Notre Dame de Paris” with Josh Jackson – Explore a photographic tour led by Jackson showcasing his work helping to reconstruct the roof trusses of the nave at Notre Dame de Paris.
Thanks go out to our local benefactors Barbara Sanderson and HB Energy Solutions.
Registration is now open, and you can register online at www.learn.uvm.edu/olli/springfield. There is an early bird special discount if you register by Feb. 10. There is a membership fee. Nonmembers are welcome and encouraged to attend for an individual program fee.