Glaciers, geysers, volcanoes, spectacular sea birds and dramatic coastlines distinguish the small island nation on the edge of the Arctic Circle, Iceland. The people, animals, customs and food are also distinctive with delicacies like fermented shark meat and Icelandic ponies with gaits so smooth, a beer in a rider’s hand won’t spill. 

“They call it the land of fire and ice with active volcanos and exposed lava,” said CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) Professor of Biology and Artic expert Amy Denton. “It sits right where two continental plates are moving apart. It has some of the newest land on Earth.” 

“Iceland Essentials: Part 1 and 2” is one pair of classes being offered in the 2023 “Summer Taste of OLLI” program, which consists of 25 classes on everything from Winston Churchill’s speeches to drag as an art form to targeted therapy for cancer. 

CSUCI’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) is offering anybody age 50+ the opportunity to take any class for $15 per class, or unlimited Taste of OLLI classes for $60 per person, or $90 per household. Classes run from June 12 until July 20 and registration is now open. 

“It’s lighter than our normal sessions so it’s also a great way to introduce new instructors to the program,” said OLLI Program Coordinator Michael Trainor. “It’s also a great way to get people interested in the program to take a class without the six-week commitment.” 

As is customary, the Taste of OLLI offers a broad variety of subjects from art, history, politics and music to current topics in the news such as the speeches of Winston Churchill, the Arab world, protection from scams, drag as an art form, popular musicals, whether Christian nationalism is actually Christian and two classes on Artificial Intelligence (AI), a hot topic in the news. 

“Unlocking ChatGPT’s Potential” by CSUCI Professor of Management Information Systems Minder Chen will familiarize students with the best prompts to give this advanced natural language processing tool. “Can AI Replace Creative Minds” by a veteran OLLI presenter, Bijian Fan, will explore AI’s creation of original artwork in music, literature and visual art and its impact on humanity. Fan has a background in mathematics and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering. 

The courses will be both in-person and via Zoom, or both, and classes will be taught by outside experts and CSUCI faculty, such as the two-part class on Iceland by Denton. An exciting addition to the class is an actual trip to Iceland in July arranged by OLLI member Ann Lewin, who has arranged other overseas trips for OLLI members. 

“We’re very excited about it,” Lewin said. “There is a huge lake with a waterfall and it’s got icebergs in it. We will get on a duck (an amphibious vehicle) and go out amongst the icebergs.” 

Denton is also eager for the class to see the sights of Iceland, which she has explored during her decades as an Arctic researcher. The first class she will teach will focus on Iceland’s environment such as the glaciers, lakes, and volcanoes. The second will be about Iceland’s people, their culture and history, from the Vikings to the present inhabitants. 

The group will spend about a week visiting Southern Iceland volcanoes, walk around Reykjavík, and travel the popular tourist route called the Golden Circle, about 187 miles of Iceland’s most popular attractions. 

“They’re also going to visit a farm in Iceland that grows all kinds of fruits and vegetables using geothermal energy,” Denton said. “Also, surging tourism has made Iceland a perfect laboratory for sustainable travel aimed at minimizing human impact on its pristine environments.” 

Visit the Summer Taste of OLLI website to check out all the classes in Summer Taste of OLLI and to register.