Are you interested in teaching for OLLI-UHM?


Teach for OLLI
 
OLLI-UHM instructors are passionate community members who enjoy engaging with enthusiastic lifelong learners. Our instructors include university faculty, community experts, professionals, and OLLI members who lead conversations or share a personal passion.

They come from diverse backgrounds—some with Ph.D.s, others with no formal degrees—but all bring rich life and work experience. Many teach topics outside their professional fields, often inspired by long-held or post-retirement interests. At OLLI, it’s common for someone to be a student in one class and an instructor in another.
 
Why teach at OLLI-UHM?

Teaching for OLLI is an opportunity to share knowledge, experience, and curiosity with a community of engaged adult learners.

Courses are informal and discussion-oriented, with no grades or exams—just learning for the joy of it. OLLI staff and volunteers support instructors with scheduling, Zoom, classroom logistics, and promotion.

If you have an idea for a course, we would love to hear from you.

What kinds of courses are offered?

OLLI-UHM courses are as diverse as the people who teach them. Recent offerings have included:
 
  • The Norse Sagas
  • Mindful Drawing
  • Great 20th Century Operas
  • Current Economic Policy Issues
  • The Russo-Ukrainian War
  • Volcanoes in the Sea
  • The Soothing Forest: Meditate in Nature with John Hall
  • Beginner Wood Carving: Making a Comfort Bird
  • Right Brain Photography
Fall 2026 Teaching Information

The Fall 2026 term runs from September 28 to December 5, 2026. Due to holidays, there are only 9 Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. All 4 Fall holidays are in November.

Spring 2027 Teaching Information

Each OLLI term spans approximately 10 weeks. Most individual courses run 4–6 weeks, though some are shorter (single-session talks) or longer (up to 10 weeks).

The Spring 2027 term runs from February 1 to April 18, 2027. Due to holidays, there are only 9 Mondays and 9 Fridays. There will also be no OLLI courses during the UH Spring Break the week of March 15-19.

Courses may be offered:
  • Online (Zoom)
  • In person (UH M?noa, Paki Hale, or Windward CC)
  • Outdoors
In addition to multi-week courses, we welcome proposals for single-session talks or special events, especially on topical or locally relevant subjects.
 
    How to propose a course
    Please use this form to submit one or more proposals.

    Before you begin, please have:
  • Course title
  • Course description (150 words max)
  • Instructor bio (50 words max)
    You may submit the form multiple times if proposing more than one course.

   Deadlines
  • Preliminary inquiries: Nov 1
  • Course proposals due: Nov 28

   Instructor support and compensation
   
    OLLI-UHM offers a modest honorarium of $50 per teaching week (some topics may qualify for more).      Instructors are not UH employees; payments are processed through the UH Foundation.

    About 40% of our instructors volunteer their time.

   Reimbursement for pre-approved materials may be available.
   Note: UH system employees are not eligible for direct compensation due to state law.
   Questions?
   Email: mandryk@hawaii.edu or olliuhm@hawaii.edu

  Explore past course catalogs
   It may be helpful to review past catalogs.  Here are several recent ones:
   Summer 2026
   Fall 2025
   Summer 2025
   Spring 2025
   Fall 2024
   Summer 2024
   Spring 2024
   Fall 2023