HAPPY 10th BIRTHDAY MOLLI!

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Montana (MOLLI) program is ten years old today! MOLLI, established in 2006, offers an array of educational and social opportunities that promote the lifelong learning and personal growth of 50+ individuals through a diverse collection of noncredit short courses, special member events, lectures, and community activities. Since birthdays always need to be celebrated, we thought the best way would be to recognize ten things MOLLI is thankful for. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOLLI!

There are many things to be thankful for when it comes to MOLLI. MOLLI is thankful for:

1. The ability to explore and develop new interests.

2. The wonderful MOLLI instructors. Without their time and support, this program would not have had ten remarkable years.  

3. The amazing community of Missoula, Montana and the University of Montana that hosts the MOLLI membership.

4. The School of Extended and Lifelong Learning (SELL). Without SELL, and our staff, there would not have been a MOLLI program for the past ten years.

5. The ability to truly learn for the joy of learning; no exams, no grades, just fun!

6. The opportunities for intellectual and social growth that MOLLI offers to 50+ individuals.

7. The friendships that have been founded and developed through MOLLI.

8. The laughter and smiles that have been spread and shared throughout and beyond the MOLLI classrooms.

9. The immeasurable amount of knowledge that has been gained through this program.

10. Lastly, we are thankful for all of YOU! Without all of the outstanding and dedicated MOLLI members, none of this would be possible.

We cannot wait to see how MOLLI continues to grow and prosper in the years to come. HAPPY 10^th BIRTHDAY MOLLI, cheers to many more!  

What's all the Buzz About?

Missoula area beekeepers will be all abuzz with excitement on Friday, April 29 when UM bee researcher and co-owner of Bee Alert Technology, Jerry Bromenshenk picks up a trailer full of packaged honey bees for local beekeepers from Polson company, Western Bee. This year the packages will be distributed and installed in local beekeepers’ apiaries and the Lommasson Garden on the UM campus. The Lommasson Garden is located behind the Lommasson Building here on the gorgeous University of Montana’s campus and is home to numerous plants that are grown to provide fresh food, and now a beehive. The bees will pollinate garden plants, be used for UM research purposes and produce honey.

The bees will be installed on April 29. Garden manager, Stasia Orkwiszewski will help acclimate the bees to their new home, where they will do their jobs as native pollinators of the more than 60 varieties of plants that thrive in UM’s garden.

“We are looking forward to having honey bee partners work with us in the garden,” said Stasia. The garden already produces nearly 2,000 pounds of vegetables for campus dining, and the addition of honey bees ensures a high pollination rate. This beehive will produce natural, raw honey as well, with the potential to be used in UM dining creations.

Scott Debnam, who also performs bee research at UM, will help care for the bees on a day-to-day basis and serve as consultants to UM Dining.

Students and members of the public are encouraged to visit the garden and see the bees at work and enjoy the atmosphere of the garden itself. UM is a legally registered apiary in the state of Montana.

If individuals want to learn more about keeping their own bees, they are encouraged to take the online beekeeping certificate program through UM’s School of Extended & Lifelong Learning, taught by Bromenshenk, Scott Debnam, and Phillip Welch. More information can be found at umt.edu/bee.

Stuck in a Box? Take the Pain Out of Growing Your Business.

We often hear one of the predominate challenges of becoming a successful business owner or manager is isolation in our daily operations. That is why Colleen Rudio, Chief Strategist and founder of Cascadia Business Development designed the P5 Capacity Building Program and partnered with the School of Extended & Lifelong Learning (SELL) at the University of Montana and the Missoula Area Chamber of Commerce to deliver this new comprehensive business development program and help regional businesses grow responsibly.

The P5 program is scheduled to officially begin in March 2016, with individuals representing several business sectors and participating in facilitated roundtables throughout an entire year.

“We anticipate a high demand for this program, and as a result, will kick off new roundtables on a monthly basis throughout the year,” said Roger Maclean, Dean of the School of Extended Lifelong Learning at the University of Montana.

This is year two of the P5 program. New this year is a three month intensive and engaging program, that leads participants through capacity and personal strengths assessment, monthly in-person coaching sessions, monthly facilitated roundtable, as well as industry profile outlining benchmarks, challenges and opportunities.

In 2015, Cascadia Business Development, a strategic operations consulting firm committed to creating lean, conscious growth through operational excellence, facilitated a 12-month version for local businesses. Former participants have underlined the “trust and understanding” that was built, the “innovative first steps to improve business capacity” produced, the ability to relate to all forms of business and the collaboration to “offer invaluable advice” to all, and the “priceless” insights gained.

Lynne Foland, publisher for the Missoula Independent was wary at first to participate, citing common worries about the benefits versus time away from the office and relevance to her particular industry. In explaining her experience, she says, “Boy, was I wrong! The time spent with the group was great and I left feeling like they DID relate and they offered invaluable advice. It was also reassuring to hear that those larger businesses face the same type of problems that we do - we’re not especially special or unique when it comes to management challenges. I’d definitely recommend the roundtable to others. And I’d say that you may be reluctant to take the time away, shy about sharing your issues and/or intimidated by the other people in the room, but the format of the session will help you get past those concerns. And the insights you take away will be priceless.”

Nick Kaufman, Vice President/Principal Planner for WGM Group expressed his thanks to Cascadia
Business Development, the Missoula Chamber of Commerce, and SELL for creating the program. “I
found the presentations to be clear, concise and on point. The presentation and roundtable discussion
was efficiently facilitated. The roundtable process was highly productive. The exercise sponsored trust, understanding and a willingness to share exclusive professional expertise toward each participant’s particular issue. I came away vastly enriched with ideas and an implementation strategy. We are taking the learned, innovative first steps to improve our business capacity thanks to Cascadia P5 Capacity Building Roundtables.”

Currently, Cascadia Business Development is also partnered with several regional organizations and
delivering a customize version for local manufacturers.

The program framework is based on Cascadia’s P5 (purpose, process, product, people, profit) training model. The P5 Capacity Building Roundtables allows business people to focus on their organizations for three hours a month during the program dates, strategize with their peers, and go back to their organizations with the framework to make the right decision, at the right time, for the right reasons. P5 is designed to systematically and directly support business leaders (owners, managers, supervisors) as they address common issues impacting organizations at various stages of growth. The program is designed to create a learning environment that is both fast-paced and high-level. Participants should come prepared to both ask and answer tough questions.

Kim Latrielle, President/CEO of the Missoula Area Chamber of Commerce said, “We are always looking to identify value added training for our business members. The Chamber believes the P5 classes can help assess issues and approach business in an effective and efficient manner. The format of the class encourages trust, participation and, through thoughtfully posed questions, allows you to identify the root cause of an issue. Group input and suggestions create a collaborative approach to problem solving. The collaboration between Cascadia, SELL and the Chamber is a winning partnership for our business community.”

Throughout a three-month period, participants gain in-depth knowledge and understanding of critical
business topics allowing for systematic and specific improvements, creating strategic growth. The
learning begins with pre-session homework, organizational assessments, and custom video featuring
professional topic material experts. Time commitment is comprised of 9 hours of classroom time, 3
hours of workshop time and 3 hours of homework time. The three-month introductory program cost is $897.00 paid in full, however the program value is estimated at $4,500.00 in materials, education,
instruction and mentoring.

Jan Schweitzer, Office Vice President and shareholder of Anderson ZurMuehlen shares, “Being in a room with a group of experienced professionals who were able to offer practical insight and advice for my specific business issues was invaluable. Not only is it comforting to be part of a group that offers feedback in a safe environment, the energy that resulted from the session has made me motivated to look differently at the way of conducting certain practices in my office.”

Throughout the three-month program, participants will achieve the following P5 learning objectives:

1. Purpose Management: including organizational development and design and leadership
training

2. Profit Management: including in-depth understanding of financial management and
profitability analysis

3. Process Management: including how to become a more efficient and productive
organization

4. People Management: including human resource basics, and performance management

5. Product/Service Management: including relationship management, product and pricing
strategy and sales management

Program participants may also be eligible for the Incumbent Worker Training program, a competitive grant program that provides funding to eligible businesses to purchase training for their existing workers. Interested parties can find out more at http://wsd.dli.mt.gov/service/iwt.asp.

To find out more about the P5 Building Capacity Program call Cascadia Business Development at 406-239-3547 ,the Missoula Area Chamber of Commerce at 406-544-2396 or visit umt.edu/profdev.

10 Reasons to Join MOLLI Today

You might be asking yourself what the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (affectionately known as MOLLI) is and how it can benefit you? MOLLI is a program at the University of Montana’s School of Extended & Lifelong Learning (SELL) that allows individuals ages 50 and over to further their education by taking exciting, noncredit courses from outstanding instructors in a wide variety of subject areas a wide variety of topics. No grades, no tests, just fun! Is MOLLI right for you? Here are some reasons to join MOLLI today!

1. World-renowned Instructors

The instructors for MOLLI are unsurpassed! They include current and emeritus University of Montana faculty as well as professionals and scholars from the community. When we say you get the most out of your membership, you truly do! Take Anya Jabour, for example. She will be teaching this spring for MOLLI. Anya was a consultant on the new TV mini-series “Mercy Street,” which premiered on PBS in January. Other well-known professors for upcoming classes include Larry Mansch, Gary W. Hawk, Dan Spencer, Anne Basinski, and many, many more!

2. Special Member Events 

MOLLI memberships also include exclusive access to MOLLI Special Member Events. Different activities are offered each semester that allow you to experience new things and meet new people. “Inside the Drama: The Montana Repertory Theatre’s 2016 Production of Arthur Miller’s All My Sons,” is an example of a recent MOLLI Special Member Event.

3. Community Involvement 

Missoula is a strong community and MOLLI brings the community to the University and the University to the community. MOLLI classes bring together a cross-section of interesting people, and will allow you to engage with others you might not ever meet otherwise.

4. Non-Credit Short Courses 

MOLLI classes are offered during short (usually six-weeks) terms during the fall, winter and spring, with limited offerings during the summer. This structure allows you to continue the lifelong process of learning without the added pressure of academic credit, tests or grades. Expand your horizons and learn about topics you have never explored, or further your study of a subject you are extremely passionate about. The possibilities are endless!

5. Curiosity Never Retires 

No matter your age, you never lose the desire and passion to learn, especially after retirement when you have the time to explore. With MOLLI, you can challenge yourself while making the most of your retirement.

6. Affordable 

MOLLI gives you the chance to explore many topics and allows you an easy way to go back to school without the burden of standard college tuition. With affordable courses, MOLLI allows you to keep learning without breaking the bank!

7. A Wide Variety of Topics 

The MOLLI program offers courses in a wide variety of topics. From the humanities, fine arts, natural and social sciences, to political and current affairs, there is something for everyone. Explore one subject areas, or sample topics in each.  MOLLI provides you with the chance of a lifetime to learn things you never had the time, money, or opportunity to consider in high school or college.

8. Learning for the Joy of Learning 

This experience truly provides learning for the joy of learning. There are no exams, no tests, just fun! You can experience a relaxed classroom atmosphere where you do not have to worry about grades, but can unwind, enjoy the classes, and have fun with your new classmates. Positive feedback from past members who return for more enjoyment and individual growth are a testament to the MOLLI program, so come out and join the fun. You will not regret it.

9. Meet New Friends

This is a great chance to meet people in the same stage of life in our wonderful town of Missoula, Montana. Do not be afraid to sign up alone because there are others who are also joining solo. This is an opportunity to reach out to a group of people who share your interest in learning and community involvement. Do you have a regular group of people you spend a lot of time with? Why not all sign up for a MOLLI course together, and create new friendships?

10. Gain a Sense of Personal Fulfillment 

Accomplishing something can be incredibly fulfilling. You might have finally finished that month-long project, or remodeled your kitchen and created the space you always dreamed of. You most likely experienced the feeling of tremendous joy and personal accomplishment by overcoming a challenge. Now, instead of talking about going back to school, you can do so and gain that feeling of personal fulfillment once again by joining MOLLI. Do not wait, go to umt.edu/MOLLI and register today!

Need Meeting Space?

Did you know SELL has a Conference Center?

Yes, you read that right - the School of Extended and Lifelong Learning has a Conference Center! Located right here on the inviting UM campus, our facility features state-of-the-art technology, including point-to-point video conferencing, and so much more.  Here at SELL, we are equipped to handle conferences of any size, whether you plan to hold a meeting for several individuals or an event that will include up to 300 people. The Conference Center also provides white glove customer service, with onsite tech support so that any complications are addressed and all questions are answered right on the spot.

Our spectacular customer service is provided in conjunction with state-of- the- art technology. When you rent SELL meeting space you have access to the following tools: LCD projector, slide projector, flip cart (including easel), lapel microphone, LCD monitor 46”, overhead projector, DVD/VCR, and the ability to host error free video conferencing. All of this equipment is available to meet your needs and is affordable, priced from $10 to $50, tailored to fit your specific conference needs. Special pricing is available to UM affiliates. SELL can also provide you with a computer, or a lab with 24 laptops and a podium laptop. This is also affordable, at a reasonable $50 a day for a computer to $300 for laptops. You will not find a better deal in Missoula. A wide variety of other services are also available for use during your conference. These include photocopying, technical support, speaker phone, internet access, and much more.

SELL’s room rates are also very competitive, whether you are affiliated with the UM or a welcome visitor! Rooms are available for half-days or full-days, or several days in a row. This means your conference can be held over five consecutive days, or a weekend. You choose what works best for you and your attendees, and SELL will deliver. Rates are based on the size of the room and size of your conference. Smaller meetings can be held for as little as $50 per day! Fees for larger meeting rooms range between $50 and $250. SELL prides itself on very affordable room and equipment rates at a wonderful location with great service.

We are also very conscious of sustainability. The Princeton Review has even saluted the University of Montana as one of the nation’s most environmentally responsible “green colleges.” The Conference Center at the School of Extended and Lifelong Learning strives to be a leader in campus sustainability initiatives. These efforts include decreasing physical waste by reducing the number of hard copy materials at conferences and eliminating the use of bottled water as well as attitudinal changes such as promoting online learning and sharing information electronically. One of the most notable sustainability undertakings is the installation of solar panels and energy monitoring. SELL partially relies on solar panels that line the roof of the building, providing efficient green power, and taking advantage of those gorgeous sunny days on the UM campus. These panels can produce 2,300 watts of power and also serve research purposes via an energy-monitoring system that tracks how much power the system produces throughout the day. To see how SELL has been saving energy, view our REAL-TIME ENERGY DATA charts.

The Conference Center is environmentally conscious, offers affordable rates, quality service, and state-of-the-art technology for all your conference and meeting needs. The Conference Center is located in the James E. Todd Building on the beautiful University of Montana Campus in Missoula, MT, - the perfect destination for any meeting or conference. With the help of SELL’s Conference Planning Services, your next meeting or conference can be seamless. To learn more, visit umt.edu/sell/meetingspace, or call Joe Gough at (406) 243-6322 or email him at joseph.gough@umontana.edu . Do not wait, call and schedule your event today!

Beer, Beer, and more Beer!!

Have you ever thought about homebrewing? Ever wondered what the benefits are of knowing how to brew your own beer? Look no further! The School of Extended and LifelongLearning at the University of Montana offers the perfect online course for you. The Montana Brews online course teaches the basics of homebrewing and provides insights into local breweries, their signature beers, and Montana craft beer culture. Since the entire course is online and at your own pace, you can take it from anywhere at any time! Learn how to brew like a true Montanan from the comfort of your own home.

According to Destination Missoula, Montana ranks #2 in the nation for craft breweries per capita! Who wouldn’t want to dive into this area of expertise and learn the tricks of the trade? In this five-part, online course you will learn about some of the fine craft beers being brewed in the state today, with a focus on the breweries located in the beautiful town of Missoula. Montana breweries have become a very integral part of the Montana experience and attract numerous patrons, locals, and tourists alike. Breweries are also major contributors to the Big Sky State’s economy. According to the Montana Brewers Association, also known as the MBA, there are currently 53 licensed breweries operating in the state. These breweries employ more than 500 people and have an economic impact of more than $60,000,000. In this course, you will see how this profession is so successful and why the brewing industry is important to Montana. 

Not only does the Montana Brews online course provide you with an introduction to Montana’s brewing culture, it also allows you to learn how to brew some of the local signature beers. You will not even have to leave your couch to be able to taste and experience the hops and barley of one of the local beers. You will get top secret recipes for Big Sky’s “Moose Drool,” Draught Work's "Clothing Optional Pale Ale," KettleHouse’s “Cold Smoke,” Tamarack’s “Sip’N Go Naked Apricot Ale,” Flathead Lake Brewery's "Centennial IPA" and more. All of these local Missoula, Montana breweries offer a diverse variety of different beers and the recipes would be exclusive to you and your classmates.

With an amazing host like Ryan Newhouse, author of MontanaBeer, A Guide to Breweries in Big Sky Country and video insights from our best brewers, how could you not love this course and the amazing homebrews you will be making (and enjoying) in no time. Sign up today for only $50 and become the best brewer on your block. Go to umt.edu/brew to learn more about the course and to sign up today. Remember, the course is at your own pace and online, so you can take it from anywhere, at any time.