Brandeis University
PAE-21: Sustainability in Continuing Education

BOLLI (Brandeis Osher Lifelong Learning Institute), currently offers about 40 courses each semester to Waltham community members. These courses are proposed and implemented by community members, so the subjects taught depend entirely upon what members are interested in and willing to teach. Since BOLLI’s founding in 2000, they have offered a total of four courses related to sustainability. Those courses are: Water and the Politics of Water, The Coming Energy Crisis, Toward Developing Energy Independence, Global Warming and Climate Change. The Program Director estimated that on average, one sustainability related course will be offered each year. However, they expressed that the BOLLI staff would like to see more courses dedicated to sustainability and noted that they hope to encourage community members to offer more of such courses in the future. Brandeis does not offer any kind of sustainability-related certificate program. Sustainability courses offered through BOLLI are key to increasing community members’ awareness and interest in sustainability issues. By offering more courses such as these we will be able to further engage our community and provide training for green jobs.