With support from a VA250 grant, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at George Mason University is launching Revolutionary Ideas: 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution, a free public lecture series designed to deepen historical understanding and strengthen civic engagement.
In partnership with George Mason University and Fairfax County Public Library, the yearlong project will bring accessible, expert-led programs to communities across Fairfax County — both online and in person. We spoke with Lisa Mariam, Executive Director of OLLI Mason, about the role of lifelong learning in a healthy democracy, how the 250th anniversary shaped their programming, and why expanding access to history remains central to their mission.
You spent many years working in the arts before joining OLLI. How has that experience shaped the way you approach your work now?
Lisa Mariam: My background in the arts has equipped me to strengthen the arts programming at OLLI Mason. It’s an area that I understand, and one that has been one of the stronger of the 10 subject areas that we cover. I’m really excited about being able to reach out to local arts organizations and other people in the arts that I know in the DMV area, to invite them to teach classes, and sort of reinvigorate that program.
When you think about lifelong learning, where do you see its impact on civic life and a healthy democracy?
LM: Democracies rely on citizens who can evaluate policies, candidate social issues, and so lifelong learning programs like OLLI help people to stay up to date on current events. We have a class that is called “What’s in the Daily News” that happens a couple of times a week. We’ve done a lot of classes on climate change and a lot of classes on technology ethics. There’s a lot of interest in AI and critical thinking skills to help discern the facts from misinformation. Without continuous education, we really risk becoming disengaged and misinformed, and that weakens our democratic processes.
Social cohesion and equity is also really key here — education beyond your formal schooling, which promotes a dialog across generations and cultures. We do a lot of inter-generational programming with the University. That is helping to reduce social fragmentation, and it also addresses inequity by giving everyone opportunities to learn.
Lastly, in our digital age, misinformation spreads really rapidly. So our program builds media literacy and skepticism, looking at only reliable sources and empowering people to make more evidence based decisions.
The semiquincentennial played a big role in shaping this grant project. What excited you about bringing that theme to OLLI Mason?
LM: When I first heard about this program, I immediately thought it was a great fit for OLLI Mason, because we have a really strong history program. But what really surprised me was, when I pitched it to the programming committee we have, every single one of them jumped on board with it and had ideas for how they could explore the 250th anniversary.
You’ve talked about presenting a “fuller” history of the American Revolution. What does that look like in practice for this project?
LM: We’re really embedding it throughout our program for the entire year. We’re taking advantage of all the historical sites that we have here in Fairfax County and even into Loudoun County.
Access is a major focus of this project. How are you making sure anyone who wants to participate can?
LM: This project was very focused on our partnership with Fairfax County Public Libraries. So, everything that the public library system does is free and open to the public. To be a member of OLLI, there is a membership fee. By collaborating with the library, we’re opening our program up to everyone, not just those in the age range of 50 and over. Now, anybody can participate in these programs. They’re a mixture of virtual and in person, and we’ve been very deliberate about selecting locations in the county for the in person programming that is relatively underserved to this type of activity.
You partner with a wide range of community organizations. How do you keep that engagement strong?
LM: Many of our classes are taught by Mason professors, but the majority are taught by experts from the community. The 250th project has really catalyzed our community connections, and I think they do have a lot of potential to expand beyond this grant period, or beyond the year of 2026, when we’re going to use the entire year to celebrate this.
An obvious area was the exploration of our namesake of George Mason. There hadn’t been a class on George Mason yet. His home is not too far away in Fairfax County, in Gunston Hall. So we’ve reached out to Gunston Hall to have a class on George Mason, as well as actually getting to go and see the site firsthand.
OLLI is known for creating a strong sense of community. What role does learning together play in that?
LM: Learning together creates connection, so those educational groups often evolve into lasting friendships and networks. One of our members described OLLI Mason to me as “college for retired people,” and it really does feel like that.
