Imagine a university classroom where there are no exams or papers, or even grades. The only objective is to learn.

That’s exactly what a program at Brandeis University is offering residents 55 years old and up.

The Brandeis Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, also known as BOLLI, offers classes on sociology, history, music, politics, literature and science. The only qualification, outside of paying for tuition, is a desire to learn.

Learning good for seniors' mental health

For Avi Bernstein-Nahar, director of BOLLI, the program is more than just a typical classroom setting of teachers and students. It’s a chance to help curb social isolation, which is so prevalent among senior citizens.

"Social isolation is the number one health threat in America, even worse than cancer," he said, refering to comments from former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.

Besides exercise, learning something new is the next best thing a senior can do for a healthy life, said Bernstein-Nahar.

"Both on the social isolation side and cognitive stimulation side, lifelong learning is a social good," he said.

The BOLLI program is hosting an informational session, lecture and brunch on Tuesday, July 11, to showcase everything it has to offer. The event will take place at 60 Turner St., Waltham, and starts at 10 a.m.

The lecture, entitled "Three Icons of the Harlem Renaissance," will focus on the lives of Langston Hughes, Nella Larsen, and W. E. B. Du Bois and how they helped craft the African American arts and culture scene in 1920s and 1930s New York.

Part of push for healthy seniors

Maria DiMaggio is the communications and development director for Healthy Waltham, which is leading a project called Waltham Connections for Healthy Aging, an initiative of over 12 different agencies and organizations working together to promote healthy aging in the city to make Waltham more age-friendly.

She said the group is currently planning a number of events to get seniors connected and interacting, and the BOLLI informational session is one of those events.

"The whole topic of maintaining a healthy and engaged social and intellectual life is one of the real keys to healthy aging," said DiMaggio.

The momentum to create a more age-friendly city was jumpstarted last year by Brandeis professor Walter Leutz, who released a study entitled "Healthy Aging in Waltham - Going Places?" that looked at how Waltham fared as a city in terms of senior living.

The biggest opportunity for improvement in the community, according to the study, was helping seniors who have become isolated due to disability, illness, low income, social isolation or not knowing how to speak English.

That’s exactly the population Bernstein-Nahar hopes to reach.

'Gives people an anchor'

He said he’s gotten plenty of positive responses in the past from seniors in the BOLLI program. One word he hears a lot, he said, is "transformational."

"It’s a gamechanger in terms of what people feel," he said. "BOLLI gives people an anchor, socially, and in terms of meaning and commitment."

One student, Emily Weidman, provided a testimonial for the program. She wrote, "Personally, I feel BOLLI has been an energizing force in my life. I have been able to study a variety of subjects with other curious adults."

Memberships for BOLLI run between six months and a year. The cost ranges from $75 up to $650 depending on the type of membership. Waltham residents get an automatic 50 percent off any membership. Bernstein-Nahar said there are financial aid opportunities available as well.

He added that the program is looking at ways to partner with a ride-sharing company to provide transportation for seniors to get to Brandeis for the classes, but nothing has been finalized.

For more information on BOLLI, or to sign up for the July 11 free preview event for Waltham residents, contact program coordinator Matt Medeiros at 781-736-2992 or visit brandeis.edu/bolli.

To get involved with Waltham Connections for Healthy Aging, send an email to connections@healthy-waltham.org or call the Healthy Waltham office at 781-891-4700.