The National Resource Center (NRC) for Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes is administered by the School of Professional Studies on the downtown Chicago campus of Northwestern University. The Osher NRC serves as the convening center for the network of 120+ independent Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes (OLLIs) on university or college campuses throughout all 50 states.

The mission of the National Resource Center is to help OLLIs thrive by connecting OLLIs to each other and to resources, collaborating with OLLIs and partner organizations, consulting with OLLI leaders to find solutions, and celebrating the camaraderie and successes of OLLIs and their members. The Osher NRC fulfills its mission through a variety of projects and services, such as planning national conferences; producing webinars and training for OLLI staff and volunteers; conducting research on lifelong learning and purposeful aging; and highlighting OLLI successes through a monthly newsletter, and this website.

The NRC is not a governance body but is a center for excellence and dissemination of information on effective educational programming for older adult lifelong learners. It convenes an Advisory Council of representative Osher Institute leaders to consult on strategic planning, special initiatives, and productive actions to advance the Network. Furthermore, the Osher NRC exists to facilitate the exchange of opinions, solutions and experiences among institutes throughout the country so that all can benefit.

The Bernard Osher Foundation funded Northwestern University as the designated host of the National Resource Center for Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes in October 2014.  The NRC was previously located at the University of Southern Maine from 2004 until 2014.