The following story was originally published by KSHB.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Summer camp isn’t just for kids, it’s for seniors, too.
At SPARK, Senior Peers Active Renewing Knowledge, a partnership with the University of Missouri-Kansas City offers quarterly classes that inspire connection, learning and movement.
“We’ve got the best, the best groups of folks,” said SPARK President LeeAnne Hays.
SPARK participant Judy Kirk said the group is full of "lifelong learners."
“It’s so wonderful to come and be here in person,” Kirk said.
This summer, SPARK is offering three classes.
“We always call ourselves seniors, [but] I don’t feel that way, though — I feel young," Kirk said.
Class offerings range from learning about recent Supreme Court opinions to literature on baseball.
Michael Smith, SPARK participant, said the classes help bring visibility to topics that affect his everyday life as well as provide opportunities he possibly would have never considered.
Michael Smith, SPARK participant, said the classes help bring visibility to topics that affect his everyday life as well as provide opportunities he possibly would have never considered.
“I was looking for something for older people since I’ve reached the ripe old age of 81,” Smith said. “We had seen Tai Chi, people doing Tai Chi. We thought it would be interesting to learn something about it.”
SPARK President LeeAnne Hays said that's the goal of the group — to keep learning together.
“This is a very interactive, very lively group of people," she said. "We enjoy the things we are learning about, and we enjoy each other, too."
She said the sociable group is never short on curiosity.
"After people have retired, a lot of people don’t know what to do with themselves," Hays said. "I, personally, don’t think there is any excuse for that because there are so many wonderful opportunities for people of retirement age.”
Each participant agreed exercising the brain is a retirement necessity.
“If you’re not learning you, might as well die,” Smith said.
There’s still time to enroll in SPARK classes this summer.
SPARK also offers weekly tours, outings and Mahjong.
More information can be found here.
