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Healthy Seniors: Senior school welcomes back students this spring

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Another school is moving back to the classroom after online learning during the pandemic. However, we're not talking about elementary and high school kids or even college students. These students are lifelong learners with years of wisdom under their belts.

PILLAR Institute for Lifelong Learning is non-profit encouraging learning no matter how old you are.

"I promise I won't make anyone take a test so I guess that's the best thing," laughs Daryl Kuiper, student, and instructor.

No pop quiz, no problem in Daryl Kuiper's class.

"It is rewarding to be able to see people who say I never thought about that before. That sort of attitude and willing to discuss it and talk about it and share is what makes it really, really valuable to me," says Kuiper.

PILLAR is located inside the Chapel Hills Mall. Starting this month they are welcoming back their senior students for the spring quarter.

"I have met some really good friends here and I enjoy what PILLAR does, the classes are just fascinating," says Sandy Halby, operation officer. "It's all over the place with what the classes are, the geopolitics, art, local history. The instructors are just wonderful and I love what PILLAR does with senior health and what senior health is, is keeping your brain active and learning new things."

"I think older adults really need it, they may not know they need it but once they come and take that first class they really enjoy it and come back," says Vickie Heffner, executive director.

And now coming back to class has a whole new meaning after many seniors were very isolated for the last two years. Kuiper is one of them. He misses teaching in person and being a student. He says going online worked for a while, but it's not the same as being together.

"Seniors need to get out and become part of the human population again," says Kuiper. "This is going to be philosophical but humanity is not human unless you are interacting with other human beings."

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Brynn Carman

Brynn is an anchor on Good Morning Colorado. Learn more about Brynn here.

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