Sages and Seekers brings teens, or “seekers,” together with older adults, or “sages,” for conversations designed to help participants find meaning and purpose through shared life experiences.
The local program started at the Park City Library about three years ago before moving to Wasatch County where its fifth class is about to begin.
Now, Live Like Sam programs manager Jessica Parker says the organization is bringing the effort back to Park City.
She says the intergenerational program is designed to build empathy, break do
“It's an intergenerational program that is connecting our teens with seniors in the community, and it's a mentorship program,” Parker said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” Sept 30. “It's also breaking down stereotypes and just bridging the gap between generations.”
The program runs for eight weeks on Tuesdays from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. beginning Oct. 20 at the Park City Senior Center.
The first meeting is an icebreaker, giving participants a chance to meet each other. The second meeting features a take on “speed dating” the group calls “
“All of the seekers get to meet each individual sage and ask them questions, and then they get to decide like who they vibed with, or maybe if that sage had a career that they're interested in learning more about, or hobbies that they have in common. So, our seekers get to pick which sages that they connected with the most, and then they get paired with one for the remaining six weeks of the program.”
Seekers are ages 13 to 18 while the sages must be 55 and older. Parker says there’s room for seven or eight more pairs. Those interested can register online.
Parker says seekers often say the weekly meetings are something they look forward to. The program benefits older participants as well.
“I think it's just because they have somebody to check in with them every single week and see how they're doing, someone who cares and is spending quality time with them, asking them questions about their lives,” she said. “If they have things in common, seekers can learn so much from our sages and their life experience, and so there's a lot of advice being given or just stories being shared, and technology tips being shared with our sages as well.”
Students who complete the program and its requirements, attending at least seven of the eight sessions, receive volunteer hours for their participation.
Click here for more information about Sages and Seekers.
