Curiosity Has No Retirement Age
For generations, retirement was often portrayed as a time to slow down, settle into familiar routines, and finally stop learning.
King Bruwaert House (K-B House) senior living community in Burr Ridge/Hinsdale sees it differently.
At K-B House, retirement is an opportunity to ask more questions, explore new ideas, revisit old passions, and discover interests that busy careers and family responsibilities may have postponed for decades.
That philosophy inspired the relaunch and renaming of the community’s lifelong learning initiative: The King Bruwaert Institute.
Rather than a calendar of events at K-B House, it’s a culture, and its mission is captured in a simple tagline:
Ideas to spark curiosity. Conversations to deepen connections. Outings to enrich the season.
The Joy of Still Becoming
The King Bruwaert Institute grew from a program launched in 2018 called Live and Learn. Even then, residents gathered for breakfast forums, explored nature writing, heard from guest speakers, discovered new hobbies, and shared stories from careers and life experiences that were every bit as fascinating as the topics themselves.
Following the pandemic, the program returned with renewed purpose and an even broader vision.
“It has really been taken up a notch,” said Shareen Klasing, Director of Wellness and Resident Services
That evolution reflects a changing generation of older adults.
Today’s K-B House residents arrive with decades of professional accomplishments, world travel, volunteer service, artistic pursuits, and lifelong interests. Many spent careers solving problems, teaching others, leading organizations, or raising families. Retirement has not diminished their curiosity. It has given them the freedom to pursue it.
“Our residents are still young, and they’re looking to grow and satisfy their interest in learning,” said Klasing.
Learning That Comes Alive
The King Bruwaert Institute creates experiences that include forums, presentations, lectures, clubs and excursion.
Before attending the Lyric Opera, residents gathered for a presentation that introduced the music, the story, and the history behind the performance. What began as preparation quickly became part of the experience itself.
“The residents were grateful for that,” Klasing said. “Now we often do pre-program talks before our outings.”
That same approach carries throughout the year.
Residents participating in K-B House’s book club reading The Diary of a Young Girl will visit the Anne Frank exhibition at Chicago’s Griffin Museum of Science and Industry. A series on Chicago architecture, presented by a resident who serves as a docent with the Chicago Architecture Center, along with a book club discussion of Clara and Mr. Tiffany will culminate with an architectural boat tour through the city.
Another resident introduced neighbors to seven notable public gardens, leading to excursions that transformed a presentation into firsthand exploration.
Learning becomes layered, immersive, and shared.
The Greatest Teachers Live Here
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the King Bruwaert Institute is that many of its instructors are residents themselves.
“Our residents are great resources,” Klasing said. “Someone will suggest a topic, and we’ll research it, make it happen, and sometimes expand it into multiple programs.”
One resident shared the extraordinary story of helping create President John F. Kennedy’s Eternal Flame. Others present on, drawing from decades of professional expertise and personal experience.
Their knowledge does more than educate. It creates conversation, strengthens friendships, and reminds everyone that every resident has something valuable to contribute.
That spirit extends beyond resident presenters.
Monthly technology lectures help residents navigate topics such as cybersecurity and online scams. Chamber music performances by musicians from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra bring world class arts directly into the community. Regular breakfast forums, writing groups, TED Talk discussions, art and literature conversations, Mah Jongg instruction, and Great Courses classes ensure there is always something new to discover.
“We’re doing a little bit of everything,” Klasing said.
A Community That Never Stops Growing
The King Bruwaert Institute demonstrates something researchers have been saying for years: intellectual engagement contributes to healthy aging, stronger social connections, and a greater sense of purpose.
Just as important, it makes life more interesting.
Residents continue asking questions. They continue challenging themselves. They continue sharing what they know while remaining eager to learn from one another.
Upcoming offerings include programs on philanthropy, global education, and charitable giving, proving that curiosity has no finish line.
Because at King Bruwaert House, education is not about earning another diploma.
It is about continuing to grow into the person you still have every opportunity to become.
Carrington Club waitlist members are welcome to attend some of the Institute programs.
King-Bruwaert House
Ideally located in what has been called one of the best places to retire in Illinois by Niche.com, King-Bruwaert House senior living community has been gracing Hinsdale/Burr Ridge since 1933. The beautiful 35-acre campus includes independent living in The Gardens of King-Bruwaert House new luxury apartment homes and The Woods of King-Bruwaert House cottages. As an elegant and dignified Life Plan Community offering all levels of care, the campus also has access to assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing. Less than two miles away in Hinsdale is Godair Park, King-Bruwaert House’s single-story rental duplex homes overlooking Ruth Lake Country Club. For additional information, visit www.KingBruwaert.org or call 630-216-8659. King-Bruwaert House is located at 6101 S. County Line Road in Burr Ridge.
