Summer Spark Week at Butler: No tests. No grades. Just the joy of learning.

Butler’s Lifelong Learning Collaborative hosted its inaugural Summer Spark Week in June, an on-campus educational opportunity designed for adult learners.

Participants selected from a menu of classes, hands-on activities, and behind-the-scenes experiences to build a custom itinerary of sessions led by Butler faculty, staff, and expert guest speakers. From working professionals to residents of senior living communities, Summer Spark Week catered to a wide range of audiences and interests. Topics for the social, interactive classes spanned from music and art to science and technology and more.

Participant Patsy See had just decided against pursuing an advanced education in her 70s when she enrolled in Summer Spark Week. While the long-term demands of a degree program didn’t appeal to her, she was still seeking a fun, social, and intellectually challenging environment.

“The way in which this series was organized, formatted, and executed was just right for me,” she says. “There was an atmosphere of scholarship without any stuffiness or pressure. It was great to be back in the classroom, if only for a few days, and I enjoyed being around people who love to learn as much as I do.”

The Butler Lifelong Learning Collaborative provides inquisitive adults with a learning environment that exists outside of degree programs, professional development, and job certifications. It was developed as an additional educational model to support the natural human motivation to learn, engage, and grow—at any age.

As an extension of their programming, the Summer Spark Week experience will be an annual celebration of curiosity with the added benefit of a dynamic campus environment, catered meals and snacks, optional wellness activities, social events, and more.

Summer Spark Week returns June 2–5, 2025. Learn more and register for specific days. Hear more from past participants.