Nancy Martinosky, 79, sat in a wide circle of children and senior citizens and held a blue striped disc. On cue, she began shaking the disc, the beads inside moving in different directions to create the sound of ocean waves. All around her, noises resonated: To the left, a girl tapped a xylophone. Across the circle, a freckle-faced boy beat on a black bucket. 

The drum circle last week used money that the La Mesa Park and Recreation Foundation obtained through a JumpStart the Conversation grant, intended to promote lifelong learning for older adults. 

Eight local organizations received a grant, including the foundation, which is using the money to include a rhythm and movement program – RhythmWorx – in its intergenerational program. 

The grants, ranging from $1,000 to $2,500, are part of the Aging in Place Initiative, arranged through Partners for Livable Communities, a nonprofit that works to improve quality of life in communities, and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, a nonprofit dedicated to aging issues. Funding was provided by the MetLife Foundation. 

The initiative led workshops in six regions across the United States. Participants in each workshop discussed improving life for seniors. In San Diego County, the focus was on lifelong learning, said Irene Garnett, chief operating officer for Partners for Livable Communities. 

“We go into communities, ask what topics interest them, what needs they have, and start initial conversation,” she said. “The idea after the workshop is, 'OK, we stimulated conversation, now we want to help you take action on that theme.' ” 

Organizations securing a grant received a small amount of money to explore their idea, Garnett said. The hope is that the money is a catalyst for future projects and creates ways for seniors to continue to learn, whether it is through a speaker series at a library or a language class. 

In San Diego, the Alzheimer's Association will use its $2,500 grant to expand its Memories in the Making Art Program, which gives people with dementia an outlet for creative expression. Peninsula Shepherd Senior Center will partner with Sharp HealthCare to create an Older Adult Healthy Lifestyle Workshop. 

In Chula Vista, The Arc of San Diego's Starlight Center will use its grant to provide art classes for the center's developmentally disabled senior citizens. 

La Mesa's program will be included in the Park and Recreation Foundation's intergenerational program called Project KAST, or Kids and Seniors Together. RhythmWorx founder Susan Hall said the use of instruments and music is something both generations can enjoy. 

“If seniors are tending to isolate or don't feel comfortable talking with the youth, or are a little depressed, this acts as a tool to open up communication,” Hall said. “A lot of seniors are under stress, worried about their partner or illness, or angry at how society has changed. This alleviates that.” 

Denise Nelesen, a spokeswoman for San Diego County's Aging & Independence Services, said she hopes the grants will help seniors overcome the obstacles to learning. 

“It's good to have national support for what we're doing,” she said. “It says to San Diego, 'We agree what you're doing is important.' ”