Bay View was honored to host the 2nd Annual Chautauqua Trail Learning Lab, bringing together eight Chautauquas—Fountain Park, Ocean Park, Colorado Chautauqua, Chautauqua Wawasee, New Piasa Chautauqua, Florida Chautauqua, Lakeside Chautauqua, and Bay View—for a dynamic exchange of ideas, challenges, and inspiration. This gathering welcomed board members, key volunteers, staff, and executive leadership from each organization, all deeply committed to the future of Chautauqua and the movement.
Located north of the 45th parallel, Bay View gave our southernmost Chautauqua guests a true taste of winter, with several inches of fresh snow adding to the experience. We were pleased the weather also allowed for a walking tour of our historic grounds, where our summer library was a favorite stop.
Over 14 engaging sessions, we explored key topics vital to sustaining and growing our Chautauquas, including board governance, fundraising and grant writing, crisis management, community engagement, programming, team building, facility management, and historic preservation. We’re proud that all but two of these sessions were led by our own talented Chautauqua organizations, proving how much expertise exists within our network.
A major theme that emerged this year was inspiration and future-thinking. While we came together to share best practices, we also left with a stronger desire to collaborate—through joint programming and shared initiatives that can expand our reach and strengthen our communities for generations to come.
We were also fortunate to have two outside presenters:
- The Executive Director of the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation shared valuable insights into board governance, offering best practices to help strengthen leadership across our Chautauquas.
- America in Bloom, a national organization focused on community beautification and civic engagement, encouraged Chautauquas to explore ways to enhance our shared spaces. With Lakeside and Colorado Chautauqua already members and Bay View exploring the idea, we see an exciting opportunity for more Chautauquas to join. If enough of us come together, we could even form a Chautauqua chapter within America in Bloom—gaining national visibility while making our communities even more vibrant. Those interested can view the presentation here: America in Bloom Presentation.
To keep the momentum going, we’ve scheduled three virtual Lunch & Learn sessions where we can continue exploring these ideas together:
- Friday, September 26, 2025, at 12 PM
- Friday, November 14, 2025, at 12 PM
- Friday, January 30, 2026, at 12 PM
The topics for the Lunch & Learn are developing, and we hope these sessions will be a chance to dive deeper into key topics, strengthen our connections, and keep the collaborative spirit alive.
Charles Eliot Norton, a renowned author, once said, “Chautauqua is the most significant and hopeful fact in American life.” This year’s Learning Lab reinforced that sense of hope—proving that when Chautauquas come together, we ask the right questions, actively listen, spark meaningful dialogue, and inspire real action.
Planning for Learning Lab 2026 is already underway, and we invite all Chautauquas to be part of it. Stay tuned for details—we can’t wait to continue this tradition and see what we can accomplish together. We hope you’ll join us!