FAQs

Chautauqua is a small lakeshore village in rural western New York state. For over 150 years, it has been a summer destination for those who value education, the arts, faith, and recreation. Chautauqua Institution, a non-profit organization, coordinates nine weeks of programming which includes lectures, services, and all kinds of arts offerings (i.e.,music, dance, theater, & visual art). The summer season features well known speakers, authors, and performers.

People come from all over the country to experience this 19th-century town full of historical architecture and beautiful gardens. It’s a vibrant community that values lifelong learning and connecting with others. Visit chq.org to learn much more about the Chautauqua experience.

Community Compact pays for every Scholar’s travel, housing, food, and gate pass (to access events at Chautauqua). We ask that each Summer Scholar get their own ride to and from their own local airport.

Summer Scholars share a large house in Chautauqua with a large front porch. Most students share a room with another Scholar and share a bathroom on each hallway. The kitchen is thoughtfully stocked with foods preferred by the students. A houseparent, an adult with years of experience working with and advocating for college students, resides in the house with the Scholars. Other staff and volunteers visit the house to support in a variety of ways.

→ Wake up & have breakfast (with food provided)

→ 8:30am Morning check-in ~ meet with the group to discuss day ahead & process the previous day through conversation & journaling

→ Look at the weekly schedule, figure out which events you’ll attend that day*

→ Attend lectures &/or other events you have selected

→ Come back to the house to make yourself lunch

→ Attend more events

→ 4:30 Connecting Conversations ~ Gather in the plaza with other Scholars to meet people interested in learning about you. Ask them questions about their life experience. Share contact info to stay in touch.

→ 6pm Dinner & discussion about the day

→ 8:15 Evening Performance at the Amphitheater (symphony, ballet, etc.)

→ Return to the house, hang out & connect with other Scholars

See pics of some of many of the above activities on our Scholar Experience and Building Social Capital pages.

* Scholars are required to attend a certain number of lectures, arts events, and discussions during the week. They have a wide range of choices to fulfill these requirements. They also have time to visit, for example, the farmers market, library, art museums, or to take a walk by the lake or rest at the house.

We accept twenty-four students. These students are divided into two cohorts of twelve, and each cohort comes on a different week depending on their availability.

We help Scholars increase their social capital literacy through four interactive, virtual pre-orientation sessions (and some homework in between sessions). During these sessions, Scholars receive training in interpersonal and communication skills which, in turn, enables them to easily and effectively initiate and strengthen one-on-one connections. Meeting many new people in Chautauqua gives Scholars the opportunity to practice these new skills and build their self-confidence.

The best answers come from our most recent (2025) Summer Scholar alumni:

✨ It gave me a space to slow down, reflect, and really engage with people and ideas in a way that felt meaningful. I’m especially grateful for how welcome I felt.

✨ I learned that speaking to people can be easier and more helpful than I thought, and that building these relationships is incredibly valuable.

✨ I received great advice, while meeting with other Chautauquans, that would be helpful to my educational path.

✨ Chautauqua has made me become more open minded, more social, and more accepting.

✨ really learned that I am capable of being more independent than I currently am and that it may be worth it to look into transferring a little farther from home than I have been planning on.

✨ Being at Chautauqua truly shifted my perspective on social issues I face & gave me the chance to immerse myself in something uplifting and inspiring.

✨ I especially loved detaching from my phone and fully immersing myself in the nature-filled walking town.

✨ I'm relieved that I don’t have to save the world on my own. There are so many young, passionate, driven, impressive leaders who I trust will love people in the way that’s needed to make changes in this world.

✨ I’m thankful for the conversation I had with a transfer success coach, who offered a fresh perspective and helped me consider new possibilities before making my final decision about where to transfer.

✨ My peers at Chautauqua were all dreamers and achievers.
The experience I had with them brought that dreamer in me back.