chautauqua
/tʃɔːˈtɔːkwə
/ /ʃɔːˈtɔːkwə/noun North American
An institution that provided popular adult education courses and entertainment in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.It was a humorous chautauqua, and I did everything in Greek, including answering questions, but I also mimed the answers....
- Through correspondence courses, university extension, journals like The Chautauquan, and especially reading circles, Chautauqua's influence spread widely.
- The idea was born in the brain of Texas firebrand Jim Hightower and draws its inspiration from the old style Chautauqua - part country fair, part revival festival and pure grass roots democracy.
Origin
Late 19th century: named after Chautauqua, a county in New York State, where such an institution was first set up.