Lectures, concerts, children's programs and more will be part of the Pennsylvania Chautauqua happening this summer in Mount Gretna. Chautauqua, an Iroquois word with several meanings, began in the late 1800s as an adult education movement designed to bring programs and lectures to rural areas, said Sue Hostetter, chair of the PA Chautauqua Summer Programs Committee.

The program was created by Sunday school teacher Lewis Miller and John Heyl Vincent to train teachers and educate the middle classes, Hostetter explained, adding, "The Sunday school here is not what most of us think of today. It was an actual school that met on Sundays for children who worked the other six days of the week." At the turn of the 20th century, there were more than 200 Chautauquas across the country, with some traveling and some settled in one place. Mount Gretna's Chautauqua is one of about 15 that remain, she said.

While the program has changed over the decades, some things have remained consistent, including a focus on programs based on four pillars: religion, recreation, arts and culture and education.

All summer programs at the Pennsylvania Chautauqua are open to the public and funded entirely by donation. Highlights of this summer's schedule include book reviews presented by Lebanon Valley College professors and poetry lectures with Jesse Waters of Elizabethtown College.

"There is a lecture in August on artificial intelligence - its many applications in its current state, its limitations and where it might be headed," Hostetter noted. "'Beyond the Two-State Solution' with international human rights lawyer Jonathan Kuttab should be an interesting talk. There are lectures on edible plants of PA, eco-gardening and biological diversity; an Agatha Christie film series; a six-part history series called 'Decades That Transformed the Modern Western World.' Also popular are the art lectures by Gloria Mast and nationally known artist lectures brought in by the Mount Gretna School of Art."

Children's programs include Kid's Art with Kelly, kids' yoga and Gretna Music for Kids. "The Fourth of July brings a morning bike parade and an evening patriotic concert with the Keystone Band of Rehrersburg, back for its 64th year," Hostetter commented. Crafts and cuisine programs include hands-on sourdough bread making, nature drawing for beginners and copycat recipes.

Planning for the summer programming is coordinated by an all-volunteer committee that meets from November through March annually. The group focuses on the four pillars, and committee members scout lectures, exhibits, concerts, newspaper articles and books to find subjects for programs.

"Just within Mount Gretna, we have any number of talented people who willingly share their stories and expertise with us," Hostetter said. "In addition, we are fortunate to have relationships with some of the four excellent colleges within a 20-mile radius of us."

Hostetter noted that while the majority of programs require no advance registration, some of the art and cooking classes have size limits, deadlines and fees to cover the cost of materials. For more information or to register for a class, visit http://www.pachautauqua.info and click on "Summer Programs" or call 717-200-1187.