Collaboration Will Enrich and Enhance Lives of Those 55+

CHAUTAUQUA, N.Y., and EVANSTON, ILL.— Recognizing the opportunity of collaboration to better reach and serve the nation’s 55-plus population, Chautauqua Institution and Mather, a nearly 80-year-old not-for-profit organization, have entered into partnership to jointly pursue research and programming to engage and enrich lives.

The partnership is composed of three primary components: connecting communities for enriching online engagement; conducting research to inform services and support to adults 55-plus; and sharing research findings via online programming.

“This partnership signals the opportunities before us now that we will have a robust online expression of Chautauqua’s mission,” said Chautauqua Institution President Michael E. Hill. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work in new and exciting ways with an organization of Mather’s distinction that also has a mission that is perfectly aligned with ours.”

Mather’s mission to create “Ways to Age Well℠” parallels Chautauqua’s mission to explore the best in human values and the enrichment of life. Through the partnership, residents of senior living communities across the U.S. will be invited to engage in CHQ Assembly, the new online expression of Chautauqua’s mission that will launch June 22. In addition, Chautauquans will be invited by Mather Institute, the research arm of Mather, to serve on research panels or participate in research in partnership with major research universities on a variety of initiatives centering on the 55-plus population. Mather Institute shares innovations and next practices with the goal of improving aging services. By regularly collaborating with universities around the country, Mather serves as an innovation incubator, transforming the senior living industry by bringing leading-edge research to real life. Mather’s extensive body of research and findings will be leveraged to create a video program that will air on CHQ Assembly at a later date.

“We are excited to partner with Chautauqua to enrich the lives of older adults through research and programs,” said Mary Leary, CEO and President of Mather. “Chautauqua is known for its world class partners, including Smithsonian Institution, National Geographic, and PBS, and its high-caliber of programs, including lectures, symphony, dance, and “virtual front porch” discussions on important topics leading to solutions and positive action.”

Earlier this month, Chautauqua announced its plans to launch CHQ Assembly, much of which goes live today as the online expression of Chautauqua’s mission. CHQ Assembly will present online content and engagement opportunities centering on the most critical issues of the day, leading toward solutions. Included is a state-of-the-art video platform where subscribers can access lectures, worship programs, performing & visual arts events, and recreation programs on their desktop or laptop computers or on mobile devices and televisions via their favorite streaming services (Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, etc.).

“We look forward to welcoming residents of senior living communities to CHQ Assembly this summer and for many years to come,” Hill said. “We hope also that this partnership leads to other ways to collaborate that will enrich the lives of citizens in our respective communities and well beyond.”

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About Mather
Based in Evanston, Illinois, Mather is a non-denominational not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating Ways to Age Well.SM Founded nearly 80 years ago, Mather provides transformational opportunities for all those who live, visit, learn, and work with Mather. From Mather’s unique senior living residences, to inspiring community-based programs, to a wealth of research conducted by Mather Institute, Mather efforts focus on making everyday experiences extraordinary ones. Mather Institute shares innovations and next practices with the goal of enhancing programs and services for older adults. By regularly collaborating with universities around the country, the Institute serves as an innovation incubator, bringing leading-edge research to real life. In addition to conducting and sharing its own research, the Institute curates and interprets relevant studies and emerging next practices, spreading information that can positively impact older adults and those who provide services to them.

About Chautauqua Institution
Chautauqua Institution is a community on the shores of Chautauqua Lake in southwestern New York state that comes alive each summer with a unique mix of fine and performing arts, lectures, interfaith worship and programs, and recreational activities. As a community, we celebrate, encourage and study the arts and treat them as integral to all of learning, and we convene the critical conversations of the day to advance understanding through civil dialogue.