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CityWide Cultural Access Program for Schools
Enroll in our program to see all that a Cool Culture partnership offers to your school’s families.
Eligibility and Enrollment
Thank you for your interest! While enrollment closed in November 2022, you can view the Enrollment Guide + FAQs to prepare for the next program cycle when applications open again in May 2023.
Eligibility
Your school is eligible to be a Cool Culture partner if you are:
- A NYC elementary school serving students in 3K For All, UPK, or Kindergarten.
- A Universal Pre-K (UPK) program.
- Receive Title I funding or serves at least 60% of 3K/UPK/Kindergarten students from low-income backgrounds (please refer to % of free/reduced-price lunch and any other DOE indicators that your school may use).
- Able to partner with Cool Culture for the duration of a year and be able to register families for the Family Pass, attend professional development workshops, and ensure that Family Passes are collected and distributed. Please review the Partnership Agreement form for details.
Enrollment Pricing
Your elementary school pays a flat fee of $3,200 for the school year.
Timeline
Enrollment: Final enrollment for DOE schools and charter schools is open through November 30, 2022.
Family Registration: Families at your school will be able to register for the Family Pass from October 3, 2022 to February 3, 2023.
Professional Development: Virtual and in-person workshops occur throughout the year, beginning in late October 2022 and ending in May 2023.
2022
Week of May 23 | Early Enrollment Opens for Schools |
|---|---|
September 30 | Early Enrollment Closes for Schools |
Mid- to Late September and Rolling Basis | Enrollment decisions announced |
October 1 | Final Enrollment Opens for Schools |
October 3 – October 28 | 1st Round of Family Registration (ONLY centers and schools enrolled by Sept. 30 can sign up families; Family Passes will be distributed in November) |
October 31 – December 30 | 2nd Round of Family Registration (All enrolled centers and schools can sign up families; Family Passes will be distributed in January) |
Late November | Family Passes from the 1st Registration round are printed and distributed to educators |
November 30 | Final Enrollment Closes for Schools |
2023
Late January | Family Passes from the 2nd Registration round are printed and distributed to educators |
|---|---|
January 2 – February 3 | 3rd Round of Family Registration (All enrolled centers and schools can sign up their families; Family Passes will be distributed in March) |
Late March | Family Passes from the 3rd Registration round are printed and distributed to educators |
May | Enrollment Application Launches for 2023-2024 Program Year |
October 31 | Current Family Passes expire October 31, 2023 |
early december |
About the Cultural Access Program
What does my school receive?
Family Passes for free general admission to NYC cultural institutions, Cool Culture Family Festivals and Cool Pops, Seminars & Dialogues for educators to harness the power of arts and culture, and artmaking and wellbeing resources will be available with your child care center’s enrollment. [Learn More]
What’s my program’s role?
All of our participating schools will have access to an array of creative and helpful seminars, symposiums and dialogues that will guide administrators and educators to:
- Register and distribute family passes and prepare families for visits to the Cultural Institutions.
- Design, plan and partner with a Cultural Institution to bring a Cool Pop to their families.
- Co-design experiences and activities for our annual Bring the Cool Family Festival.
- Create projects that engage and build family engagement.
- Empower families and communities to become civically engaged in dialogue that acknowledges addresses critical community issues and creative opportunities to address them.
What is a Cultural Liaison, and how do I select them?
A Cultural Liaison is a school staff member who has a good relationship and love for your community of children and adult caregivers. Typically the school’s Parent Coordinator may serve in this role. Your Liaison will need to have email access, know their way around a computer, be prepared to engage heavily through email and have administrative skills to keep the site’s program organized. This leadership role calls for someone who will enjoy leading family art making workshops and will be a voice for the community, sharing their needs and concerns.
Did You Know?
Cool Culture is aligned with national, state and local Learning Standards. Our Citywide Cultural Access Program is aligned with DOE EarlyLearn requirements for community partnerships and family engagement, Blueprint for the Arts, and NYS Pre-K Learning Standards in social-emotional development and approaches to learning. Further, our programs, pedagogical frameworks, and practices are rooted in Cool Culture’s social justice values and situates families at the center of our work.
Did You
Know?
Cool Culture is aligned with national, state and local Learning Standards. Our Citywide Cultural Access Program is aligned with DOE EarlyLearn requirements for community partnerships and family engagement, Blueprint for the Arts, and NYS Pre-K Learning Standards in social-emotional development and approaches to learning. Further, our programs, pedagogical frameworks, and practices are rooted in Cool Culture’s social justice values and situates families at the center of our work.
