Cool Culture developed out of the idea that all families should be able to participate in cultural activities regardless of their ability to pay. New York City's many museums and other cultural institutions are rich with essential types of experiences that stimulate curiosity and create important contexts for learning. Any child that does not have access to these essential learning experiences risks being left behind.

Over seven years ago, we invited educators, parents, government officials, and museum representatives to explore different ways to remedy the fact that low-income families rarely visit or use cultural institutions on their own. Thanks to the vision and dedication of this group, the Cool Culture program was born. Cool Culture is a unique partnership between museums and select social service and educational agencies that makes it possible for many low-income families to gain access to the varied cultural institutions across the five boroughs. Once parents and caregivers become aware of the resources for enjoyment and learning available in these settings, and how important such exposure can be to their children's development, they are eager to visit cultural institutions and to take part in their programs. We so appreciate the contributions of our initial collaborators, as well as those of the cultural institutions and early childhood educational programs and Pre-K and Kindergarten classes at Title I public schools that partner with us today.

Cool Culture represents an investment in the future - ensuring that all children grow up with cultural exposure and that cultural institutions continue to have diverse and growing audiences for their invaluable offerings. We hope you enjoy exploring this website and learning about Cool Culture.

Sincerely,