Cool Culture

Founded in 1999, Cool Culture is a NYC-based nonprofit that seeks to amplify the voices of families and strengthen the power of historically marginalized communities through engagement with art and culture, both within cultural institutions and beyond. The organization currently partners with 50,000 diverse families, more than 400 early childhood centers and Title I schools, and 90 cultural institutions in New York City. Cool Culture encourages community members to use arts and culture to celebrate their cultural heritage and creativity, and to connect and build community in an increasingly complex world. We are building a movement of individuals and organizations committed to providing a more equitable future for families, tomorrow’s artists, art lovers and activists and communities.

ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS

Cool Culture programs operate at the citywide and neighborhood level. We support a network of families, early childhood centers, Title 1 schools, cultural institutions and artists in cultivating storytelling, relationship building, and healing through arts and culture. We believe the exchange of individual diverse stories provides a larger narrative for addressing systemic inequities. 

• Our CityWide Programs bring together a unique network and innovative programming for families that affirms NYC’s diverse cultures and increases participation in the arts and culture, and include Family Pass (free access to 90 cultural institutions for families with children preK to the 1st grade), Bring the Cool family festivals, Cool Pops (pop ups at museums), Virtual Tours, and a forthcoming digital app.
• Our We Are All Curators suite of programs harness the power of the arts and culture to: 1) to lift up the curator in all of us by making meaning through creative expressions, to critique dominant narratives and conditions impacting families and their communities, and to support families and partners in activating creativity for justice.

For more information about Cool Culture, please visit www.coolculture.org