Fern Gillespie
New York City is considered the cultural capital of the world. However, for low- income New Yorkers taking a family trip to a fun famed New York cultural institution can be a financial nightmare. For 25 years, the Brooklyn based nonprofit organization, Cool Culture, has made it a mission to ensure that families of color with small children and other historically marginalized families enjoy the city's famed museums, science centers, zoos, botanic gardens, and historical societies for free with the Cool Culture Family Pass.
"Cool Culture wants to ensure that families have a wonderful experience," Candice Anderson, Executive Director of Cool Culture, told Our Time Press. "The Cool Culture Family Pass is key because it addresses issues of cost. It gives families a sense that they are a member of a wide net of cultural resources and institutions across the city. So, they feel these are places that they can go with young children.
For parents it's a wonderful opportunity to introduce your child to a place that they may not have seen before and really stimulate their curiosity and love of learning. As well as experience something new."
Through the Cool Culture Family Pass, a family of five receives unlimited free access to almost 90 museums, historical societies, science centers, botanic gardens, and zoos in New York City-including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Studio Museum in Harlem, Brooklyn Museum, Central Park Zoo, Bronx Zoo and Brooklyn Botanical Gardens.
Cool Culture works exclusively with educators in early childhood programs in underserved communities. Child Care, Head Start, and Universal Pre-Kindergarten programs and select Title I public elementary schools are sites for membership. Annually over 50,000 families of color and those experiencing poverty are able freely explore museums, festivals, and cultural activities without financial barriers on the Cool Culture Family Pass.
It's important for families to carefully plan their cultural trip. Anderson stresses checking the hours of the exhibition. Also, be aware that some special museum exhibits are an extra fee not covered by Cool Culture. Pack a bag with pencils, paper and art supplies. She even recommends making a telescope out of a paper towel roll to look closer. Also, to pack snacks.
"You don't need to know who the artist is. That's an added plus," she explained. "Young people have a sense of exploration and curiosity and you don't need to go through the whole museum, because the museum is free. Look at a single exhibit and enjoy it with your children and come back multiple times."
Over the past 25 years, Cool Culture estimates there have been one million participants. Adults who were part of Cool Culture as children are returning. "We have a generation who had enjoyed the Cool Culture Family Pass who are now bringing their children," said Anderson. "There are so many benefits for families visiting a museum. They are creating great memories. Also, getting out of their neighborhood or borough."
Anderson joined Cool Culture in 2017 and has been a nonprofit child advocate and executive in New York City for over 20 years. She holds a bachelor's from Oberlin College, a master's at the New School and graduated from Columbia Business School's nonprofit management program. Growing up in Washington DC's Maryland area, she was surrounded by culture.
"There are a lot of people who went into the arts and cultural field because they were interested in making sure that the arts were available to everyone," she said. "Cool Culture offers that opportunity. It really addresses the financial barrier but, probably more important than that, it signals a sense of belonging. It extends the child's learning experience from the classroom. It advocates for families to get out of their comfort zone."
In addition, Cool Culture holds between four and five festivals every year. "They are wonderful high energy events that provide opportunities to check out the galleries, do scavenger hunts, to listen to performances and to make art," said Anderson. "Our families are primarily people of color and folks who have limited means.
We are very diverse staff. So, children and families can see other folks that look like them. We bring a large core of volunteers to the events that speak a lot of languages. Working in partnerships with museums, we've been very effective in helping museums receive families that are diverse."
Upcoming Cool Culture events include June 10 at Museum Mile at the Museum for the City of New York. For Juneteenth, there is an event at the historic Lewis Latimer House in Queens.
Currently, in Bedford Stuyvesant, Cool Culture is collaborating on the Parent Power Project for Cultural Equity.
"We're working with a group of families to have a conversation about the importance of arts and culture in their lives to the communities. To really envision and imagine what an arts abundant community would look like," said Anderson. "We anticipate a request for city funding to support that vision. We know that arts and culture are so closely tied with the community's well-being."
For more information on Cool Culture or to become a volunteer, check out:
https://www.coolculture.org