Cultivating Champions of Culture in Preschool

More than 800,000 people have signed up for New York City’s municipal ID card — many for the perk of getting free, one-year memberships to 40 cultural institutions throughout the city.

But there's another way for some very lucky residents to get free access to 90 institutions. It's the Cool Culture card issued by a nonprofit that provides 50,000 passes a year to preschoolers at schools that serve low income communities.

"We want all families regardless of ethnicity or income to be able to access the rich culture in New York City," said Candice Anderson, executive director of Cool Culture.

She said the goal is broader than getting preschool kids into the Met and MoMA for free. The nonprofit also aims to build a bridge between cultural institutions and future ambassadors of the arts.

But that's easier said than done for families that aren't used to going to museums. Judi Menken, Director of Spuyten Duyvil Preschool in the Bronx said it takes some effort to convince families to use their Cool Culture passes.

"It’s very hard to move people out of their comfort zone which is often just a few blocks around their home," she said.