On December 15th, Guild President and CEO Alex Kopelman presented testimony to the New York City Council Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries, and International Intergroup Relations on the impact of COVID-19 on Art and Cultural Education Programming in New York City. We call on the Council and the Administration to allocate funding to ensure that online creativity education is accessible to all children.
Testimony to New York City Council Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries, and International Intergroup Relations
Oversight - The Impact of COVID-19 on Art and Cultural Educational Programming in New York City
December 15, 2020
Presented by
Alexander Kopelman, Co-Founder, President & CEO, Children’s Arts Guild
Chair Van Bramer and honorable Committee members, it is an honor to appear before you today. Thank you for taking up the critical issue of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on art and cultural education in New York City.
The Children’s Arts Guild is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children harness their creativity to transcend limiting expectations and to explore and develop their authentic selves. We are based on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and work with children primarily in District One schools through afterschool programs, serving a very diverse community.
When schools closed on March 16th, we quickly shifted to offering programming online. Almost immediately, we noticed a disturbing pattern: Children who were attending online programs tended to be primarily from higher-income families. When we inquired among members of our parent community, families with limited economic resources reported a variety of barriers to having their children participate. These included living conditions not conducive to learning; lack of access to technology and connectivity; and most importantly, parents’ inability to help their children connect and stay engaged.
This observation has been corroborated by the educators with whom we work through our professional-development programs. Throughout the past nine months, teachers have been reporting to us how the pandemic has exacerbated the effects of socio-economic inequalities for their students. Many children do not have access to technology, necessary supports at home, or basic materials needed for learning.
As schools and organizations like ours adapt to distance learning, we are in danger of further widening the gap between children from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.
We call on the Council and the Administration to allocate funding to ensure that online creativity education is accessible to all children.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify today on this important issue and for working to ensure children benefit from arts education.