Frequently Asked Questions

My child attends a different school. Can they still join the programs?

Yes. We offer pickup from several schools in the neighborhood. A facilitator will pick your child up from school and walk them to The Earth School for the program. Unfortunately, not all schools are close enough to take advantage of this service. To see if your school is eligible and to arrange pick-ups email Anya at alevkovich@childrensartsguild.org or call her at (646) 662-0165

What if I want to pick my child up early?

We understand that it is a long day for young children. A few parents like to pick their children up before 6pm. In those cases we can create a special payment agreement at a pro-rated rate.  HOWEVER, if you are consistently late to pick up your child we will charge you the full amount. If you are interested in this option please email Mark at mlariviere@childrensartsguild.org

How flexible are you with the schedule? Can we switch days? 

We know schedules can change last minute. If you need to switch/exchange days of programming contact Anya at alevkovich@childrensartsguild.org  or call her at (646) 662-0165 as soon as possible. If you need additional days of after-school care, you can always purchase a day pass.

Why are there two separate programs for boys and girls?

Girls' Arts Express and Boys' Arts Express are parallel single-sex programs. They are designed to facilitate self-expression and exploration not limited by gender expectations.

The programs create learning environments that facilitate creative, inclusive activities. We want all boys and girls to experience a full range of projects, including cooking, woodworking, sewing, planting, painting, expressive movement etc. We have found that even from an early age many children will start categorizing certain activities as "for boys" or "for girls," based on external expectations from adults and peers around them. For example, if a boy who wants to sew sees a girl sewing he might decide that sewing is for girls and choose another activity.  In a single-sex classroom, this tends not to happen. 

Our goal is to nurture children's own natural instincts and interests. At certain points throughout the year, we will take time to address to discuss the various messages young boys and girls receive from the outside world about how they should behave and what their interests should be. We hope that our children will develop a sense of themselves as authentic individuals free of these limiting expectations.  If a girl is excited about baking, we want to encourage her and if she is excited about woodworking we want to encourage that too. Having strong positive role models in the classroom helps this process tremendously. To that end, we have two fabulous female facilitators for the girls and two amazing male facilitators for the boys.

Of course, there is plenty of time to be together. The programs are next door to each other, and students are invited to visit the other program if they choose.