About NYC Kids Project

NYC Kids Project seeks to create an inclusive society where all people are valued for who they are. We partner with schools across New York City, focusing on Title 1 schools, using puppetry and storytelling to create immersive experiences for young children through which they can practice empathy, inclusion and kindness. We believe that early exposure to and interaction with characters of diverse backgrounds, identities, and abilities helps children see the richness of the world, become curious about the differences and commonality that are an essential part of the human experience, and empathize with those who are different from them.

The organization was originally established in 1981 by the NY State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities. Over our 30-year history of collaborating with schools and communities, we have developed a robust interactive program made up of characters representing many different marginalized identities. To date, more than one million children in all five boroughs have participated in our programs.

In the wake of state government budget cuts in 2011, NYC Kids Project turned to private fundraising. Through the dedication of our Co-Directors, Cecilia Arana and Mindy Pfeffer, NYC Kids Project became an independent non-profit and received 501(c)3 status in 2014. With an expanded mission, NYC Kids Project re-dedicated itself to representing differences of all kinds. Over the past 10 years, NYC Kids Project has visited over 100 classrooms per year, along with libraries, museums, and community centers, and we serve 8,000-10,000 children annually.

Our interactive experiences and classroom programs use puppets, storytelling, and facilitated dialogue to help children develop critical social-emotional skills, most notably empathy and social awareness. Our programs are intentionally designed to make children feel comfortable asking questions and processing ideas that they might otherwise not know when or how to articulate and to provide open-ended answers to those questions that they can continue to discuss in their classrooms and with their families. In order to provide the most inclusive experience possible, our NYC Kids Project teaching artists travel to schools in all five boroughs, at no additional cost to the schools. We offer adapted programs for NYC District 75 and inclusion classrooms, and after a successful pivot to virtual programming during the COVID-19 pandemic, we made our virtual program option a permanent part of our repertoire.

Our Mission

NYC Kids Project teaches children to embrace and nurture inclusion, belonging, and respect for all through puppetry.

Awards