The Saturday Program

About The Saturday Program

Founded in 1968, The Cooper Union’s Saturday Program has offered free art and architecture classes to New York City public high school students for more than 55 years. The program plays a vital role in expanding access to arts education and helps fill the gaps left by underfunded art programs in NYC public schools. Students receive free, high-quality visual arts instruction typically reserved for exclusive programs. They also gain access to field trips, studio visits, and presentations from working artists. Writing workshops are woven into the curriculum, connecting visual expression with written reflection.

Introductory Saturday Program Classes
Introductory level courses build fundamental skills and broaden artistic awareness. Taught by current Cooper Union undergraduates, these classes give high school students the opportunity to learn from near-peer mentors who share their passion for art and design.

Portfolio Classes for College-Bound Students
11th and 12th-graders interested in pursuing art in college may apply for Portfolio classes, designed specifically to help students develop strong, college-ready portfolios. These classes (Portfolio Foundations and Portfolio Studio) are led by a team of professional artists and undergraduate instructors. In addition, Portfolio students receive a range of supplemental supports, including personalized mentorship, application assistance and other resources.

All classes run on Saturdays from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm throughout the school year, operating semesterly (Fall and Spring).

Program Dates

Fall

October 3 – Week 1
October 10 – Week 2
October 17 – Week 3
October 24 – Week 4
October 31 – Week 5
November 7 – Week 6
November 14 – Week 7
November 21 – Week 8
November 28 – No Class (Thanksgiving)
December 5 – Week 9
December 13 – Week 10 (Art Crawl)

Spring

January 30 – Week 1
February 6 – Week 2
February 13– No Class (President's Day)
February 20 – Week 3
February 27 – Week 4 (Augusta Savage Day)
March 6 – Week 5
March 13 – Week 6
March 20 – Week 7
March 27 – Week 8
April 3 – Week 9 (Year-End Show)
April 10 - Week 10 (Last Session)

Eligibility

We welcome individuals that have little to no experience in the visual arts and are seeking to develop and/or expand their artistic voice.

To be eligible, students must meet a combination of the following criteria, which is considered on a case-by-case basis:

Come from a low- or moderate-income household
Attend a New York City public or charter high school
Attend a school without a comprehensive visual arts program
Qualify for public assistance

Students with an interest in the arts are strongly encouraged to apply

All students previously accepted into the program are automatically eligible to return for the current program year. Simply fill out the registration form and indicate returning

Applying to The Saturday Program

Fall 2026 Applications will open June 5th. Please check back soon!
Information about the application deadline to come.

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Current Cooper Union students interested in working with the Saturday Program can check for listings here.

Saturday Program Information Session

If you have questions or concerns about your application, please sign up for a one-on-one session to speak with a program representative about your application. To schedule a virtual meeting, please click here. All sessions are confidential.