OUR MISSION COOKE CENTER FOR LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT OVERVIEW and SERVICES
Cooke Center envisions a world in which all people with special needs are included as valued members of their communities, leading independent and purposeful lives. To realize this vision, our core mission is to educate students from early childhood through young adulthood, guided by these principles: A curriculum that integrates academic, social and life skills with opportunities for learning that promote inclusion I nstruction that focuses on each student’s strengths, interests and individual needs he incorporation of inclusive activities as T a key instructional strategy to foster positive attitudes in the broader community towards Cooke students and others with special needs amilies as partners in their children’s education F and growth towards independence ccess to quality special education for A all children who need it, regardless of their financial circumstances haring our knowledge with other professionals S and schools to improve the educational experience for all children
Cooke Center for Learning and development Main Office 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 730 New York, Ny 10115 212.280.4473 info@cookecenter.org
School Admissions 219 Stanton Street New York, NY 10002 212.995.1987 admissions@cookecenter.org
www.cookecenter.org
OUR HISTORY The Cooke Center for Learning and Development is a non-sectarian, non-profit private provider of special education services in New York City, offering Preschool services, a school for students ages 5 through 21, and consulting and training services. At Cooke, we are driven by the belief that all children deserve an education that leads to an independent future – one in which they can be included as integral members of their community.
OUR PROGRAMS Cooke Center was founded in 1987 by a small group of parents to address a pressing need in New York City - that of providing quality education for children with developmental disabilities. Since then, we have grown from serving seven children in one classroom to an organization dedicated each year to serving over 500 New York City children with special needs, and their families, while improving general education for thousands more. Our school and programs are sought out by families and educators looking for quality educational options. Our students range in age from 3 to 21, come from every borough in the city, and reflect the city’s economic and cultural diversity. Students come to Cooke because their families cannot find appropriate placements in the public school system. From the beginning we set out to educate children with a broad spectrum of abilities and challenges, and our school teams work continually to ensure that our programs and curricula match the varying levels and skills of our students.
Visit www.cookecenter.org for more information about Cooke Center programs and services.
Cooke’s Preschool provides special education and integrated services in general education classrooms so that our youngest learners can play and learn alongside their typically developing peers. Through our signature preschool program, Collaboration for Inclusion, Cooke consultants help identify children in city preschools who are at risk for language, social and learning delays, and we then work with their families to get these children the support they need in those crucial early years. In addition, Collaboration for Inclusion offers long-term teacher training to improve classroom instruction so that all students – those with and without special needs – are prepared for a lifetime of academic achievement. Located on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, Cooke Center Grammar School serves students from Kindergarten through 8th grade. Incorporating individualized standards-based academics, social and life skills and community inclusion, our Grammar School teachers and therapists instruct students in a supportive setting and build on each student’s strengths and developmental needs. Including a science lab, art studio, movement space with traversing wall, and playground, the building is equipped with tools that promote learning from the early years up through preparation for high school. Cooke Center Academy, a high school located in Manhattan’s SoHo district, offers individualized academics and the essential transition planning that older students need as they move toward adulthood. Academy students participate in off-site education activities with dozens of community partners and select internship placements that match their unique strengths and interests. Students also develop their independent living skills, from navigating public transportation to banking and grocery shopping, to preparing meals and doing laundry in the school’s Daily Living Lab.
For students requiring more than four years to meet the requirements for graduation, we offer SKILLS, an Academy program for students ages 18 to 21. Located in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood and close to mass transit, SKILLS offers continued academics in the core subject areas. In addition, students can take advantage of all that New York City has to offer, using libraries, parks, museums, gyms and recreation centers as living classrooms. An active Cooke Alumni Association offers monthly recreational opportunities, ongoing support and continuing education to Cooke graduates. Cooke Center Summer Academy is our six-week summer program for special education students ages 5 to 21, designed to reinforce the academic and social skills that were developed in classrooms during the school year. Divided into two, three-week thematic sessions, students receive in-depth, individualized academics and integrated related services in a fun, engaging and appropriate environment. Community inclusion opportunities complement academic themes by providing students with experiences in their local community settings. Cooke Center Institute allows us to share our knowledge and experience with educators and families around the city. Our trained consultants work in more than twenty general education schools, where they provide long-term support and teacher training in literacy, math and special education. The sustained support we provide in these schools improves schoolwide learning for thousands of general education students each year. Through the Institute’s ACCESS Project we offer support and training to families of children with special needs, helping them understand the special education system and find the best educational options for their children.
OUR HISTORY The Cooke Center for Learning and Development is a non-sectarian, non-profit private provider of special education services in New York City, offering Preschool services, a school for students ages 5 through 21, and consulting and training services. At Cooke, we are driven by the belief that all children deserve an education that leads to an independent future – one in which they can be included as integral members of their community.
OUR PROGRAMS Cooke Center was founded in 1987 by a small group of parents to address a pressing need in New York City - that of providing quality education for children with developmental disabilities. Since then, we have grown from serving seven children in one classroom to an organization dedicated each year to serving over 500 New York City children with special needs, and their families, while improving general education for thousands more. Our school and programs are sought out by families and educators looking for quality educational options. Our students range in age from 3 to 21, come from every borough in the city, and reflect the city’s economic and cultural diversity. Students come to Cooke because their families cannot find appropriate placements in the public school system. From the beginning we set out to educate children with a broad spectrum of abilities and challenges, and our school teams work continually to ensure that our programs and curricula match the varying levels and skills of our students.
Visit www.cookecenter.org for more information about Cooke Center programs and services.
Cooke’s Preschool provides special education and integrated services in general education classrooms so that our youngest learners can play and learn alongside their typically developing peers. Through our signature preschool program, Collaboration for Inclusion, Cooke consultants help identify children in city preschools who are at risk for language, social and learning delays, and we then work with their families to get these children the support they need in those crucial early years. In addition, Collaboration for Inclusion offers long-term teacher training to improve classroom instruction so that all students – those with and without special needs – are prepared for a lifetime of academic achievement. Located on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, Cooke Center Grammar School serves students from Kindergarten through 8th grade. Incorporating individualized standards-based academics, social and life skills and community inclusion, our Grammar School teachers and therapists instruct students in a supportive setting and build on each student’s strengths and developmental needs. Including a science lab, art studio, movement space with traversing wall, and playground, the building is equipped with tools that promote learning from the early years up through preparation for high school. Cooke Center Academy, a high school located in Manhattan’s SoHo district, offers individualized academics and the essential transition planning that older students need as they move toward adulthood. Academy students participate in off-site education activities with dozens of community partners and select internship placements that match their unique strengths and interests. Students also develop their independent living skills, from navigating public transportation to banking and grocery shopping, to preparing meals and doing laundry in the school’s Daily Living Lab.
For students requiring more than four years to meet the requirements for graduation, we offer SKILLS, an Academy program for students ages 18 to 21. Located in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood and close to mass transit, SKILLS offers continued academics in the core subject areas. In addition, students can take advantage of all that New York City has to offer, using libraries, parks, museums, gyms and recreation centers as living classrooms. An active Cooke Alumni Association offers monthly recreational opportunities, ongoing support and continuing education to Cooke graduates. Cooke Center Summer Academy is our six-week summer program for special education students ages 5 to 21, designed to reinforce the academic and social skills that were developed in classrooms during the school year. Divided into two, three-week thematic sessions, students receive in-depth, individualized academics and integrated related services in a fun, engaging and appropriate environment. Community inclusion opportunities complement academic themes by providing students with experiences in their local community settings. Cooke Center Institute allows us to share our knowledge and experience with educators and families around the city. Our trained consultants work in more than twenty general education schools, where they provide long-term support and teacher training in literacy, math and special education. The sustained support we provide in these schools improves schoolwide learning for thousands of general education students each year. Through the Institute’s ACCESS Project we offer support and training to families of children with special needs, helping them understand the special education system and find the best educational options for their children.
OUR MISSION COOKE CENTER FOR LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT OVERVIEW and SERVICES
Cooke Center envisions a world in which all people with special needs are included as valued members of their communities, leading independent and purposeful lives. To realize this vision, our core mission is to educate students from early childhood through young adulthood, guided by these principles: A curriculum that integrates academic, social and life skills with opportunities for learning that promote inclusion I nstruction that focuses on each student’s strengths, interests and individual needs he incorporation of inclusive activities as T a key instructional strategy to foster positive attitudes in the broader community towards Cooke students and others with special needs amilies as partners in their children’s education F and growth towards independence ccess to quality special education for A all children who need it, regardless of their financial circumstances haring our knowledge with other professionals S and schools to improve the educational experience for all children
Cooke Center for Learning and development Main Office 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 730 New York, Ny 10115 212.280.4473 info@cookecenter.org
School Admissions 219 Stanton Street New York, NY 10002 212.995.1987 admissions@cookecenter.org
www.cookecenter.org