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Class info and Policies

Classes for Children and Adults are offered in four semesters throughout the year. Fall classes begin in September, Winter classes begin in January, Spring classes begin in April and Summer classes begin in June. Classes are posted online for registration approximately six weeks prior to the start of the semester. Camps are offered during Princeton Public School breaks in November, spring break, and the summer. Workshops are added to the schedule of offerings throughout each semester in response to interests, needs, or exhibitions in our gallery. Workshops can be found in the registration listings as well as in the calendar listings.

class info and policies

Registering for a Class

Registration for classes, workshops, and camps can be completed online, over the phone by calling 609-924-8777, or in person at the Paul Robeson Center for the Arts (Monday-Friday 9am-5pm; Saturday 10am-4pm). Students MUST have approval from the Education Department before registering for a class after it begins. If registration is approved after a class begins, the payment will be pro-rated (students must register over the phone or in person to receive pro-rated pricing). Pricing will NOT be pro-rated for sessions missed before a class begins or for future missed sessions for that class.

The ACP uses email as the primary mode of communication for everything from confirmations to cancellations. Please provide us with an email address that you check regularly.

Registrations completed online will receive confirmation through our registration system. It will list your class(es), camp(s), and workshop(s), along with information on withdrawing, what happens if minimum enrollment is not met, and instruction on how to complete medical/emergency forms if the student who will be enrolled for more than four consecutive hours is under 18 years of age.

In the event of low enrollment, the ACP may have to cancel a class and refund payment. In this case, the refund is made in the manner paid. If payment was made more than 60 days prior to the cancellation date, a refund check may be issued. When a class is in danger of being cancelled, a notice will be sent prior to the start date via email so students are aware of the possibility of cancellation. The ACP will make every effort to hold a class and therefore the final decision not to run a class may not be made until the week of the start date.

Class fees (minus a $25 processing fee) are refundable if the ACP is notified of withdrawal in writing (email [email protected]) a minimum of three weeks prior to the scheduled start of the class. No refunds will be made after that date. If we are notified of withdrawal up to five days before a class begins, a credit will be issued for use towards another class or membership. No credits will be issued if a student withdraws less than five days prior to the start of a class, for any reason. This is due to contractual obligations and the cost of purchasing supplies. Credits are valid for one year and may be applied to classes or membership by contacting the ACP directly. No refunds or credits will be given if a student withdraws after a class begins. Class fees are non-transferable.

A waitlist is available for all classes that have reached maximum enrollment and are noted as “filled” online. To join the waitlist, call 609-924-8777 or email [email protected]. If a space opens up, those on the waitlist will be contacted in the order in which their names were submitted.

Materials are included for children’s classes. Purchasing materials is required in most teen and adult classes. Materials lists can be found in the description of your class. Most materials can be purchased at Jerry’s Artarama at 2901 US Highway 1 (Route 1 South), Lawrence or Michael’s at 300 Nassau Park Blvd, Princeton.

The ACP does not offer make-up classes for students who have missed a class or who have joined a class late. If the ACP has to cancel a class (due to inclement weather, an instructor’s illness, etc.), we will do our best to schedule a make-up class during that semester.

Generally, the ACP will cancel classes based on the closing or delayed opening of the Princeton Regional School system. Students will be notified via email if a class is canceled due to inclement weather. The ACP tries to make the decision to cancel classes as early as possible, but please bear in mind that classes may be canceled up until the early morning for morning classes or mid-day for night classes if it is unclear if weather will be an issue. A cancellation notice will be posted on our home page and social media profiles as soon as possible.

The Arts Council follows all current CDC guidelines. 

Benefits of ACP membership include discounts on classes, workshops and camps, the ArtsCard (which provides deals at over 10 local stores and restaurants), reduced admission to select ticketed events, and more! Visit our membership page to read more about the benefits of membership and to join.


Membership Levels
Emerging Artist (age 18-25) $45
Senior (65+) $45
Individual Adult $60
Dual/Senior (65+) $75
Dual/Family $100*
Sustaining $150


*To be eligible for membership benefits, children under 18 must be covered by a Dual/Family Membership.

It is part of the ACP’s mission to keep programming accessible to everyone, which includes keeping class and workshop fees as low as possible. For students who cannot afford our fees, the ACP offers scholarships based on need on a first come, first serve basis. To read more about scholarships and to apply, click here.

Getting to a Class

The ACP offers classes, camps and workshops at the Paul Robeson Center for the Arts, 102 Witherspoon Street, Princeton, NJ (across the intersection for the Princeton Public Library). The Paul Robeson Center for the Arts offers a convenient downtown location in an air-conditioned building complete with a theater and an outdoor terrace.

Parking is available in nearby garages as well as at metered parking spots along Witherspoon Street and Paul Robeson Place. For a Princeton parking guide, visit Parking in Princeton | Princeton, NJ (princetonnj.gov)

 

Please do not park in the lot behind the Paul Robeson Center for the Arts, as this limited area is for staff only. For drop-offs, please use the loading zone on Witherspoon Street or use the 30-minute free allotment in the Spring Street Garage and avoid pulling through the parking lot for the safety of all staff and visitors.

Children at The Arts Council—Information for Families

The ACP uses photographic and video images (without student names or identifiers) of classes, workshops, and events in various publications ranging from website and newspaper articles to grant applications and annual reports. It is a vital way for us to convey the importance of our work in the community. If you do not want your or your child’s photo used by the ACP, you must notify us in writing (by email to [email protected]) prior to them attending their program.

Meals, snacks and beverages are not provided at camp. If you would like your child to have a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack and beverage, please provide one that is NUT-FREE. Full-day students will need to bring a lunch and beverage each day and must be NUT-FREE. Include an insulated lunch bag, if necessary; we do not have on-site refrigeration.

An email confirmation from the ACP is sent within four business days following registration. If the registration is for a camp (when a child with be with us for more than four consecutive hours), you will be reminded to complete the emergency and permissions form. This must be completed and submitted prior to the start of a session.

Any student who supplies the ACP with appropriate documentation of a disability in advance of the start of the class is eligible on a case-by-case basis for reasonable accommodations, such as the attendance of a personal caregiver, at no additional registration fee (studio space permitting). Students, not the ACP, are responsible for securing such assistance.

 

In order to accommodate students with disabilities, the ACP should be provided with documentation of the disability at least two weeks in advance of the class. If no such documentation is available, the person charged with the student requiring accommodations shall schedule an appointment with the education director to discuss the student’s needs, after which a determination will be made as to whether an accommodation can be made. Complete this Confidential Self-Disclosure Form to request such accommodation. If, upon entry into a class, it becomes evident that a student requires supplementary assistance, the ACP reserves the right to require the attendance of a dedicated caregiver.

Students should arrive approximately 10 minutes before their session start time. Please drop off your child by pulling into the loading zone on the Witherspoon Street side of the building and forming a line along Green Street (around the back of the building). Please pull all the way forward to make room for cars behind you. Adults must stay in the vehicle while camp counselors open car doors, assist children getting out and welcome them into camp.


If you would like to walk your child into the building, you must park your car first. Parking is available in the Spring and Hulfish Street Garages, as well as in metered parking spots along Witherspoon Street and Paul Robeson Place. Please do not park in the lot behind the Paul Robeson Center for the Arts; this area is for staff parking only.


When entering the building for a camp session, please use the Witherspoon Street door (on the terrace) and not the front lobby door. This greatly assists counselors in keeping all campers safe.

Pick up is located in the drop-off zone on Witherspoon Street. (Pull as far forward as you can for both DROP-OFF and PICK-UP.) There will be a camp counselor at the sidewalk to sign your child in and escort him/her into the building. In the morning, the counselor will be there from 8:45 until 9:15am. In the afternoon, campers will be dismissed at the loading zone from 3:30 until 4pm.

 

Children MUST be picked up promptly at their scheduled time. Pick-ups after 4:15pm result in a $15 fee for each occurrence.

 

If you are walking or biking to pick up your child, please wait on the terrace (Witherspoon Street side of the building) for campers to be dismissed.

Feedback

The ACP is dedicated to providing the highest quality programming to our diverse audience and we hope to instill and support a life-long interest in the arts. At the completion of a program, students may receive an email asking for feedback about all aspects of the experience. Candid and thoughtful comments are valued input into how we can better meet expectations and improve our education programs. We hope students will participate.