FAQ

Pinecrest Gardens wanted to help create a platform where it could teach your child science art on-site, so it asked its Artist-in-Residence, Xavier Cortada, to create a curriculum for its new Cortada Science Art Academy (CSAA). Developed through the lens of three decades of art projects and programming across six continents, Cortada’s CSAA curriculum is being taught as an after-school program by Adam Roberti. Roberti, who directs Cortada’s Foundation, has a Masters in Professional Science and has trained Miami-Dade County Public School science and art teachers, organized science art seminars in every Miami-Dade County Public Library Branch and provided presentations to students across many Pinecrest schools.

Below are some of the questions you may have about our program. If you have any specific concerns, please contact Lacey Bray, Educational Program Coordinator at Pinecrest Gardens at (305) 669-6990.

Accordion Content

Registration for CSAAPG is completed online through Pinecrest Gardens’ registration portal and accepted based on availability. Please ensure that you provide a contact email you can be reached at for our weekly program communications and up-to-date emergency contact information.

Click here to be redirected to the registration portal.

Families can decide whether to enroll their child in one module, two modules, or three modules offered on-site. Review the schedule, dates, and times to see which option works best for you and your child here.

Enrollment in one module is $500, two-module enrollment is $950, and three-module enrollment is $1,350.

Pricing includes learning materials, art supplies, and program t-shirts.

All payments are completed through the online registration portal and handled solely by Pinecrest Gardens. If you have any specific inquiry as it relates to payment processing, please contact Lacey Bray at (305) 669-6990.

Pinecrest Gardens is launching the Academy in Fall 2021. We plan to use some of the revenue from the first module to provide need-based scholarships for the second and third modules and beyond (dependent on registration numbers). In mid-October, we will assess what scholarship opportunities, if any, are available and will post that announcement on our website and social media. In the interim, you can access Cortada’s ongoing participatory art projects which he has provided free of charge to our community and its public institutions for the past two decades. Learn more here.

CSAAPG programming is presented as one hour and 30 minute sessions.  Sessions are scheduled by grade level: Grades 3-5 are scheduled for Mondays at 4:30 pm, grades 6-8 are scheduled for Wednesdays at 4:30 pm, and grades 9-12 are scheduled for Thursdays at 4:30 pm.

Families can decide whether to enroll their child in one, two, or three modules. Review the schedule, dates, and times to see which option works best for you and your child here.

Students will learn about biodiversity, Florida’s fragile ecosystems, and the role of polar science in global environmental concerns. Eco-artist Xavier Cortada’s practice serves as the foundation for this program, teaching students an interdisciplinary approach to addressing climate change and how to practice empathy for others in our daily lives. Using science and art, students will learn to understand and express complex ideas and develop essential skills to not only protect our local environment but to become leaders in a changing world.

 The full curriculum can be found here.

At maximum enrollment, the instructor-student ratio is one instructor for every seven students.

At minimum enrollment, the instructor-student ratio is one instructor for every three students.

All program materials will be provided to students in individual bins to be handled only by the student and the instructor. All students must wear their own self-provided face masks at all times while on Pinecrest Gardens premises with no exception. For health safety and hygiene purposes, we require that students leave toys, comfort items like blankets, electronic games or other personal items at home to limit virus transmission. Additionally, while we will make every reasonable attempt to protect student possessions, CSAAPG is not responsible for the loss, damage or theft of any items your child may bring.

Family members will not be allowed inside the facility in order to maintain health and safety among students and staff. Because of this, we highly recommend you keep up-to-date with program communications and updates sent to your email at the start of each week. You will be sent updates on your child, their work, information on what they’ll be learning, and related projects in the week ahead. Please use the email you’d like to receive these weekly communications during registration.

No, food and snacks will not be provided. Students are not permitted to bring food or drinks (other than a closed top water bottle, preferably with first and last name written on it) to their session.

The CDC recommends that the same parent or designated person drop off and pick up the child every day. All drop off and pick up will be conducted outside in a curbside style and will have designated areas. The parent or designated person along with anyone who is not registered in the program must always remain in the vehicle. It is required that everyone inside the vehicle must have a face covering on during drop-off and pick-up procedures prior to the employee approaching your vehicle. Failure to comply with this safety protocol will result in the denial of program attendance, as we will not be able to safely administer the health screening.

The parent or designated guardian of each student will adhere to all sign-in procedures during drop-off and sign-out procedures during pick-up to ensure the safety of all students. Sign-in and Sign out procedures will require proof of identification. Parents can provide identification from the safety of their vehicle.

If you think you will be late to pick up your child, please notify us in advance at lbray@pinecrest-fl.gov and info@cortadaacademy.org. Otherwise, you must arrive at Pinecrest Gardens at your child’s dismissal time to pick them up. Please understand that due to COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing guidelines we cannot provide extra care for late pick up.

If you need to pick-up your child before their session ends, please contact Pinecrest Gardens at (305) 669-6990 or email us ahead of time at lbray@pinecrest-fl.gov and info@cortadaacademy.org.

No, your child will not fall behind if they miss a session. If your child needs to miss a day or starts the program late, we can provide you a link(s) to watch a recorded session(s) upon request.

CSAAPG strives to maintain a safe and inclusive learning environment by instilling empathy in students and guiding them in discovering their interconnectedness with all life on the planet – including one another. 

Therefore, we expect all students to adhere to the following standards:

  • Respect other people’s conversations, thoughts, and ideas
  • Show compassion and selflessness for your peers and the world around you
  • Trust in your curiosity, creativity, and character to always do the right thing
  • Refrain from disruptive behavior, violence of any kind and inappropriate language
  • Comply with all COVID-19 safety protocols including social distancing and facial covering measures

Because park facilities are open to the public, your child may not stay in the Gardens after their session unless supervised by a parent or guardian. To protect the safety of each student in the program, staff and instructors will make every attempt to ensure your child is supervised during their session from the time of drop-off to pick-up. Otherwise, you must arrive at Pinecrest Gardens at your child’s dismissal time to pick them up (see our late policy above).

CSAAPG reserves the right to move on-site instruction to Zoom online instruction at any point for health and safety concerns. If you decide you don’t want your child to participate virtually, you have a right to be refunded for the portion of the program that has been cancelled.

Refunds, less any non-refundable fees, are made only when Pinecrest Gardens receives written notice of cancellation before the first day of the scheduled program. Refunds are not given the day the program begins or thereafter. Pinecrest Gardens will discuss refunds due to health-related concerns on a case-by-case basis.

In the event of an emergency, please feel free to contact Pinecrest Gardens at (305) 669-6990. If your emergency contact information changes at any point during the program, please let us know as soon as possible so that we may update our records.

Yes, your child may be photographed or videotaped during their session for print or online publications, presentations, website or social media, as expressed upon registration.

Pinecrest Gardens, South Florida’s Cultural Arts Park, presents Cortada Science Art Academy at Pinecrest Gardens as part of the Village of Pinecrest’s educational programming.

For more information contact info@cortadaacademy.org or visit www.pinecrestgardens.org.