OUR PROGRAMS

We offer several programs at GAAH that include various opportunities for all ages. Program schedules vary from session to session at both buildings, depending on the season.

Our Library Services and Teen Leaders programs run year round! Scroll down for more information.

We are currently in our After School FALL 2024 SESSION, which runs from September 9 to November 7. Registration for the fall session is now CLOSED for our After School Arts and Cook Library After School spring sessions. 

Our next program session is WINTER 2025, which runs from January 21 to March 6. Registration for the WINTER 2025 session opens on December 16.

Although each program is different, our strategy is to ensure every program provides care and creates a space of belonging, and allows participants to discover things about themselves and the world around them. 

How It Works

STEP ONE ✿ ARE YOU OUR NEIGHBOR?

Do you live in the neighborhood or does a child in your household go to school in the neighborhood? If so, all programs and classes are free. If you are outside the neighborhood boundaries, don’t worry! You can pay for classes on a sliding scale.

STEP TWO ✿ become a member

Becoming a member is free! If you do not live or go to school in the neighborhood, you can pay for programs on a sliding scale. You only pay once you are accepted into a program, not to become a member.

STEP THREE ✿ register for classes

Now that you’re a member, you can contact us to register for a program or sign up for classes. Neighbors get first priority!

Year Round

library services

Our Library Services are available whenever the library is open, and registration is not required.

Library Hours

Mondays - 1:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Tuesdays - 1:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Wednesdays - 1:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Thursdays - 1:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Fridays - 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Saturdays - Closed

Sundays - Closed

TEEN LEADERS

Ages • for neighborhood students who are in High School or entering High School.

Our Teen Leaders program has three major components.

  1. Academic support — teens get mentoring and tutors to help them reach their academic goals.

  2. Leadership development — through paid internships and other activities, teens build communication and self-awareness to help them lead with their strengths.

  3. Creative expression — teens can take a private art or music lesson, participate in public art projects, and let their creativity flow in ways that are important to them.

Opportunities are flexible, and teens can select which of the three components of the program they want to participate in - just one, or all three. We work to provide opportunities that are flexible and accessible with a foundation of trusting relationships to support teens in becoming the leaders they want to be.

After School

During the school year, GAAH offers two programs — one at each of our facilities. 

At the Cook Arts Center, we offer After School Arts, which includes a wide variety of art, music, and dance classes for all ages in our four studios. 

At the Cook Library Center, we offer our Cook Library After School (CLAS) program, which includes homework help and tutoring, along with fun after-school activities that keep kids learning and creating.

  • Location • Cook Arts Center - After School Arts
    Ages • K-Adult
    Duration • 30-60 minutes
    Seasons Offered • Fall-Winter-Spring

    We offer a variety of music classes for all ages. Most of the class offerings are for K-12 youth, or families who want to learn together. Adult music classes require an interest list from at least 4 adults who are committed to taking a class together. Teens and advanced students may qualify for private lessons.

  • Location • Cook Arts Center - After School Arts
    Ages • K-12
    Duration • 60 minutes
    Seasons Offered • Fall-Winter-Spring

    From break dance to ballet, we offer a variety of dance classes throughout the school year. Sometimes, we offer creative movement or yoga classes or other types of non-traditional movement classes to keep bodies moving and strong.

  • Location • Cook Arts Center - After School Arts
    Ages • K-Adult
    Duration • 60-120 minutes
    Seasons Offered • Fall-Winter-Spring

    Our visual arts studio has a variety of courses including painting, drawing, print-making, collage, sculpture, illustration, and more. We also offer fabric arts and sewing classes, which is a popular option for our adult students.

  • Location • Cook Arts Center - After School Arts
    Ages • K-Adult
    Duration • 60-120 minutes
    Seasons Offered • Fall-Winter-Spring

    The Cook Arts Center has a fully stocked and functional pottery studio with our own equipment and kilns. We offer hand-building classes, pottery wheel classes, and have a special Adult Open Pottery Studio time for our neighborhood clay artists.

  • Location • Cook Arts Center - After School Arts and Cook Library After School
    Ages • K-Adult
    Duration • 60 minutes
    Seasons Offered • Fall, Winter, Spring

    Opportunities for students to engage in STEAM projects. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Mathematics. Students have an opportunity to explore and get curious about the world around them, as well as learning creative problem-solving.

  • Location • Cook Library Center - Cook Library After School
    Ages • K-8
    Duration • 120 minutes
    Seasons Offered • Fall-Winter-Spring

    During the Cook Library After School program, students receive a snack, literacy activities, and other fun after school activities that support student learning and social emotional growth. These activities happen Monday-Thursday during program sessions.

  • Location • Cook Library Center - Cook Library After School
    Ages • K-8
    Seasons Offered • Fall-Winter-Spring

    If your student is looking for help with their homework, signing them up for the Cook Library After School program will give them access to group homework help activities and support from our library staff to reach their goals and their potential. Homework help takes place every Monday-Thursday during program sessions.

  • Location • Cook Library Center - Cook Library After School
    Ages • K-12
    Seasons Offered • Fall-Winter-Spring-Summer

    Sometimes students need extra support in reaching their full potential. At our Cook Library Center, neighbors have access to free tutoring with our bilingual or specialized tutors. We work with your student’s teacher to focus on areas where students might need extra assistance.

Summer

Registration for our first two summer camps is currently closed! After you become a member, you can register for camp. Please remember that our neighbors get first priority for summer camp opportunities, so if you don’t live in the neighborhood or attend school in the neighborhood, you may be put on the waitlist.

Summer 2024 programs at GAAH have ended! Check back in May 2025.

  • Location • Cook Arts Center
    Ages • K-8
    Duration • 12-5 pm, four weeks

    This summer day camp is packed full of learning and creativity. Students cycle through a variety of activities each day in each of our four studios. They can expect to paint, draw, build, and move, all while keep their reading, science, and math skills activated throughout the summer.

  • Location • Cook Arts Center
    Ages • 8-18
    Duration • 10-5 pm, one week

    Girls Rock! Grand Rapids is a week-long summer camp for girls and gender-expansive youth to learn the basics of an instrument, join a band to write a song together, and then take that song to the stage and a professional recording studio. While the program is centered around music, the focus of camp week is to learn new ways of working together, communicating well, believing in yourself, and pushing against harmful cultural norms that lead girls and queer youth to believe they are not enough.

  • Location • Cook Library Center
    Ages • K-8
    Duration • 10-3 pm, four weeks

    This summer day camp is focused on math, science, reading and learning - but our students would never notice because they’re having so much fun! A variety of activities each day keep students active and social throughout the summer, and create opportunities to learn in ways that show just how fun learning can be. We also partner with the Grand Rapids Public Library so students can participate in the city-wide Summer Reading Challenge, to earn prizes and explore through stories and books!

Frequently Asked Questions

I took a class here before but I don’t see it on the schedule. Is it still offered? 

Our class schedule changes each season, and the classes we offer from session to session depend on community requests, instructor availability, and available studio space. If you took a class before that you want to take again, let one of our staff know! 


I want my student to receive help with their homework - do I have to register? 

Yes, any student who wants to participate in homework help or tutoring must register. If they are in Elementary or Middle School, they need to register for our Cook Library After School program. If they are in High School, they can receive tutoring through our Teen Leaders program.

Do I have to become a member to check out books or use the computers? 

No, library services are always available on a drop-in basis, with no registration required. However, you do need a library card, which is free and easy to sign up for!

I or my child want to take a class but I don’t see it for my/their age group - can we still sign up for it?

We work with families on a case-by-case basis to determine whether or not a class is the right fit. A variety of factors are considered, including class size, tools and safety, maturity level and motor skills of the child, and other alternative solutions. Please contact us if you or your child want to take a class that is available for a different age group.

I don’t live in the neighborhood and I signed up for classes right away, but I am still on the waitlist. Why can’t I get in? 

Our mission is to build environments of curiosity and creativity with our neighbors to cultivate inclusion and justice, so our neighbors always get first priority for classes and program opportunities. We recognize this can be frustrating, but encourage you to remain on the waitlist, as spots free up all the time!

I’m a new member, how do i get notifications about new programs and classes?

Sometimes people become members in the middle of a program cycle and must wait until the next registration period opens up before they can register for programs/classes. You’ll get messages and alerts about when the next registration period begins.