Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP)
Brooklyn, NY – Nationally impactful | Civic education through design & art
Mission
The Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP) uses the power of design and art to increase meaningful civic engagement. Collaborating with community organizations, public school students, artists, and designers, CUP creates tools that make complex policies and planning processes accessible to the communities most affected by them—especially low-income communities, immigrants, and people of color.
Why It Matters
Public policy and planning systems are often confusing by design and can feel intentionally exclusionary to the people they affect most. CUP changes that by making these systems transparent, understandable, and actionable. Their work allows individuals and communities to advocate for themselves with clarity and confidence, breaking down power structures and reimagining civic participation as something accessible to all. Whether it’s zoning laws, tenants’ rights, or immigration proceedings, CUP’s creative tools demystify systems and help communities fight for justice and equity.
Relevant to The Change Lab
CUP’s mission and method align deeply with The Change Lab’s values. It promotes belonging by centering lived expertise and ensuring historically marginalized communities are not only included but empowered. Its programs foster civic engagement by turning residents into co-creators of tools that shape the policies affecting their lives. CUP’s practice is grounded in empathy—bridging linguistic, cultural, and educational gaps through thoughtful, accessible design. The organization shares power through collaborative creation, and its work consistently bridges divides—connecting artists, educators, grassroots leaders, and policymakers in pursuit of systemic change.
Key Focus Areas
CUP’s work spans community education through Making Policy Public projects; youth education programs that blend art and civics in NYC high schools; fellowships and trainings that equip designers and civic professionals to co-create with communities; accessible public policy visualization; and participatory systems change through culturally-relevant materials.
