RESPONSES NOW DUE: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2025

Calling all NYC Public Schools arts vendors! The Roundtable requests your participation to create a database of arts and cultural partners via “Creative Compass: Mapping Arts Education in NYC Public Schools.”

The NYC Arts in Education Roundtable is proud to partner with The Arnhold Foundation, Quadrant Research and NYC Public Schools on an interactive platform called, “Creative Compass: Mapping Arts Education in NYC Public Schools.”

Expected to launch in 2026, the “Creative Compass” platform will be a series of interactive maps and dashboards about arts education in NYC public schools. The platform is intended to replace the Arts and Cultural Education Services (ACES) Guide, which has been sunset as of Fall 2025. Similar to the ACES Guide, “Creative Compass” will feature a searchable database of NYC Public Schools vendors and their programming in the areas of dance, music, theater, visual arts, film, literary arts, and cultural arts.

We are reaching out to our community with a call for all arts vendors with NYC Public Schools to complete this form by Friday, December 19, 2025 to be added to the platform. (This deadline has been extended from December 5.) Given initial limitations with the platform in this pilot phase, we are only able to add vendors. ONE RESPONSE PER VENDOR. If you have questions about becoming a vendor with NYC Public Schools, please contact NYCPS Vendor Hotline at VendorHotline@schools.nyc.gov or call at 718-935-2300.

IMPORTANT: Please ensure that all responses are written ready for publication. All information shared in this form will be pulled directly into your organization’s profile. The main contact name and contact information will be publicly available on the platform. If you have questions about this form, please contact operations@nycaieroundtable.org.

Note: Due to staff and system capacity, there will be one opportunity annually to update this information — exact time of year to be confirmed.

Preparing to Complete the Survey

We strongly recommend having the following information on hand as you complete your survey:

• Organization Tax ID/EIN
• NYC Department of Education Vendor Number
• Organization Mission and Length of Service to NYC Public Schools
• Synopsis about the organization’s education program offerings (1-2 paragraphs)
• Information on supports for students with disabilities, multilingual learners, and/or families in school settings

While you will be able to start, pause, and revisit your responses by completing at least one page of the survey and returning to the survey using the same device and internet browser (as SurveyMonkey will store a cookie in the browser that remembers your survey responses), we strongly recommend that you plan to complete the survey in one seating. The auto-save function will not work properly if you work from multiple devices or block cookies. We encourage you to prepare your answers in advance using a Google Doc. You can preview all the questions of the survey in this Google doc.

Additional Information & FAQs

If you have any questions or would like more information, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at operations@nycaieroundtable.org.

What happened to the Arts and Cultural Education Services Guide?

Earlier this fall, NYC Public Schools shared the following statement on the ACES Guide, “We are discontinuing the ACES guide because in partnership with the Roundtable we are developing [Creative Compass] that will inherit all of the information of the ACES guide, and be a refreshed platform for sharing information between schools and arts partners.”

What are you going to do with this data? Who has access to it?

The data submitted via this survey will be published online as part of a public-facing dashboard as part of “Creative Compass: Mapping Arts Education in NYC Public Schools.” Similar to the ACES Guide, organizations will each have their own online profile to share information about their work with schools and the general public.

How long will it take to complete the survey?

It is expected that it will take approximately 20 minutes to complete the survey. We highly recommend drafting your responses using our Google Doc resource to speed up your completion time.

What do you mean by NYC Public Schools Vendor? How do I become a vendor?

All contracted organizations working the NYC Public Schools require a vendor account. You are an NYC Public Schools Vendor if you have a Vendor Number and an existing vendor account that allows you to enter contracts and receive payment.

For more information on becoming a vendor, visit the NYC Public Schools InfoHub here.

How do I find my NYC Public Schools Vendor Number?

This number can be found by logging into your NYC Public Schools Vendor Portal, hitting the link in the top left corner named Account Administration, and then hitting the link for DOE Vendor Number. Your vendor number is three letters followed by a series of numbers (no spaces or dashes).

I am in individual Teaching Artist/Vendor with an NYCPS Vendor Number, can I complete this survey?

As long as you have an NYCPS Vendor Number and you provide arts education services, you are welcome to complete the survey. You do not need to be an organization.

What’s the difference between a NYCPS Vendor Number and Contract Number?

Your vendor number is three letters followed by a series of numbers (no spaces or dashes) and does not ever change. It should not be confused with your Contract Number. Contract Numbers change every 5-8 years and start with two letters followed by a string of letters and numbers.

Do I need to complete the survey in one sitting?

While you will be able to start, pause, and revisit your responses by completing at least one page of the survey and returning to the survey using the same device and internet browser (as SurveyMonkey will store a cookie in the browser that remembers your survey responses), we strongly recommend that you plan to complete the survey in one seating. The auto-save function will not work properly if you work from multiple devices or block cookies. We encourage you to prepare your answers in advance using a Google Doc. You can preview all the questions of the survey in this Google doc.

When will “Creative Compass: Mapping Arts Education in NYC Schools” launch?

This initiative is expected to launch in 2026. Look out for more information about the initiative coming soon.

Special Thank Yous

The Creative Compass: Mapping Arts Education initiative is made possible with lead support by Jody and John Arnhold | The Arnhold Foundation. 

Please consider contributing to our efforts to advance arts education in NYC and to support this essential workforce by making a donation today.