Contemporary Art Start (CAS) FAQs
● May 1, 2026
● We accept applications on a rolling basis. Each year, there are a set amount of spots available per track. Once we are at capacity, we place applicants on a waitlist for their desired track (see info on track options below).
● When we receive your registration form, we confirm receipt and follow up requesting payment ($25 per participant).
● Email education@moca.org for a registration form.
● $25 per person, either in-person or online.
● Schools are responsible for the cost of their fall bus; MOCA pays for the spring bus.
● Costs for substitute coverage, if needed, are the responsibility of the school.
● Contemporary Art Start is available for 3rd-12th grade classroom teachers and educators at art organizations around the world!
We offer multiple tracks of CAS:
○ 3rd-5th:
■ In-person*
■ Online**
○ Secondary (6th-12th):
■ In-person*
■ Online**
○ Professional Development-Only (PD-only):
■ In-person* or online**
■ Important note: this track does not include educator-led tours
*In-person: all PD and tours take place at MOCA
**Online: all PD and tours take place virtually● 1st year participants: four-day Summer Institute (Thursday-Friday, Monday-Tuesday)
○ 3rd-5th grade in-person: July 9-10 & 13-14, 9am-2pm (breakfast and lunch
provided)
○ Secondary in-person: July 23-24 & 27-28, 9am-2pm (breakfast and lunch
provided)
○ 3rd-12th grade online: July 23-24 & 27-28, 9am-1pm
○ PD-only track participants: choose one of the above
● Returning participants: one-day Reboot Workshop
○ 3rd-12th grade in-person: choose between June 20, 25 or 27, 9am-2pm
(breakfast and lunch provided)
○ 3rd-12th grade online: June 27, 9am-1pm
○ PD-only track participants: choose one of the above
● Principal or key administrator: one-hour online orientation if your school hasn’t done so
in the last two years: August 5, 9-10am● We ask that:
○ 3rd-5th grade teachers enroll in pairs
○ Secondary teachers enroll in groups of 2-5 that include an art teacher
■ What if I cannot find an art teacher to join my group?
● We highly encourage art teachers to be a part of CAS school
cadres, but understand if that is not a possibility. We will not prohibit teams that are unable to include an art teacher
○ Educators must attend all professional development sessions in order to bring students to MOCA
■ 1st year participants: four-day Summer Institute + one half-day Pre-Visit
Workshop each semester (once in the fall and once in the spring)
■ Returning participant: one half-day Reboot Workshop + one Pre-Visit
Workshop each semester (once in the fall and once in the spring)
○ Principal or key administrator must attend a one-hour orientation (August 5, 9am)if they haven’t done so in the last two years● We specialize in coaching teachers to use Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS), a highly-tested, inquiry-based teaching method that can be immediately put to use. Each year we evaluate how students and teachers grow as a result of using VTS, using pre- and post-program assessments. The following statistics show the percentage increase of teachers and students who either ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ with the following questions for the 2025-26 school year:
● Teachers:
- I describe my teaching as learner-centered. +31%
- I am able to consistently include English language learners in discussions. +38%
- I feel confident and effective using inquiry-based teaching approaches. +66.4%
- I am able to lead inclusive discussions where all voices are valued equally. +67.7%
- I engage in personally meaningful experiences with contemporary art. +118.3%
- Students in my class(es) have meaningful experiences with contemporary art.+374.4%
- I use VTS to teach in other subjects: 86.2%Students:●
- I feel comfortable at museums. +11.5%
- I like looking at art. +24.3%
- I like thinking about art. +28.5%
- I feel good talking about art. +51%
- I like to write about art. +52.6%
- I am open to hearing opinions that are different from my own. +56.4%
- I feel good saying what I think about art. +76.7%
- My opinions about art are important. +88.9%
- I have a lot to say about art. +91.1%
- I can back up my ideas with evidence. +113%● In-Person:
○ Our MOCA Educator-led tours occur at 11am and 12:15pm Wednesdays,
Thursdays and Fridays during the fall and spring semesters. Groups of up to sixty students visit the museum to be led on an hour-long VTS tour. For a further breakdown of pre-tour and day-of logistics, please feel free to take a look at our Pre-tour checklist and FAQs
○ Note that museum tours are only for students whose teachers are enrolled in CAS; additional classes should not join the field trip.● Virtual:
○ Our educator-led virtual tours occur at 11am and 12:15pm on Mondays and
Tuesdays
○ Virtual: Pre-tour checklist and FAQs● Two tours in small groups to encourage participation
○ Students are placed in groups no larger than 10 for discussion-based tour
experiences utilizing the Visual Thinking Strategies teaching approach. Each
group is led by 1-2 MOCA Educators. We also ask that 1 chaperone
accompanies each group
○ MOCAs Educators are also able to provide bilingual (Spanish/English) tours for a group of up to 10 students or a Spanish tour for two groups of 10 students● Lifelong Family Pass
○ Each student that comes on a tour receives a MOCA Family Pass that is good forlife–as long as they hold on to the pass. They are able to visit either of our locations–for free if there is a specially ticketed exhibition–with up to 5 additionalguests● Other museum programming
○ CAS students are invited, through nominations by participating teachers, to be a part of Student Art Connection. For this annual public event, 4th-12th grade students are specially trained to hold conversations and lead a hands-on activity in the galleries for an hour-long shift!
○ Visiting students are also always informed about upcoming programs at the museum, like our quarterly Sunday Studio programs or MOCA Teen Night● MOCA covers the cost of the bus for your spring trip through a bus reimbursement form we send you upon confirmation of your tour date. This form must be submitted along with your field trip request at your school
● Arrangements for the fall and spring field trip buses are the responsibility of the participating teachers● If you participated in CAS fewer than three years ago (beginning in 2020 or later), you do not have to attend the Summer Institute. We ask teachers to re-do the Summer Institute if they have not been in the program for more than five years because the program continuously changes over time–teachers who rejoin after a while away from MOCA will need more than a one-day Reboot Workshop experience. We are thrilled when teachers return!
● 1st year LAUSD teachers–and schools that follow the same pay scale–are eligible to receive one salary point, contingent on attendance of all professional development sessions. Paperwork gets submitted in April of the year after the program begins
● For schools outside of LAUSD, we can provide you with paperwork that lists your hours completed● All CAS participants and an administrator at your school get a yearlong Household Dual Membership to MOCA
● All participating students receive an unlimited-use family pass that’s good for life (see above) after their fall tour● We ask that program participants attend all training sessions in order to bring their students on tours throughout the year. We also understand that our participants are more than teachers; they are parents, siblings, leaders, and members of worldwide communities
● If you find yourself unable to attend a mandatory professional development session, please reach out to us so we can work with you! We understand that special circumstances may arise and can occasionally make exceptions to these program requirements. Our goal is to ensure equity amongst all CAS participants and provide the best possible experience for all CAS students. When evaluating whether we can make an exception, we consider equity across the program, in order to honor the amount of labor and time outside of the classroom/organization that all CAS participants dedicate to our professional development workshops.