In fall 2005, the New Museum inaugurated G:Class (Global Classroom), a new curriculum development program which engaged high school students with global issues through the perspectives of contemporary art, architecture and design. The program examined the manner by which our global society relates to the students’ everyday lives and encouraged them to be critical thinkers with diverse points of view. For a full academic year, New Museum staff worked closely with participating schools to optimize the academic and cultural impact of their existing curricula. At the heart of G: Class was a weekly Seminar Series, featuring in-class lectures and hands-on demonstrations by practicing designers, artists, architects, educators, and activists whose work addresses global concerns. G: Class aimed to raise awareness and provide access to dynamic resources and unique learning experiences offered by schools’ surrounding local and global art communities.

The G:Class Web site gclass.org, launched in 2008, provided access to the Museum’s lesson plans, digital archives, curriculum materials, and information on the New Museum’s exhibitions and programs, encouraging high school teachers and students to use the New Museum as a tool for learning. The Web site also engaged young people by showcasing their work and writing, and by providing students with the opportunity to explore contemporary art on their own outside the classroom.