Cooke School

What Cooke School does

Cooke School and Institute is an independent, nonprofit special education school founded in 1987 and headquartered in New York City, serving neurodivergent students and those with mild to moderate cognitive or developmental disabilities ages 5-21. It operates two physical campuses—a K-12 school at 1713 Madison Avenue in East Harlem and the Cooke Transitions program at 60 MacDougal Street in SoHo—and delivers a structured "7-pillar" educational approach combining academics, integrated therapeutic services (art, music, drama therapy), community inclusion, transition planning, and parent partnership. The school supplements core K-12 instruction with a six-week Cooke Summer Academy, an After School program, an Alumni Association supporting over 300 graduates, and a vocational Internship Program placing students ages 14-21 with more than 40 corporate and community employer partners.

The organization is structured as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit governed by a board of directors with no parent company and no outside equity funding. Its core business is tuition-based special education services (FY2019-20 Education revenue of $25.5M), with two additional revenue streams: contributions and fundraising events such as the annual "Food for Thought" gala ($1.4M in FY2019-20), and consulting, training and miscellaneous revenue from the Cooke Institute arm ($1.3M in FY2019-20). Total revenue reached $28.3M against $23.9M in expenses in FY2019-20, with 70% of families dependent on funding assistance to attend and 87 cents of every donated dollar directed to programs.

Go-to-market is sales-led through a dedicated admissions office using the Veracross portal, supported by open houses, the Cooke Chronicles newsletter, the institutional website, and an annual fundraising gala. Corporate and foundation support is concentrated among major financial institutions (Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, BlackRock, American Express, Moody's) plus the Altman Foundation and a TD Bank Affinity Membership Program. The Cooke Institute separately extends the organization's reach by providing consulting services to general education schools and teachers in underserved neighborhoods, positioning Cooke as both a direct service provider and an advocacy/reform-oriented institution.

Name

Cooke School

Legal name

Cooke School and Institute

Website

https://cookeschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cooke School and Institute is a NYC-based independent nonprofit special education school serving neurodivergent students and those with mild to moderate cognitive or developmental disabilities ages 5-21 across East Harlem and SoHo campuses, with tuition, donations, and consulting as its three revenue streams.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Instructional Delivery & Pedagogy (School-Led) (EDAJAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Teacher Professional Development & In-Service Training Institutes (EDAHAFAM), Alternative Schools (Behavioral/Disciplinary & Nontraditional Settings) (EDAJAEAC)

Keywords

• Special education services
• Neurodivergent education programs
• Transition planning services
• Educational therapy services
• Vocational training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

New City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Education Services: Tuition-based special education services for students ages 5-21 with neurodivergent needs and mild to moderate cognitive or developmental disabilities. The school admits students regardless of financial circumstances and provides funding assistance to families.
2. Contributions and Special Events: Donations and fundraising events including annual gala 'Food for Thought'. The 2019-2020 fiscal year showed $1,443,306 in contributions and special events revenue.
3. Consulting, Training and Miscellaneous: Cooke Institute provides consulting services to general education schools and teachers to improve educational experience for students in underserved neighborhoods. The 2019-2020 fiscal year showed $1,342,006 in consulting, training and miscellaneous revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cooke School and Institute is an independent special education school providing educational and therapeutic programs for neurodivergent students and those with mild to moderate cognitive or developmental disabilities ages 5-21. Its core offerings span K-12 school programs across East Harlem and SoHo campuses, post-secondary transition services, summer academy, after-school and internship programs, art-based therapies, and consulting services to general education schools through the Cooke Institute.

Product overview

Cooke School and Institute operates as an independent special education school providing a comprehensive suite of educational and therapeutic programs for neurodivergent students and those with mild to moderate cognitive or developmental disabilities. The core offerings include K-12 School Programs serving students ages 5-21 across campuses in East Harlem and SoHo, supplemented by Cooke Transitions for young adults ages 18-21. Additional programs encompass the Cooke Summer Academy (a six-week seasonal program), After School activities, an Alumni Association supporting over 300 graduates, and an Internship Program connecting students ages 14-21 with NYC employers. The Cooke Institute extends the school's reach through educational consulting services to general education schools and advocacy for special education reform. Art-based therapies including art, music, and drama therapy are integrated throughout the curriculum as therapeutic services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cooke Institute: A division of Cooke School focused on consulting services and extending educational expertise to other schools and educators.
• Cooke Transitions
• Cooke Summer Academy (CSA)

Products and services

• Cooke School K-12 Programs Comprehensive special education program serving neurodivergent students and those with mild to moderate cognitive or developmental disabilities ages 5-21 across Lower, Middle, and Upper School, with campuses in East Harlem and SoHo.
• Cooke Transitions Post-secondary transition program for young adults ages 18-21, focusing on vocational training, communication skills, and independence building, with a dedicated campus in SoHo.
• Cooke Summer Academy (CSA) Six-week summer program divided into two three-week sessions, reinforcing academic and social skills through multi-sensory, thematic-based learning with integrated related services.
• After School Program After-school activities led by certified special education faculty, designed to help students develop social skills, team building, and decision-making through structured activities and free play.
• Alumni Services Cooke Alumni Association supporting over 300 graduates and their families with regular social, recreational, educational experiences, ongoing transition and vocational support, and community outreach.
• Internship Program Workforce preparation program for students ages 14-21, providing guided experiences through partnerships with NYC businesses and agencies, developing vocational skills and independence.
• Cooke Institute Educational consulting arm providing services to general education schools and teachers, sharing expertise to improve educational experience for students in underserved neighborhoods and advocating for special education reform.
• Art-Based Therapies Integrated arts-based therapy including art therapy, music therapy, and drama therapy provided by licensed therapists to support complex learning needs and strengthen social-emotional skills for students ages 5-21.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 300 alumni supported through Alumni Association
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sherri Shepherd (The Sherri Show)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerComedian, actress, and Daytime Emmy Award-winning talk show host Sherri Shepherd is a Cooke parent whose son JT is in the Transitions program. She has become an active partner, offering internship placements at her talk show studio. Over the past three years, Transitions students have joined her production team, contributing to various projects including distributing audience giveaways and designing cast & crew printed menus.
• 9-11 Memorial MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternship host partner providing workplace experience opportunities for Cooke students.
• Animal HavenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternship host partner providing animal care and animal shelter experience for Cooke students.
• Atlantic TheaterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternship host partner providing theater and performing arts experience for Cooke students.
• Barry's BootcampminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternship host partner providing fitness industry experience for Cooke students.
• Beacon's ClosetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternship host partner providing retail experience for Cooke students.
• Brooklyn Conservatory of MusicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternship host partner providing music industry experience for Cooke students.
• CostcominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternship host partner providing retail and warehouse experience for Cooke students.
• CVSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternship host partner providing retail pharmacy experience for Cooke students.
• God's Love We DeliverminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternship host partner providing food service and meal delivery experience for Cooke students.
• Levain BakeryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternship host partner providing bakery and food service experience for Cooke students.
• Moody'sminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate internship partner providing professional office environment experience for Cooke students.
• NYU OT DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership providing occupational therapy experience and training opportunities for Cooke students.
• WeWorkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternship host partner providing co-working environment experience for Cooke students.
• WNYCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternship host partner providing media and broadcasting experience for Cooke students.
• TD Bank (Affinity Membership Program)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerThrough the Affinity Membership Program, TD Bank makes annual contributions to Cooke based on participating members' TD Bank account activity. Eligible accounts include checking, savings, money market, CDs, and retirement accounts.

Scale indicators6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Aaron School: NYC private K-12 school for students with learning disabilities. Comparable to Cooke in age range served, NYC footprint, and individualized special-education approach.
• The Gateway School: NYC private K-8 school for students with learning disabilities. Comparable to Cooke in serving students with mild-to-moderate learning needs in a private NYC setting.
• The Parkside School: NYC private K-8 school serving students with language-based learning disabilities. Comparable to Cooke in target population, NYC geography, and private special-education delivery model.
• The IDEAL School of Manhattan: NYC independent K-12 private school serving students with language-based learning disabilities and neurodiverse learners. Directly comparable to Cooke in target population, NYC geography, and private special-education model.
• The Lab School of Washington: Private K-12 school in Washington, DC for students with learning disabilities. Comparable to Cooke in mission and integrated academic/therapeutic model, with comparable scale and program breadth.
• Churchill School and Center: NYC private K-12 school serving students with language-based learning disabilities. Comparable to Cooke in K-12 scope, NYC location, and mission focus on learning differences.
• LearningSpring School: NYC private K-8 school for students with learning disabilities, with a strong post-secondary transition focus. Comparable to Cooke in NYC setting and special-education mission.
• The Quad Preparatory School: NYC private K-12 school for twice-exceptional and neurodiverse students. Highly comparable to Cooke in mission, age range, therapeutic integration, and NYC positioning.

Broad incumbents

• YAI (Young Adult Institute): Large NYC-based nonprofit providing a broad range of disability services including education, residential, and employment programs. Comparable to Cooke in NYC footprint and disability-services mission, but operates at significantly greater scale and scope.
• AHRC NYC: Large NYC nonprofit serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through education, day programs, residential, and employment services. Comparable to Cooke in NYC geography and I/DD population served, but at much larger organizational scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CookeSchoolNYC

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cooke School