Guide
How to get your program into schools: the provider's procedure.
To get your program into schools, find out who approves outside providers at each building, send one complete packet, and offer a small pilot. The packet holds your insurance certificate, background check proof, W-9, a curriculum one-pager and references. Agree on the room, the dates and the money in writing, run one strong term, then ask to renew.
This guide is for a provider who already has a program: a class, a club or a camp that works. It covers the path into a school building, step by step. If you are still setting up the business, start with how to start a kids enrichment business in schools, then come back here.
The short version
- List ten schools on a route you can repeat every week.
- Ask each front office one question: "What is your process for outside enrichment programs?"
- Build one packet: certificate of insurance, background checks, W-9, curriculum one-pager, references, dismissal plan.
- Reach out one full term ahead. Schools plan fall in spring and winter in fall.
- Know the four money models before the meeting, and what each does to your break-even.
- Propose a pilot: one class, one grade band, one term, with a decision date.
- Open one registration link built on that school's calendar. Send the roster to the office before day one.
- Send a one-page recap the week the term ends, with next term's dates in it.
How do I get my program into schools?
Treat it as a sequence with six steps: find the decision maker, send the packet, meet, agree on terms in writing, run a pilot, and renew. Each step has one owner and one document. Schools say yes to providers who make the yes easy: complete paperwork, a clear dismissal plan and no extra work for the front office.
Most of what is published on this topic is a vendor sign-up page or a pitch for a marketplace. The procedure itself is rarely written down, because it lives in district offices and PTA binders. Here it is in order.
| Step | What you hand over | When, counting back from the first class |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Find the decision maker | A five-sentence email and a one-page program sheet | 16 to 12 weeks out |
| 2. Send the packet | Insurance, background checks, W-9, one-pager, references, dismissal plan | The day they reply |
| 3. Meet | Two proposed days, a start date and a sample of what kids make | 12 to 10 weeks out |
| 4. Agree in writing | Facility use form or agreement, the money model, the day-of contact | 10 to 8 weeks out |
| 5. Run the pilot | A registration link, a flyer with a QR code, the roster for the office | Registration opens 6 weeks out |
| 6. Renew | A one-page recap with next term's dates | The week the term ends |
Who approves enrichment providers at a school?
It varies by school, and it is often more than one person. The principal decides what happens in the building. A PTA or PTO may run the enrichment calendar and sign the contract. A district office controls facility use and vendor approval. A site coordinator runs the daily after-school schedule. Ask the front office who handles it.
| Who | What they control | What they care about | How to reach them |
|---|---|---|---|
| Principal | Whether an outside program runs in the building, which room and which days | Student safety, dismissal, and no new work for the office | Email, copied to the office manager. Then a call to the front office |
| PTA or PTO | The enrichment calendar at many elementary schools. Often signs the provider contract | What families want, the price, access for families who can't pay | The enrichment chair's email on the PTA page, or a board meeting |
| District community education | A catalog of classes across buildings, with its own proposal form and deadlines | Fit with the catalog, room availability, fees that match policy | The class proposal form on the community education page |
| District facilities or procurement | Facility use permits, insurance review, vendor approval | Complete paperwork, on time | The facility use or vendor application |
| Site coordinator | The daily schedule of an existing after-school program. Can bring you in for an enrichment block | Reliability. An instructor who shows up every week and holds the room | Through the program's director or the school office |
Published examples of each, so you know what to look for. In New York City, the principal or head custodian submits the Extended Use Permit application for an after-school program. The Washington State PTA handbook says two elected board members must sign a contract, and that enrichment vendors should be contracted for no longer than the current school year. Boise School District's community education office asks for an instructor application and a class proposal, and reviews proposals for content, program needs and room availability. Fulton County Schools in Georgia says organizations must be approved as an after-school enrichment provider by its contracting department. Salt Lake City School District says community education screens program vendors, course content and fees charged.
Site coordinators often run programs paid for by grants. The largest federal one, 21st Century Community Learning Centers, sends money to state education agencies, which run competitions for subgrants to districts, community-based organizations and other public or private entities. When a coordinator pays you from a grant, you are a contractor to that program, and families may pay nothing.
Sources, checked 2026-09-17: NYC Public Schools InfoHub, Afterschool; Washington State PTA, Running an Enrichment Program handbook, 2022-23, pp. 8 to 9 (hosted by Seattle Public Schools); Boise School District, Community Education; Fulton County Schools, After-School Enrichment Programs; Salt Lake City School District, Additional Enrichment Opportunities After-School; U.S. Department of Education, Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers.
What do schools require from outside providers?
Expect six documents: a certificate of liability insurance naming the school or district as additional insured, proof of background checks for every adult, a W-9, a curriculum one-pager, references, and a signed facility use agreement. Requirements are set district by district, so ask for the list in writing.
| Document | What it is | A published example |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of insurance | One page from your insurer showing your limits, with the school, district or PTA named as additional insured. Your agent reissues it for each host. | Irvine Unified School District (California) requires $1,000,000 each occurrence and $2,000,000 general aggregate, sexual abuse and molestation coverage, and the certificate at least 14 calendar days before the event. |
| Background checks | Proof that every adult who will be with students has cleared the check that district uses. Many require fingerprints through their own system, even if you already ran a check. | Dallas ISD, citing Texas Education Code 22.0834, says a contractor must be fingerprinted before beginning work if the person has continuing duties and the opportunity for direct contact with students, at the contractor's cost. A California district cites Education Code 45125.1 for the same purpose. |
| W-9 | The IRS form that gives your taxpayer identification number to someone who pays you. | William S. Hart Union High School District (California) says vendors must submit a W-9 before a purchase order can be issued. |
| Curriculum one-pager | What kids do, grades, class size, length, what they take home, price, and your contact details. One page. | Boise's community education office evaluates class proposals for content and program needs. |
| References | Two people who have seen you run a room: a principal, a site host, a PTA chair. New providers can use families from a paid session. | The Washington State PTA handbook tells PTAs to ask vendors about their experience with schools and children. |
| Facility use agreement | The district's form for using a room outside the school day: dates, times, space, any charge, insurance, and who signs. | NYC Public Schools requires an Extended Use Permit from every after-school program in its buildings. The Washington State PTA handbook says the district's facility use form must be filed under district guidelines. |
Sources, checked 2026-09-17: Irvine Unified School District, Insurance Requirements; Dallas ISD, Vendor Background Screening; William S. Hart Union High School District, Become a District Vendor; IRS, About Form W-9; the Boise, Washington State PTA and NYC Public Schools pages cited above.
These are examples from specific districts. Yours will differ, and rules change. If your state licenses or records programs like yours, add the state's letter or email to the packet. The after-school program guide shows how to check. This guide is general information. It is not legal advice.
Two pages schools don't ask for and always read
The dismissal plan. How kids get from their classroom to your room, how attendance is taken, how each child leaves, who may pick up, and what happens when a parent is late. Half a page. It answers the principal's first question before it is asked.
The day-of sheet. Your instructor's name and photo, your mobile number, the room, the days, the times and the roster. It lives at the front desk. When a parent calls the office at 3:40 PM, the office manager has the answer.
How do I price a program for a school partner?
First learn which money model the school uses. There are four: families pay you and the building is free, families pay you and you pay room rent, families pay you and the school or PTA takes a share, or the school pays you under a contract. Each changes your break-even class size, so run the math before you quote.
| Model | Who pays you | What the school receives | Get this in writing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family-paid, no building charge | Families, at registration | A program for its students. Often scholarship seats | Room, days, dates, how many scholarship seats and who picks the students |
| Family-paid, with room rent | Families, at registration | A flat charge per hour, per session or per term under the facility use form | The rate, what it covers, when it is due, and what happens on no-school days |
| Family-paid, with a revenue share | Families, at registration | A percentage of tuition, paid to the school or the PTA | The percentage, what it is calculated on, how refunds are treated, and the payment date |
| School-paid contract | The school, district, PTA or a grant-funded program, by invoice or purchase order | A program at no cost or reduced cost to families | Price per class or per student, minimum and maximum enrollment, payment terms, cancellation terms |
What each model does to one class, with the math shown
Every number below is an example we made up to show the method. None comes from a real school, district or company. The class: 10 weeks, one hour a week, 10 kids, priced at $240.
| Model | Math | Left from the class | Break-even class size |
|---|---|---|---|
| No building charge | 10 x $232.53 kept per registration = $2,325.30. Less instructor $480 and materials $80 | $1,765.30 | $480 / $224.53 = 2.1, so 3 kids |
| Room rent, example $20 a session | $1,765.30 - (10 sessions x $20) | $1,565.30 | $680 / $224.53 = 3.03, so 4 kids |
| Revenue share, example 10% of tuition | $1,765.30 - (10% x $2,400) | $1,525.30 | $480 / $200.53 = 2.4, so 3 kids |
| School-paid, example $2,000 flat | $2,000 invoice - $480 - $80. No card processing | $1,440.00 | Set by the contract's minimum |
Example only. Instructor cost is 10 sessions x 1.5 paid hours x $32 (assumed). Materials are $8 per child (assumed). $224.53 is the $232.53 kept per registration less materials, and $200.53 also takes out the $24 share. Totals are before insurance, travel, admin time, taxes and your own pay. The $240 registration math matches enrops pricing: the family pays $247.20 by card, Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 on the total is $7.47, and you pay enrops $0.
Two things to read from the table. Flat rent is a fixed cost, so it raises your break-even and then stops growing. A share grows with every child you enroll. In this example they cross between 8 and 9 kids: $200 of rent equals $24 a child at 8.3 children. Below that, the share costs you less. Above it, flat rent does.
If the school asks for scholarship seats, price them in. Two free seats in a class of ten means eight families carry the class. Put the number of seats in the agreement and give the school a discount code to hand to those families, so they register like everyone else. For the full pricing method, read how to set camp and class prices.
How do I pitch a program to a school?
Send a five-sentence email to the principal and the PTA or PTO enrichment lead together, with a one-page program sheet attached. Say what you teach, for which grades, on which days, and ask for their process. Follow up by phone with the front office, then on the same email thread with dates.
| Day | Touch | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| Day 0 | Email to the principal and the enrichment lead, office manager copied | Who you are, what kids do in the class, grades and days, that your insurance and background checks are ready, and one question: what is your process for outside enrichment programs? |
| Day 3 | Call the front office | "I sent a note about an after-school class. Who handles outside programs at your school?" Write down the name. |
| Day 7 | Reply on the same thread | Two possible days, a proposed start date and the full packet as one link. |
| Day 14 | Drop by the office | A printed one-pager and a finished sample of what kids make, left with your card. |
| Day 21 | Last note for this term | "I'll check back when you plan next term." Then put that month on your calendar and do it. |
Timing matters more than wording. Schools plan fall programs in spring and winter programs in fall. An email in the first two weeks of the school year lands on the busiest desk in the building. If a district runs community education, check the proposal deadline for its next catalog and work back from it.
In the meeting, bring the sample and the dismissal plan. Ask three questions: which days and rooms are open, how families hear about programs at this school, and what made the last outside program easy or hard to host. Then listen. The answers are your pilot terms.
How do I run a pilot at a school?
Keep it small and written down. One class, one grade band, one term of six to ten weeks, with a minimum and maximum enrollment. Put the dates, the room, the money model, the day-of contact and the date you will both decide about next term on one page. A pilot with no decision date is a favor.
- Before: build the dates from the school's calendar, open registration six weeks out, and give the office ready-to-paste newsletter text with your link and QR code.
- The week before: send the roster with grades and homeroom teachers, the dismissal plan and the day-of sheet to the front office.
- Week one: be there yourself, 20 minutes early. Walk the pickup route with the office manager.
- Every week: take attendance, leave the room cleaner than you found it, and tell the office the same day about anything a parent might call about.
- Midway: send families a short update on what kids have built, and ask one question: how is it going for your child?
- Last class: invite the principal and the enrichment lead for the final ten minutes, when kids show their work.
How do I get renewed for next term?
Ask in the week the term ends, with a one-page recap in hand. Show enrollment, attendance, what kids made, what families said and any incident with how it was handled. Propose next term's days and dates on the same page. Then update the paperwork before anyone has to ask for it.
| On the recap | Why the school wants it |
|---|---|
| Enrollment, by grade, and scholarship seats used | Shows demand, and who the program reached. |
| Attendance rate across the term | Kids who keep coming are the clearest sign the class works. |
| What kids made or learned, in two sentences | The principal can repeat it to a parent or a board member. |
| Two or three family comments, with permission | The PTA or PTO answers to families. |
| Incidents and late pickups, with what you did | Trust comes from how problems were handled. |
| Proposed days and dates for next term | A yes takes one reply. |
At renewal, reissue the certificate of insurance when your policy renews, keep the background check list current as instructors change, and refile the facility use form if the district requires one each term or each year. PTA contracts often end with the school year, so expect to sign again each fall.
From the principal's office and the operator's seat
Our founder, Arielle Hammond, spent a decade in public education, leading schools, so she has sat on the school's side of this conversation. In 2023 she founded Journey to STEAM, which runs kids STEM programs at 75+ school sites, has served 2,500+ students, and sees 95% of its school partners renew. What a principal remembers at renewal time is simple: kids were safe, families were happy, and the office never had to chase you.
How do families register for a program at their school?
Give each school's program its own registration link, built on that school's calendar, and hand the school a flyer with a QR code. Families register, sign your waiver and pay in one short form on a phone. Collect grade, homeroom teacher and the dismissal plan, because the front office releases kids from that list.
Registration is part of your pitch. A school that hosted a program with paper forms and checks in backpacks remembers the work it made for the office. Show the principal the link on your phone in the meeting.
Where enrops fits
enrops was built inside Journey to STEAM for this exact job. You create a program, pick the district and school, and the schedule builds around that school's calendar and shows its no-school days. You get a registration link and a QR code for the flyer. Families register, sign your waiver and pay on their phone. Your roster fills itself with names, grade and homeroom teacher, and a live count of who is enrolled. Discount codes cover scholarship seats, and payment plans split the total into the installments you set.
How fast is setup? In our production test on July 25, 2026, a new account went from signup to a live registration link in about 3 to 4.5 minutes, had Stripe connected by minute 5 to 7, and parents completed checkout in about 1.5 to 4.5 minutes.
enrops is free for businesses, with no per-location pricing, so your tenth school costs the same as your first. Families pay a small enrops service fee, included in the price they see first, and your only cost is Stripe's standard processing. A $240 session shows as $247.20, or $244.80 when families pay by bank and save. See pricing, to the cent. For the school, PTO or district, there is no cost to the organization. They can read enrops for schools and enrops for PTOs.
Start from the after-school program registration form template, click through a sample registration, see enrops for after-school programs, or estimate what unfinished signups cost you with the registration loss calculator.
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Questions providers ask before they approach a school
Who approves outside enrichment programs at a school?
It varies. The principal decides what happens in the building. A PTA or PTO often runs the enrichment calendar and signs provider contracts. A district office usually controls facility use and vendor approval. Ask the front office one question: what is your process for outside enrichment programs?
What do schools ask an outside provider for?
Usually a certificate of liability insurance naming the school, district or PTA as additional insured, proof of background checks for every adult, a W-9, a one-page description of the program, references and a signed facility use agreement. Districts set their own requirements, so ask for the list in writing.
Do I need to be fingerprinted to teach a class at a school?
Often, yes. Many districts require fingerprint-based checks through their own system for contractors who have direct contact with students. Dallas ISD, for example, cites Texas Education Code 22.0834 and says the contractor bears the cost. Ask each district which check it accepts before you schedule instructors.
Do schools charge enrichment providers for the room?
Some do and some don't. The common arrangements are no building charge, a flat room rent under the facility use form, or a share of tuition paid to the school or PTA. Ask early, get the terms in writing, and run your break-even class size with the charge included.
When should I contact schools about a new program?
One full term ahead. Schools plan fall programs in spring and winter programs in fall. Avoid the first two weeks of the school year. If the district runs community education, find the proposal deadline for its next catalog and work back from it.
How long should a pilot program run?
One term of six to ten weeks, with one class and one grade band. Put the dates, room, money model, minimum and maximum enrollment, day-of contact and a decision date for next term on one page that both sides keep.
Who pays the provider: the school or the families?
Both models exist. In the most common one, families register and pay the provider directly, and the school approves the program and provides the room. In the other, the school, district, PTA or a grant-funded after-school program pays the provider by invoice or purchase order.
What does it cost to take registrations for school programs on enrops?
enrops is free for businesses, with no per-location pricing. Families pay a 3% enrops service fee, minimum $1.99, included in the price they see first. You pay enrops $0 per transaction unless you choose to cover the fee. Your only cost is Stripe's standard processing.
Your first school's registration could open today.
Create it, connect Stripe, share the link. Families register and pay in one place, and the money lands in your own Stripe account.
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