Overview
- Cardi B joined Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Friday to launch a citywide jingle contest to promote 2-K, with 15- or 30-second entries due April 17.
- Families can apply for the first 2,000 free seats from June 2 to June 26, with offers in August and classes starting this fall in five school districts across four boroughs, excluding Staten Island.
- The initial rollout targets Fordham in the Bronx, Washington Heights in Manhattan, Canarsie and Brownsville–Ocean Hill in Brooklyn, and Southeast Queens.
- New York State will cover the program’s first two years, with about $73 million budgeted for the initial cohort and up to $425 million anticipated next year, according to officials.
- Contest rules require original, non‑AI music from NYC residents 18 or older, and entries grant the city rights to use the winning jingle, which will become the program’s theme and air on the radio.