The Los Angeles Jazz Society initiated Jazz CoolCats in response to a request by LA’s BEST (Better Educated Students for Tomorrow), a nationally recognized model after-school enrichment program in 180 elementary schools.The program provides a 10-week series of jazz education classes for K-5.  The Society commissioned two highly regarded jazz educators, Sherry Luchette and Ann Patterson, to develop a curriculum and lesson plan for the program.  Since the children attending are very young, the classes are mostly rhythm and percussion based, along with learning songs.The program began in April, 2004 at Grandview Avenue Elementary School with Ann Patterson as the teacher.  She followed that up with three more schools.In April 2006, drummer, Paul Kreibich, began as an instructor and he has continued teaching since that time, with Ann Patterson participating occasionally.The ten-week session concludes with a "culminating event” in which the students demonstrate in group presentation what they have learned. The schools are selected by LA’s BEST and the programs are on a Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter schedule.The children in each school self-select their enrichment classes with Jazz CoolCats being one of the choices.The number of students in each class varies, but there are usually about 30 in attendance.   The Society is grateful to Remo Drums for a very generous donation of drums and other percussion instruments.