In 1999, the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science introduced a new kind of compulsory arts education in secondary school aimed at stimulating cultural participation among Dutch youth. This article examines whether the course, called "Cultural and Artistic Education," succeeds in doing so. Data on 3,851 secondary school students (ages 14-16) in the Netherlands reveal that enrollment in Cultural and Artistic Education stimulates participation in high culture and, to a smaller degree, popular culture. The effects apply equally to students with different gender, ethnic minority, and family background status. A positive effect on attitude toward art only partly holds and is less convincing. No effects were found on the complexity of the attended cultural activities. (Contains 5 tables, 2 figures, and 1 endnote.)