Roxbury Weston Programs, Inc.

Because of your support, for over 50 years our students have received a nurturing and supportive early childhood education that embraces diversity. All RoxWes students are taught from an early age the importance of friendship, and the idea that we are all one big family. Long after their days of playing on “Fort Awesome,” tapping the maple trees, and witnessing the four stages of metamorphosis are behind them, our students continue to bond in Weston Public Schools and beyond. 

Roxbury Weston Programs remains the longest running, voluntarily desegregated educational program in the country. We are very proud that our program is built upon a mission to bring families together in a learning community dedicated to the celebration of diversity and excellence in early care and education. Roxbury Weston’s unique community is committed to meeting the educational needs of the whole child and encouraging friendship amongst children of all backgrounds. Not only does our program offer a truly unique learning environment, but it is also steeped in a rich and important history of which we are proud to be a part and that is vital that we continue to remember. During a time when racial tensions and injustices impacted many communities in the area, a group of like-minded parents from Weston and Roxbury came together and decided that they wanted their children to do better and be better. They wanted their children to live out and pass along the mindsets that we are all equal and that every child deserves a quality education. We raise our students of color up to know their worth and to value themselves as meaningful members of society, while teaching our other children to be allies and to always stand against racial inequality in all its forms. These kids leave this program with love in their hearts for their brothers and sisters.

For these parents to accomplish this goal for their children, they relied on the support of the people of Weston to help them get young children from Roxbury to and from school safely. For decades, the Weston School Committee invited the RoxWes students to ride the bus with the Weston METCO students on their way to and from school. This was vital to the sustainability of our program. Three years ago, the Weston School Committee decided to end this relationship. The RoxWes community has fought for three years to reestablish the services we once shared with Weston Public Schools, but to no avail. 

As a result, our program has struggled to cover the cost of private transportation for our Roxbury students. Safely transporting our students to and from school costs about $55,000 each year, and that number will only continue to increase over time. This is an astronomical cost for a non-profit of our size and is not sustainable.  The truth is - without a bus - we will lose our Roxbury kids, and without our Roxbury kids, there will be no Roxbury Weston Preschool. They are the backbone of our program and our mission depends on being able to provide them with a quality education focused on a supportive and comprehensive curriculum. This starts with getting them to school every morning. 

We need your help, now more than ever, to help us reach our fundraising goal of $55,000. If you have not given money to our program in the past, now is a great reason to start.  If you have, be it $5, $100 or $1,000, we ask you to consider donating again. This is a critical time for RoxWes. Every little bit helps, and your donation will ensure that this great program gets to keep its doors open and can continue to spread its powerful and meaningful mission.

We are $6,000 short of our $55,000 goal! 

Roxbury Weston Programs began in July of 1965, with a summer camp housed half time at the Case Estates, in Weston, and half time at the Blue Hill Christian Center, in Roxbury. Inspired by the Civil Rights Movement and Martin Luther King’s Speech on the Boston Common in 1965, the purpose of Roxbury Weston Programs was to bring families together from both communities, to create a learning environment in which to celebrate their diversity and achieve excellent early education for all.

Today the mission of Roxbury Weston Programs echoes the original purpose, “to bring families together in a learning community dedicated to the celebration of diversity and excellence in early childcare and education”. Roxbury Weston is the longest running, voluntarily integrated educational program in the country.

For over 50 years, Roxbury Weston students have been given the gift of receiving a nurturing and supportive early childhood education experience with a focus on the importance of diversity. The hundreds of children that we have been lucky enough to call a part of the RoxWes family are taught from a very young age the importance of friendship, and the idea that we are all one big family. 

Not only does our program offer a truly unique learning environment, but it is also steeped in a rich and important history that we should all be proud to be a part of. It is so important that we remember and continue to talk about how it all began. During a time where racial tensions ran high, and communities were torn apart, a group of like-minded parents from Weston and Boston came together and decided that they wanted their children to do better and be better. They wanted the mindset of separation and exclusivity to end with their children, and they wanted their children to go on to teach their own children the same lessons; we are all equal, we all deserve love and respect, and every child deserve a quality education.

If you have already donated, whether through our Annual Appeal or our GoFundMe, we want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts. There are no words to describe how amazing it is to know that so many people support this program.  Because of you, we have made amazing progress toward our $55,000 goal by raising $49,000 to date.

Due to the pandemic, we are in need of additional fundraising efforts. We were not able to hold our annual Spring Fundraiser. We rely heavily on this event to raise funds to help pay for transportation, salaries and scholarships. In addition, some grants that we rely on have been delayed or are uncertain at this time.   We are $6,000 short of our fundraising goal of $55,000. 

Let's make one final push toward our $55,000 goal! You can support our school directly by donating through our GoFundMe page. The funds we raise ensure that our Boston students  are able to get back and forth to school every day, a cost that we are obligated to pay through the end of this year and moving forward for future years. Funds raised will also enable the program to keep its tuition prices affordable. 

Every amount, every dollar makes a difference and helps ensure that we can continue our mission. Every little bit helps, and your donation will ensure that this great program gets to keep its doors open to continue this powerful and meaningful mission. Please consider making a donation to help us reach our goal! 

www.roxwes.org