West Roxbury Schools Receive Funding to Expand Arts Programs

Several schools in West Roxbury and Roslindale were among several Boston Public Schools throughout the city to receive more than $700,000 in grants last week as part of a Boston Arts Expansion Fund. 

The funds were donated by EdVestors, which works to identify and shape improvement initiatives in urban schools, and the following schools in West Roxbury and Roslindale were affected:

• Urban Science Academy (West Roxbury)
• Conley Elementary School (Roslindale)
• Irving Middle School (Roslindale)
• Mozart Elementary School (Roslindale)
• Philbrick Elementary School (Roslindale)
• Bates Elementary School (Roslindale)
• Beethoven/Ohrenberger K-8 Schools (West Roxbury)
  

The BPS Arts Expansion initiative began as a three-year, $2.5 million effort to expand arts education, and the fund essentially facilitates partnerships between individual Boston Public Schools and local artists and arts organizations to develop arts programming in schools. 

As such, schools will subsequently partner  with local artists and groups to provide theater, visual arts, dance, choral and instrumental instruction, among other initiatives. 

"We are proud to support schools in West Roxbury and Roslindale and across the city as they work to improve access to quality arts education for their students.” said Laura Perille, Executive Director of EdVestors, in a statement. "As shown in our recent research, these programs offer invaluable opportunities for students to learn, engage and thrive in the public school setting."