The Friends of the Rafael Hernández School (FOH) is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit branch of the Hernández School. Its Board of Directors consists of parents, school administration, and community partners.
Since its foundation in 2001, Friends of the Hernández (FOH) has strengthened the Hernández school’s status as an integral “piece” of the Egleston Square puzzle. Founded by a group of dedicated parents, FOH has grown from organizing school yard clean-ups to supporting an after school program for 150+ students.
Our Mission
The Friends of the Hernández (FOH) supports and advocates for the Rafael Hernández K-8 Dual Language School and the surrounding community. In collaboration with school staff, families and partners, FOH promotes quality dual language education, provides enriching After School programming, and increases access to the arts. We undertake these efforts motivated by our vision for a socially just and equitable education for our children and all children in Boston.
Our Vision
We envision the Rafael Hernández School as a community hub filled with happy, healthy, brilliantly bilingual-biliterate, creative and community-oriented students. Through our partnership with the Hernández School, we affirm the dignity of students and families and strive to ensure that each receives what they deserve — a high quality bilingual education, extraordinary learning enrichment opportunities, and the physical and social-emotional well-being necessary to thrive.
Program Areas
- Hernández After School Program
- Family Supports
- Adult Education, including Primeras Maestras Program, training parents as dual language educators
- Arts Initiatives
- Academics: STEM and Blanca Burgos Spanish Literacy Fund
- Wellness
FOH Board 2022-23
Eloise Biscoe, Board Secretary, Former teacher at the Hernández School
Carolina Brito, Principal, Hernández School
Matt Cregor, Board Chair, Staff Attorney at Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee and Hernández parent
Ana Contreras, Board Treasurer, Family Liaison, Rafael Hernández School
Soo Hong, Professor of Education, Wellesley College
Alexandra Oliver-Dávila, Executive Director, Sociedad Latina
Gary Prado, Senior Legal Counsel at Fidelity Investments
Marisol Negron, Assistant Professor of American Studies and Latino Studies, University of Massachusetts Boston and former Hernández parent
Cynthia So-Armah, Medical Director, Brookside Community Health Center and Hernández parent
Click here to subscribe to the monthly Friends of the Hernández Newsletter.
Our History: A Deeper Dive
The Friends of the Hernández (FOH) emerged from broken glass and community activism, much like the Rafael Hernández K-8 Spanish/English Dual Language School whose students and families FOH serves. In the early 1980s, the Hernández took root in Boston’s Egleston Square neighborhood after the growing Latinx community petitioned Boston Public Schools for a school to meet their students’ linguistic needs. As the schoolyard fell into disrepair, in 1995 a dedicated group of parents began clearing broken glass from the playground each Monday. By 2001, the school community’s fierce desire to fight for their students’ education gave rise to the Friends of the Hernández 501(c)3. Today, FOH continues to nurture bilingual, biliterate learners through extracurricular programming, leveraging resources beyond the school budget to enrich students’ education.
Friends of the Hernández could not achieve its mission without the people, businesses, and grant makers that support us. Thank you.
Grant Makers
Brown Rudnick
Cabot Family Foundation
City of Boston
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Eastern Bank
Edvestors
First Literacy
Kids Gardening
Lindsey Trust
Mildred’s Dream
Mass Service Alliance
Nellie Mae Foundation
Northeastern University
Rockland Trust Charitable Giving
Someone’s Else’s Child
Town Fare Tire Foundation
Vertex Learning Lab
In-kind Donors
FLUency
El Oriental de Cuba
Hope and Comfort
Stop and Shop
YMCA of Greater Boston
Guidestar Platinum Transparency Certificate