Rochester Education Foundation

Every child deserves a great education. REF works with partners across the Rochester community to turn that mission into a reality.

Rochester Education Foundation (REF) provides services, programs, and supports for students in Rochester city and charter schools.

Our main programs include:

College Access Network:

• We provide assistance to students and families applying for college financial aid through FAFSA Fest
• We assist students and parents on the road to post-secondary education through sponsoring college tours, providing workshops, and putting on panel discussions with current college students.

Arts Opportunities:

• We have provided nearly 3,000 instruments to Rochester kids through our Spring for Music program. Most are donated instruments from community members
• We provide full scholarships to summer music, visual arts, and dance lessons to students.
• We support the All-District drama program, the Roc-City Players, by providing dinners for actors and parents, costumes, and other materials.

Literacy and Reading:

• Each year we provide around 2,000 books to classrooms which are used to augment regular curriculum and then are given to students to build home libraries.

REF works with Student Success Partners to provide even more opportunities for city students

• One Step Closer: provides sneakers to needy students
• School gardens at Schools #45 and #58
• Give the Gift of Nature: Campus beautification and nature reclamation projects at World of Inquiry School #58 and Edison Tech
• Wilson HS Outdoors Club: which provides monthly outdoor adventure and leadership activities
• Vincent Fazio Memorial Fund: provides scholarships to Edison Tech grads excel at math and exhibit good citizenship
• Dr. Walter Cooper Fund: supports programming at School #10 and School #17 including field trips, a LEGO League robotics team, and much more.