Equity Projects at BOPN

Since launching in September 2019, BOPN has awarded scholarships to hundreds of families for our school year and summer programs. 

As part of our commitment to equity, we actively pursue opportunities to expand access to nature-based early education in underserved communities throughout eastern Massachusetts.

Expanding Access

“...despite their safety and effectiveness, nature preschools are not equally available to all children. White children are overrepresented in nature preschools, [while] dual language learners and children with disabilities are underrepresented. Disparities in access to high-quality education are widespread across the education system in the United States, and nature-based programs have not been the exception. In addition, children of color have less access to nature than white children, pointing to yet further injustice in bringing the benefits of nature to all children.”
- Natural Start Alliance

BOPN’s goal is to expand access to nature-based early childhood education.

We consider it a moral obligation to serve all children, regardless of a family’s ability to pay tuition.  Currently, over 35% of enrolled families receive financial assistance. In partnership with Universal PreK, we opened Boston’s first tuition-free nature preschool at the Franklin Park Zoo in September 2024, further expanding access to high-quality, nature-based early education.

“Letting kids be kids is the starting place for social justice. When we deprive children of play and care, and think they need skill and drill style instruction or reward and punishment kind of guidance, we are telling them they need to be fixed and changed and will be valued someday, when they become someone in the future. Social justice starts with seeing our young children as whole complete sovereign intelligent citizens with unquestioned belonging.”

– Carol Garboden Murray, Illuminating Care

Support Equity Initiatives

As a 501(c)(3), our goal is to make nature-based early education as accessible as possible to as many families as we can. Contributions help us offer scholarships, create new nature-based opportunities via our equity projects, and deliver essential resources to students in need. Make a lasting impact on the lives of these promising learners by giving today.