Mission statement of the
Robert Frost Foundation

The Robert Frost Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to focusing attention on the work and life of the poet Robert Frost and the connection he has to the city of Lawrence , Massachusetts . The Foundation is comprised of local artists, citizens, teachers, scholars, and writers that seek to provide a forum for discussing Frost and his works.

Robert Frost in Lawrence , Massachusetts  

In Lawrence, Robert Frost went to high school; met and served as co-valedictorian of Lawrence High School Class of 1892 with his future wife, Elinor White; held his first jobs; and wrote and published his first poem. 

 
Lawrence Cultural Pushcart

The Foundation actively uses the legacy of Robert Frost in Lawrence to foster civic pride, positive social change, and economic growth in an effort now known as the Lawrence Cultural Pushcart, with a magnet podium inviting schoolchildren and their teachers to bring poems to the Lawrence Farmers’ Market and the Bread and Roses Festival. In an effort to reflect the true nature of Lawrence , the Robert Frost Foundation attempts to produce programs that reflect the current and evolving population of Lawrence . 

Exhibitions Related to Frost in Lawrence  

The Foundation office is located in the Robert Frost Room of the Lawrence Public Library. The Frost Foundation tells the story of Robert Frost in Lawrence in ways designed to increase community involvement as shown by the following examples:

 

- Robert Frost's Lawrence, an original exhibition sponsored by the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities, composed of twelve large illustrated panels that have been exhibited in six different venues and three festivals.  When not traveling, it is installed in the Lawrence Public Library.

- Lasting Legacies, a linked set of exhibits on the legacies of William Wolcott and William Prescott Frost including the first virtual exhibition of Wolcott’s bequest in Lawrence, known as The White Fund Paintings. This special slide show in a contemporary setting known as The Magic Frame reached over 1800 Lawrencians during its fourteen month duration.

- The Robert Frost Trail, a self-guided tour that begins at Lawrence City Hall . The trail map brochure outlines key Frost locations in the center of Lawrence . The map brochure is available in English and Spanish at Lawrence Heritage Park , the Merrimack Valley AAA office, and on the web at frostfoundation.org .  An extension of the trail is planned for Lawrence Riverfront Park .

- The Signs of Poetry, bilingual presentations of Frost poems  (for example “Tree At My Window/Arbol Vecino”) on laminated signs and banners in local parks and along the Robert Frost Trail.

- Working Drafts, an exhibition to which over seventy people from Greater Lawrence submitted the story of their first jobs, an ongoing project to collect stories of work from Robert Frost's time to the present. 


The Community Activities of the Frost Foundation 

The Annual Robert Frost Festival, the fourth Saturday in October

Readings , lectures, exhibits, workshops, awards, and tours.
Past readers and speakers have included  Lesley Lee Francis, Mark Schorr, X.J. Kennedy, Michael Casey, Rhina Espaillat, Jeffrey Harrison, B. H. Fairchild, Erica Funkhouser, Donald Hall, Seamus Heaney, Edward Hirsch, Paul Muldoon, Robert Pinsky,William Pritchard, Cesar Sanchez Beras, Charles Simic. Helen Vendler, and Deborah Warren. 

The Robert Frost Poetry Award

The Robert Frost Foundation promotes poetry through poetry competitions. Offering yearly $1000 poetry prize to  an international poetry award. Contributions are accepted from April through September each year. Guidelines are available at frostfoundation.org by clicking on Poetry Award.

The Robert Frost Poetry Bee 

The Foundation works with teachers to stage local poetry bees during regular school hours-- an original Frost Foundation concept, and now an ongoing program in the Lawrence schools.  At each local bee, student-contestants memorize and recite their favorite poems to compete for prizes and give a younger voice to poetry of Lawrence .   These public recitations of Frost poems not only encourage students to make some of America 's favorite poems their own, but also promote civic pride in school events.

Poetry Hoots 

On the second Tuesday of each month from January to June, the foundation features the work of local poets in an attempt to encourage their work. These short-featured readings are followed by an open microphone. Information is available by clicking on the Events link on the Frost web site.

Partnership to Promote Local Poetry

The Frost Foundation promotes poetry in the Eagle-Tribune newspaper through joint sponsorship of local adult and youth poetry contests. 

The Frost Enewsletter

The Frost Enewsletter on the World Wide Web makes reading lists and audio recordings of poets and Frost award winners available to complement the festival performances.

Scholarships and Internships 

Each year several Robert Frost-Elinor White Scholarships that cover tuition for five weeks of study at Phillips Academy Summer Session are facilitated by the Robert Frost Foundation working with guidance counselors at Lawrence High School .

The scholarships for approximately $6000 each are available for summer study after the 10th or 11th grade years. The scholarships are available to students of Lawrence High School who demonstrate exceptional promise in school and leadership potential in the community. 

Elinor White (Frost) and Robert Frost were co-valedictorians at Lawrence High School in 1892. The scholarships seek to renew the legacy of Frost and White through the recognition of the intellect and promise of young scholars in the Lawrence Public Schools.