The Roxbury Piano Program, founded by Carlos Manuel Vargas in 2008 and supported by the Athenaeum Trust Fund of the Boston Public Library, offers free piano lessons to children from Roxbury, Massachusetts, and neighboring communities. Over the years, the program has served hundreds of young students and has become a cornerstone of the neighborhood’s educational and cultural life, providing high-quality instruction as an accessible introduction to music.

Praised by families and the press alike, the program has been described as both indispensable and invaluable to the community. In recognition of his leadership and lasting contributions to music education in Boston, Carlos received the Berklee Urban Service Award in 2019.