The Della Robbia wreath program was introduced originally by Boys Republic founder Margaret B. Fowler to serve as a work experience vehicle for students of the non-profit school. The wreaths were patterned after a centuries-old ceramic design created by the Della Robbia family of Florence, Italy.
n 1923, the first year of the Boys Republic Della Robbia campaign, only a few dozen wreaths were produced. They were sold on the streets of Pasadena. The program grew to meet increasing demand. Today, Boys Republic’s students produce and ship more than 50,000 wreaths, each year, to destinations throughout the United States and around the world.
Della Robbia wreaths are truly a gift within a gift. When you buy a Della Robbia from Boys Republic, or give one to a friend or associate, you also give troubled teens an opportunity to learn important work-related attitudes and habits.
Della Robbias are produced through a work experience program that teaches disadvantaged students the value of honest labor while stimulating new levels of responsibility and self-control. From gathering, sorting and preparing seed pods to fastening them to wreath boughs and, finally, to shipping the finished Della Robbia, students experience the stress of adult responsibility while earning part of their own way.