Our Stories

Celebrating Our Schools: Resilience

An evening of student voices, shared healing, and the power of public education to bring us together.

On April 29, more than 300 guests joined the Pasadena Educational Foundation in Pasadena’s City Hall Courtyard for Celebrating Our Schools: Resilience — an evening of reflection, connection, and joy, held just three and a half months after the Eaton Fire, a loss felt across our entire community.

This year’s gathering carried a deeper meaning. In the wake of our loss, it became a space to gather, celebrate learning, and recognize the creativity and care that continue to shape our schools.

The Showcase: Learning in Action

A returning centerpiece of the event, the interactive student showcase once again invited guests to experience the work happening across Pasadena Unified through 12 student-led exhibits. From robotics and poetry to art, empathy, and STEAM, each exhibit reflected the values of care, collaboration, and resilience.

Sidekick Robotic Pals – Sierra Madre Elementary
Guests imagined themselves as superheroes while building mini robotic sidekicks and painting superhero portraits.

Robotics Challenge – Sierra Madre Middle School
Students demonstrated engineering skills with autonomous and remote-controlled robots in challenges like Freeze Tag and Robot Soccer.

We Rise: Batik, Poetry, and Sunflowers – Marshall High School
Poetry and batik artwork explored strength, identity, and voice through the words of Maya Angelou and Amanda Gorman.

Butterfly Wishes – Marshall Middle School
Origami butterflies carried messages of hope and renewal for wildfire survivors, created by middle and high school art students.

Weaving Stories into Costumes – John Muir Early College Magnet
Guests explored Hadestown-inspired costumes using sunlight, cyanotype printing, and symbolic keys tied to personal stories.

Yarns of Comfort – Madison Elementary
Students invited guests to sit and learn crochet as a way to slow down, connect, and create together.

Creativity Meets Culture – Webster Elementary
A hands-on celebration of art, music, language, and design, reflecting Webster’s Armenian cultural and STEAM programs.

Reseeding Community – Octavia E. Butler Magnet
Through Octavia Butler’s Parables series, students shared reflections on community rebuilding and connection.

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? – Math Field Day Winners
Guests tested their math skills alongside some of PUSD’s brightest elementary minds.

Rock On! – Don Benito Elementary
Guests painted words of encouragement on rocks as a creative expression of community strength and kindness.

The Power of Words – PUSD Student Think Tank
Guests selected a word and wrote a two-line poem, contributing to a growing wall of shared expression and reflection.

Messages of Thanks – Altadena Arts Magnet
Attendees selected student-designed thank-you cards and wrote personal notes to those who supported fire recovery efforts.

Music, Performance, and Collective Energy

Throughout the evening, Blair High School’s Modern Band 2 performed two vibrant sets during the showcase, infusing the courtyard with rhythm and momentum. Later in the program, the cast of Hadestown: Teen Edition delivered a moving performance — a powerful reminder of how student creativity continues to thrive and bring people together.

A Moment of Gratitude and Reconnection

There was no formal dinner this year — just light bites, thoughtful conversations, and a courtyard filled with people who believe in the promise of public education. The evening also offered a moment to express heartfelt gratitude to those near and far who extended their support to our schools and community during a time of recovery.

Celebrating Our Schools: Resilience was more than an event. It was a moment to reconnect — with our schools, with one another, and with the belief that community and public education are deeply linked and always worth investing in.

We look forward to sharing photos from the evening soon.