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Supporting Our Schools Makes a Real Impact
Pasadena Educational Foundation harnesses the power of our committed community to help to raise between $12 and $15 million dollars a year for the Pasadena Unified School District. Those funds include large government grants, foundation grants, and individual donations, which together help us support myriad essential programs from the large to the small. Some programs are run by PEF, others by PUSD, and still others represent various levels of partnership. From the smallest Friendship Bench to the largest Magnet Program, PEF works with our community partners to impact every student, every school, every day!
With support from our community we:
- Raised millions in grant money for our schools, including the $14.5 million Federal Magnet Grant.
- Helped PUSD to integrate arts education at every grade level through grants from the Rothenberg Art Fund and Tony Bennett’s Exploring the Arts Foundation.
- Piloted the middle school performing arts program, Open Stage serving 300 students at 5 schools with a $79,500 NEA Grant.
- Led 8,000 K-6 grade students on a cultural and artistic journey through 10 of our local world class museums with our My Masterpieces program. PEF was awarded a $20,000 Art Alliance Image Award to help support the My Masterpieces program.
- Expanded early education dance and theatre programs with integrated arts curriculum from PreK through the second grade throughout the district.
- Awarded 136 Teacher Grants to 169 educators including 18 school-wide grants totaling more than $2303 ,000.
- Provided transportation for approximately 300 class field trips for thousands of students through our Field Trip Fund.
- Assisted in securing buses to take every third grader to learn water safety and swimming skills in the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center’s PUSD swim program.
- Bolstered access to vital services and healthy living resources at the new Office of Student and Family Services headquartered at Madison Elementary in the heart of our Northwest Pasadena community.
- Provided scholarships almost 40% of our more than 1,000 Summer Enrichment Program students.
- Distributed more than $85,000 in college scholarships.
- Secured $25,000 to provide summer internship stipends for 130 high school students.
- Supported each school’s Annual Fund efforts which collectively raised over $1.000,000.
- Developed the nationally recognized Realty Initiative to partner with our community’s realtors to disseminates accurate information about our public schools.
- Expanded the School-Community Gardens to include 9 beautiful edible gardens and outdoor classrooms, including a master gardener and farm to table programs.
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Supported the expansion of athletic programs and facilities including the renovation of Stadium 42, John Muir’s baseball field and a new scoreboard at Blair.
- Developed and incubated inventive STEM programs, such as the App Academy at Pasadena High, middle school robotics, 3D printing and virtual reality stations, and the new Math Academy that is radically accelerating mathematics instruction.
- And more…
We are making our schools and our community stronger. We couldn’t do it without you!
OUR STORIES
Here are our latest updates & stories.
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Learn to Code Opportunities for Summer Students
“A computer science education is literacy for the 21st century.” The Pasadena Educational Foundation is pleased to offer our PEF Summer Enrichment families some additional expanded learning opportunities this year.…
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Pasadena Educational Foundation Book Club
Antiracism is a transformative concept that reorients and reenergizes the conversation about racism – and, even fundamentally, points us toward liberating new ways of thinking about ourselves and each other.…
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The Nancy Scott Scholarship for Blair High School
Pasadena Unified School District counselor Karen Favor has been at Blair High School almost since she started working for the district in 1983. She’s been a involved in all aspects…
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Building Bridges and Championing Art in Our Community
Recently Blair High School’s International Academy students studied with writer/visual artist Sehba Sarwar about the history of immigrant communities and race issues in the Pasadena area. Their studies culminated in…
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From Loofahs to Prolific Fruit Trees: Growing Willard’s Orchard
By Brianna Chu PUSD Master Gardener Jill McArthur had harvested about 70 loofahs from a vine at Pasadena High School and was trying to figure out what to do with…
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Teacher Grant Workshop Helps Prepare Teachers
The Teacher Grant program is one of PEF’s signature programs that has supported PUSD teachers and administrators for 50 years. The goal of our Teacher Grant Program is to help…
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TOR Celebrates Big Day for Teachers with Award to Julie Silk
One of the great things about working at PEF, is also working with great partners. Two of those great partners are the Pasadena Tournament of Roses and the College Playoff…
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Celebrating International Literacy Day with Donation of 14,000 New Books
Pasadena Tournament of Roses and PEF Kick off Distribution of Books Donated by The UPS Store Efforts emphasize importance of literacy on International Literacy Day PASADENA, Calif. (September 8,2021) –Today,…
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Teacher Grant Flashback: Coding for Every Age with the First Graders of Sierra Madre Elementary
by Brianna Chu As the 2021-2022 school year begins back on campus, our wonderful PUSD teachers are heading back into the classroom to innovate, create, and inspire. To celebrate our…
Help Our Schools Thrive!
With your support the Pasadena Educational Foundation helps to create a vibrant and enriching educational experience for all public school children in Pasadena, Altadena, and Sierra Madre.