Every Student. Every School. Every Day. DONATE!
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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Local Grocery Stores Help PEF Nourish our Neighbors
Local Albertsons, Pavilions, and Vons Foundation’s Nourishing Neighbors Community Relief program provided PEF a $15,000 grant to support summer meals for PUSD students. PEF continued to help provide food assistance…
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Keeping Students In School Requires Community Help
To support our public schools in this time of unprecedented safety measures, Pasadena Educational Foundation has been asked to support the Pasadena Unified School District’s efforts to test and vaccinate…
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Heeding the Call – August 2021 Volunteers of the Month
During the first part of the month, Pasadena Educational Foundation put out an SOS for volunteer help. We needed to assemble welcome packs for Pasadena Unified School District teachers. The…
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The LIFT Scholarship Launches in 2021 to Celebrate Young Latina Leaders
by Brianna Chu Marshall parent Katrina Ortega is no stranger to creating a scholarship with the Pasadena Educational Foundation. Last year, she and her husband Martin established the Hopes and…
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A Healthy Kick-off to the School Year
Thank you to California Credit Union and Kaiser Foundation for joining with PEF to make the start of the school year brighter for PUSD teachers and staff by sponsoring this…
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Teacher Grant Flashback: A Butterfly Paradise at Jefferson Elementary School
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…
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Teacher Grant Flashback: You Can’t Stop the Prints for Hairspray at Eliot Arts Magnet Academy
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…
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2021: A Summer like no other!
The 2021 PEF Summer Enrichment Program was a summer like no other! For our 18th year of offering the program we were able to offer in-person programming once again. While…
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PEF Honored as PUSD Community Partner of the Year
The staff and board of PEF are truly honored to be selected as PUSD’s Community Partner of the Year! This past year has been the most challenging in our 50…
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.