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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Our Story in 3-Minutes. We Are the Pasadena Educational Foundation
Thank you to filmmaker and volunteer extraordinaire, Chris Arnold, and to Jericho Road for helping us create this moving video showcasing our work and mission. Several months ago, we reached…
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The Summer Numbers are In!
The summer numbers are in…and we have something to celebrate. Our 15th year of providing our Summer Enrichment Program was the biggest one ever. This year we had: 1578 students…
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Our Teachers, Cultivating an Award-winning Writer
PUSD Proud Our Teachers, Cultivating an Award-winning Writer By Lydia Idem Finkley Pasadena Educational Foundation Board Member and PUSD Parent When I got the news that Imani won the NAACP…
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Our Endowment Is Growing Thanks to Keith and Margaret Russell
Thank you to Keith and Margaret Russell for their generous endowment gift of $500,000 to the Pasadena Educational Foundation. Their gift is the largest endowment gift in PEF’s history and…
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A Day Filled with Sportsmanship, Patience, and the Joy of Chess.
A quick reflection from Dan Jarashow, the “Czar” of The Ray Joiner Chess Tournament Celebrating Volunteerism: I was tremendously impressed with how our Ray Joiner Memorial Chess Tournament went on…
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Our School Annual Funds are Growing!
More than 35 of our School Annual Fund representatives and principals joined us to kick off this year’s Annual Fund campaigns. We welcomed back our amazing returning Annual Fund Chairs…
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PEF Breakfast Welcomes Back PUSD Teachers & Staff
The Pasadena Educational Foundation, with support from community sponsors, welcomed back 2,000 Pasadena Unified School District teachers, staff, and administrators this week with a breakfast held at Pasadena High School.…
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Pasadena Art Alliance Awards PEF $20,000 Impact Award
Thank you to the Pasadena Art Alliance, for awarding PEF the 2018 Impact Award and $20,000 for our collaborative My Masterpieces: Discovering Art in My Community program. My Masterpieces delivers…
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“Curiouser and curiouser” at Celebrating Our Schools 2018
What an exhilarating evening! Not only did our Celebrating Our Schools BREAKTHROUGH 2018 guests hear amazing speakers, share wonderful conversations, and eat fantastic food, but they got hands-on and had…
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.