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PEF GRANTS 2019-20
Special Awards
See Our 2019 Awards Photo Gallery
Jarratt Brunson Memorial Award for Literacy
Debbie Breitenstein, Teacher
Norma Coombs Elementary
“Building a Home Library”
Honoring the late Jarratt Brunson, the PEF founder who initiated the Teacher Grant Program, this award will go to the proposal that best reflects Jarratt’s passion for reading and early literacy.
Kathy Onoye Principal's Award
Brian Stanley
Rose City High School
“Student Internships”
Honoring Kathy Onoye, who throughout her career as a Principal of Willard Elementary School and most recently as the Executive Director of Elementary Education for the PUSD, has been an outstanding role model and mentor for principals, this award will go to the PUSD Administrator whose proposal best exemplifies their role in inspiring leadership.
Calvin Hunt Arts Award
Karen Klages
John Muir High School
“Music for Muir’s Band and Orchestra Program”
Founded by a PUSD Board member in memory of Calvin Hunt who, as Director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, took dancers all over the world as cultural ambassadors. This award promotes and supports dedicated teachers enhancing arts education in PUSD.
“Every year I am awed by the creativity and passion that our district’s teachers and principals share in their grant proposals.” Patrick Conyers, PEF Executive Director
School-wide Grants
Benita Scheckel
Altadena Arts Magnet
All School Musical Theatre Experience
David Ibarra
Blair IB School
Sound System
Lori Touloumian
Eliot Arts Magnet Academy
Ready, Set, Make! Fab Lab Makerspace – An Innovation Learning Lab
Michael Bell
Focus Point Academy
Therapeutic Enhancement
Merian Stewart
Franklin Elementary
Education Through Music
Erika Cooper
Hamilton Elementary
Hamilton “Innovation Library Lab”
Rita Exposito
Jackson STEM Dual Language Magnet Academy
Developing Bi-literate, Bi-cognitive Learners
Noemi Orduna
Madison Elementary
Madison in Motion
Germaine Nesbitt
McKinley School of the Arts
Performance / Studio Upgrades
Debra Lucas
Norma Coombs Elementary
Integration of Programming and Game Design
Brian Stanley
Sofia Valadez
Rose City High School
Student Internships
Garrett Newsom
Sierra Madre Middle School
Supporting the Expansion of Our Instrumental Music Program
Karrone Meeks
Oscar Manzanares
Damon Bonds
Washington Elementary STEM Magnet School
Beep Bop Robotics!
Shannon Malone
Ivan Harris
Jason Trapp
Washington STEAM Multilingual Academy
#BearsOnTheRise – The Intersection of STEAM & Social-Emotional Learning
Angela Baxter
Willard Elementary
Creating Access for All, Contemporary Music Making in the Core Classroom
Charlene Tucker
Wilson Middle School
Teacher Grants
Altadena Elementary
Vivian Alfonso
Courtney Linsey
Thitaporn Acosta
Karina Karakhanian
Amanda Van Enk Gould
Meghan Livengood
Blair IB
Xiomara Tovar
Maria Garcia
Luis Escalante
Liliana Tang
Marlene Cabrera
Grace Keshishian
Michael Birnbryer-Lao
Patricia Gorse
Kestutis Daugirdas
Daniel Webster Elementary
Linda Benn
Don Benito
Yvonne Davis
Nadine Jakovich
John Van Laar
Eliot Arts
Erica Peters
Natalie Daily
Micol Issa
Bethel Lira
Janet Hart
Fabiola Acevedo
Erika Moore
Rosemarie Evans
Robert Moya
Camyrin Sharp
Felicia Lee
Denise Seider
Mark Greene
Liane Shih
Field Elementary
Shu Zhang
Muchen Yang
June Kiesel
Yiyuan Zhang
Focus Point
Donna Shepard
Kathleen Saxton
Franklin Elementary
Melissa McClintock
Gretchen Elm
Rebecca Tashjian Cormalis
Hamilton Elementary
Merina Myklak
Claudia Gonzalez
Julie Ysassi
Marion Yamada
Jackson STEM Dual Language Immersion Magnet
Lissett Barron
Melissa Ruiz
Julie Silk
Tina Minkler
Janneke Verhoeven
Jennifer Fernandez
Jocelyn Strickland
Ana Acosta
Diana Suarez
Ashley Nava
Katherine Taboada
Eva Jacnito
Rachel Black
Alejandra Mendoza
Jefferson Elementary
Candice Cooper Horn
John Muir High School
Kimberly Suarez
Karen Klages
Lysandra Arfaoui
Cassandra Franklin
Cynthia Lake
Longfellow
Kaiulani Sallas
Gina Sorensen-Hernandez
Carol Parker
Ani Karapetyan
Mary Shimazaki
Madison Elementary
Olivia Tu
Helena Alves
Chelsea Eshnaur
Marshall Fundamental
Suengmee Seo
Fara Valentine
Chloe Kiel-Mercado
Daarina Abdus-Samad
Consuelo Galvez
Leslie Stotlar
Marti MacInnes
Darcy Naganuma
Lewis Watson
Katrina Narvaez
Michael Millan
Kunhee Lee
Anusha Iyengar
Claire Haesang Park-Kolonay
Rebeca Cuellar
Richard Boiling
McKinley School
Lauren Partma
Cynthia Beale
Alison Garfinkel
Cynthia Macias
Stephanie Cox
Jessica Valdez
Anabella Reyes
Diana Morrison
Daniel Lopez
Norma Coombs Elementary
Wendy Giang
Debbie Breitenstein
Geoffrey Davis
Sally Sebenius
Pasadena High School
Stephanie Linardos
Kevin Wood
Benjamin Taylor
Roger Baar
Anne Rardin
Jonathan Gardner
Richard Chung
Lee Simoes
Daniel Adams
Amanda Hillig
Mark Atamian
Roosevelt Elementary
Julie McLean
Karla Orellana
Rose City High School
Eric Gothold
Richard Lightner
Adriana Lopez
Christopher Tolosa
Karina Gutierrez
San Rafael Elementary
Anne Stuart
Sonia Maldonado
Iris Gonzalez (Linares)
Sierra Madre Elementary
Ravi Dev Anandhan
Julie Cole
Dany Richey
Carolyn Halpern
Debbie Henderson
Lucy Chaparian
Sierra Madre Middle School
Lisabet Nepf
Gina Davis
Matthew Brooks
Washington STEM Magnet
Sumi Oh
David Earnhart
Katherine Mickelson
Karina Evans
Lanay Caver
Nicole Kim
Ines Ruan
Robert Ward
Laura MacDonald
Jameel Ellis
Washington STEAM Multilingual Academy
Byanka Haro-Banuelost
Webster
Linda Benn
Willard Elementary
Linda Wittry
Stacey Torres
Melanie Gray
Lu Cai
Marissa Robbins
Stephanie Nef
April Gomez
Wilson Middle
Griselda Hermosillo
Maritza Galaviz
Grant projects are:
Student centered.
Related to the curriculum.
Directly benefit students.
Enhance and Improve student achievement.
Grants are generally awarded to teachers in amounts up to $1,000, special awards up to $2,500, and school-wide grants up to $10,000.
Thank you to the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation, and the generous support of the community
Support creativity in our schools!
Teacher Grants are one of the many ways the Pasadena Educational Foundation helps to create a vibrant and enriching educational experience for all public school children in Pasadena, Altadena, and Sierra Madre.
