PEF 2020 Teacher Grants Parade Celebration (Photo – ColoradoBlvd.net)
For nearly 50 years, Pasadena Educational Foundation’s signature program has been the Annual Teacher Grants Program.
By Margaret Prietto
The PEF Teacher Grants Program helps inspirational PUSD teachers take their creative projects from idea to reality by providing resources to enhance the classroom experience for students. Given directly to the teachers, the grants benefit thousands of students in Altadena, Pasadena, and Sierra Madre.
The 2020 PEF Teacher Grant awardees received $140,000 in grants, and they were invited to decorate their cars and participate in the first-ever teacher celebratory parade in front of the PUSD district headquarters building.
This year, 181 educators received awards representing 124 unique proposals from every school in the district and the PUSD Board member, Elizabeth Pomeroy, PUSD Superintendent, Brian McDonald, and the President of the Tournament of Roses, Robert Miller, attended the decorated vehicle parade and helped give out swag bags.
Heather Huezo (Don Benito,) receiving her award (Photo – ColoradoBlvd.net)
Grants were awarded to every PUSD school in addition to PUSD Children Centers, PUSD Child Welfare and Safety, and Pasadena Adult Living Skills Center. Many grants focused on addressing the unique resource needs of distance learning, including remote dance and music performances, art exhibits, science experiments. Ukuleles and percussion instruments, cameras to broadcast dance performances, take home art and science supplies, document cameras, and books in Spanish, French, Mandarin, and Armenian, represent just a few of the diverse and vibrant educational projects that the 2020-21 PEF Teacher Grants are supporting.
PEF Teacher Grants were made possible with generous support from the College Football Playoff Foundation, Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, FEDCO Charitable Foundation, California Community Foundation and individual community donors.
Angela Baxter (Willard 1B,) winner of Kathy Onoye Principals Award, decorated her car with Ukeleles cut outs (Photo – ColoradoBlvd.net)
PEF also granted three special awards:
- The Calvin Art Arts Award to Hillary Temple, Pasadena High School, “Dance Room Download.”
- The Jarrat Brunson Award for Literacy to Kathryn Marquez, Madison Elementary “Libros Para Todos!”
- The Kathy Onoye Principals Award to Angela Baxter, Willard 1B “Ukeleles for All.”
See pased.org/teachers for a complete list of award recipients.
(L-R) Elizabeth Pomeroy, PUSD Board Member, Carlos Illingworth, TOR Community Relations, Robert B.Miller, TOR President/Chariman, PUSD Superintendent, Brian McDonald, Felita Kealing, PEF Board President and Patrick Conyers, PEF Executive Director (patrially shown) (Photo – ColoradoBlvd.net)
Linda Keavy (Jackson Elementary) and her Batman car (Photo – Felita Kealing)
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