Pasadena Educational Foundation Celebrates 40 Years Today

[UPDATED: 9/15/2011 at 1:15 p.m.] The Pasadena Educational Foundation (PEF), which has grown into one of the Pasadena Unified School District’s (PUSD) most important support organizations — last year bringing it over $10 million — will celebrate its 40th anniversary this afternoon at birthday party to be staged shortly before Board of Education President Renatta Cooper delivers the annual State of Our Schools Speech.

Established in 1971, PEF is California’s oldest educational foundation supporting K-12 education. The festivities today will include jazz bands and choirs from PUSD’s high schools, food from local restaurants, and mingling with friends and supporters of public education.

A short program will begin at 5:00 p.m. with a parade of banners featuring students from each school descending the large staircases as they display their school banner as well as posters of the plethora of educational items and opportunities that PEF has brought to their schools.

“We know how important our public schools are to a vibrant democracy,” Foundation Executive Director Patrick Conyers said Tuesday. “PEF is a wonderful and appropriate place for the community to support public education. We can assure everybody that the resources that they commit to us are spent wisely and have been for 40 years now – making the PUSD students and teachers  reach their full capabilities.”

Through the years, the amount of money PEF has raised annually has grown as has assistance provided to teachers.

Last year, the foundation raised close to $11 million, down slightly from 2009’s of $11.5 million — figures which include grants money that PEF raised working on behalf of PUSD.

Of the amount raised last year, the foundation raised roughly $6.7 million via government grants and a further $4.3 million from individuals, foundations, businesses and corporations.

Conyers said the foundation is in partnership with “excellent leaders in the community” whom he has confidence would continue to support PEF in its efforts.

Since its founding in 1971, the foundation has been consistent in providing assistance to PUSD teachers through grants. During its first year, the PEF raised an estimated $10,000 and this was given to teachers to aid them in their teaching.

“In the past few years, it’s been up to $2,000 per teacher and it could be [used for] anything from projectors for the classroom, computers, technology needs, to a gardening project for a class. Its kind of a wide range of different things – when teachers come up with good creative projects, twe are able to fund quite a few.” Conyers said. “So that is something that we feel proud about that we’ve been able to do that.”

A highlight of PEF programs last year was the Robotics Program which is offered in all middle schools. Since its launch, more than 400 students have learned to build and program LEGO robots as well as developed important math and computer programming skills.

PEF’s Summer Enrichment program enrolled a record of 938 students in the Foundation’s K-12 program this year.

PEF also granted college scholarships to about 34 students that totaled $130,000. The foundation also partners with Pasadena City College and the PUSD to host the Fall College Fair with reps from over 70 colleges and universities.

Conyers revealed that the amount of money raised by the foundation this year has shrunk and they might reduce the amount of grants they could give. He is requesting the community to donate more money to the foundation’s fund which will be used by the teachers to effectively teach Pasadena students.

Conyers says PEF is inviting thev entire Pasadena community to join today’s celebration to be held at 5:00 p.m. near the fountain in the courtyard of the Paseo. He even encourages those who will attend to sing PEF a “Happy Birthday” as they give away cup cakes.

For more information call (626) 396-3600 extension 88350 or click here  http://www.pasedfoundation.org