PEF Executive Director Patrick Conyers and PEF Board President Erik Berg at Pasadena Educational Foundation's Celebrating Our Schools Discover 2026 held at Pasadena City Hall [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Honorees Jim and Dawn O’Keeffe at Pasadena Educational Foundation's Celebrating Our Schools Discover 2026 held at Pasadena City Hall [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
PUSD Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Blanco and PEF Board President Erik Berg at Pasadena Educational Foundation's Celebrating Our Schools Discover 2026 held at Pasadena City Hall [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Honoree Jim O’Keeffe, Mark Mariscal, Kevin Williams, Allison Williams, and Catalina Theodoros at Pasadena Educational Foundation's Celebrating Our Schools Discover 2026 held at Pasadena City Hall [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Pasadena Councilmember Rick Cole and Michelle Richardson Bailey at Pasadena Educational Foundation's Celebrating Our Schools Discover 2026 held at Pasadena City Hall [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Scott Harden, Jennifer Higginbotham, and Patrick Cahalan at Pasadena Educational Foundation's Celebrating Our Schools Discover 2026 held at Pasadena City Hall [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Alma Stokes and Kathy Onoye at Pasadena Educational Foundation's Celebrating Our Schools Discover 2026 held at Pasadena City Hall [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Miles Kealing, Felita Kealing, and Ivan Harris at Pasadena Educational Foundation's Celebrating Our Schools Discover 2026 held at Pasadena City Hall [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Jane Kaczmarek and Danny Feldman at Pasadena Educational Foundation's Celebrating Our Schools Discover 2026 held at Pasadena City Hall [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Mark Mariscal, Dominick Correy, Doug Colliflower, Daniel Rossman, Catalina Theodoros, and Elizabeth Schreib at Pasadena Educational Foundation's Celebrating Our Schools Discover 2026 held at Pasadena City Hall [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Mary Stevens, Katrina Narvaez, and Marcela Valadez at Pasadena Educational Foundation's Celebrating Our Schools Discover 2026 held at Pasadena City Hall [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Lisa Barrios and Karen Burgess at Pasadena Educational Foundation's Celebrating Our Schools Discover 2026 held at Pasadena City Hall [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Grecia Caceres Perez, Teri Richardson, Warren Bleeker, and Julie Flad Leto at Pasadena Educational Foundation's Celebrating Our Schools Discover 2026 held at Pasadena City Hall [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Jeannine Bogaard and Christopher Perez at Pasadena Educational Foundation's Celebrating Our Schools Discover 2026 held at Pasadena City Hall [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Yarma Velasquez, Mike Noll, and Jennifer Higginbotham at Pasadena Educational Foundation's Celebrating Our Schools Discover 2026 held at Pasadena City Hall [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Nancy Rose Dufford and Scott Harden at Pasadena Educational Foundation's Celebrating Our Schools Discover 2026 held at Pasadena City Hall [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Gloria Pitzer, Margaret Kean, and Jeff Kean at Pasadena Educational Foundation's Celebrating Our Schools Discover 2026 held at Pasadena City Hall [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
PEF Board President Erik Berg and BK Kelley at Pasadena Educational Foundation's Celebrating Our Schools Discover 2026 held at Pasadena City Hall [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Judy Boehr, Rose O’Keeffe, Molly O’Keeffe, and Ernie Boehr at Pasadena Educational Foundation's Celebrating Our Schools Discover 2026 held at Pasadena City Hall [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Tom Perkins and Shihan Wong at Pasadena Educational Foundation's Celebrating Our Schools Discover 2026 held at Pasadena City Hall [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Karen, Jack and Mary Anderson at Pasadena Educational Foundation's Celebrating Our Schools Discover 2026 held at Pasadena City Hall [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]
Pasadena Educational Foundation brought together educators, civic leaders and community supporters for an evening focused on the role of public education in shaping the region’s future during its “Celebrating Our Schools: Discover 2026” event, held in the courtyard of Pasadena City Hall on Thursday, April 30.
The gathering highlighted the work of the Pasadena Unified School District and the partnerships that support students across Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre. Attendees moved through interactive exhibits featuring student projects and presentations, offering a close look at classroom work spanning arts, science, and enrichment programs supported by the foundation.
A central moment of the evening was the recognition of Dawn and Jim O’Keeffe, longtime advocates for public education whose contributions have extended from volunteer service to filmmaking. The couple produced Go Public: A Day in the Life of an American School District, a documentary that follows students and educators through a single day, offering a detailed portrait of the public school experience. Their work, organizers said, has helped broaden awareness of both the challenges and the value of public education systems.
The event combined formal recognition with a more informal atmosphere, as guests gathered for light refreshments and conversation in the City Hall courtyard. The setting underscored the foundation’s emphasis on community engagement, a theme repeated throughout the evening’s programming.
Organizers pointed to the foundation’s more than 50-year history of supporting local schools through partnerships and fundraising efforts that help provide resources not typically covered by standard school budgets. These include programs in the arts, music, health services, school gardens and STEM education, all aimed at expanding opportunities for students.
For more information about Pasadena Educational Foundation and their programs visit www.pasedfoundation.org.
