First published in the Dec. 29 print issue of the Pasadena Outlook.
Pasadena Unified School District teachers and principals recently received $200,000 in grants thanks to the Pasadena Educational Foundation, College Football Playoff Foundation and Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association at this year’s PEF Teacher Grants Celebration and Parade.
The grants, awarded yearly, benefit thousands of students in the public schools of Altadena, Pasadena and Sierra Madre.
The 2022 PEF Teacher Grant winners decorated their cars and received their awards at the teacher celebratory parade in front of the PUSD district headquarters building. PUSD staff, students, parents and PEF board members were on hand to join in the celebration and cheer on the teachers.
This year, 189 educators received awards representing 120 unique proposals from every school in the district. In addition to grants directly to teachers, PEF awarded 10 Schoolwide Project Grants for larger-focused projects, including the PUSD Child Welfare, Attendance and Safety Department and Children Centers, along with three other special awards.
This year’s grants addressed the needs of classrooms as students fully returned to in-person learning, enhancing opportunities for both traditional and social-emotional learning. Projects that bridge art and science, seating and literature to support calming and self-regulation, books across grade levels and languages, school gardens, dance, and cultural literacy are just a few of the diverse and vibrant educational projects that the 2022-23 PEF Teacher Grants are supporting.
“The goal of the PEF Teacher Grant Program is to promote the development of educational activities that will improve and enhance student achievement,” said PEF Executive Director Patrick Conyers. “We are grateful to our partners at the College Football Playoff Foundation and Tournament of Roses, and to everyone who supports PEF. Their support makes this wonderful program possible.”
PEF also recognized three exemplary grant submissions with special awards: The Jarratt Brunson Memorial Award for Literacy honoring one of the founders of PEF responsible for initiating the Teacher Grant Program; the Kathy Onoye Principal’s Leadership Award given in honor of the former PUSD Executive Director of Elementary Education; and the Calvin Hunt Arts Award, which promotes and supports dedicated teachers enhancing arts education in PUSD.
A full list of this year’s award winners from the awards ceremony are available online here: pased.org/teachers.
PEF Teacher Grants help bring more creativity, innovation and inspiration into PUSD classrooms by providing the resources needed to help teachers and principals take their creative projects from idea to reality and enhance the classroom experience for their students.
