PEF’S Commitment: Funding the Future for Petaluma Area Students

PEF’S COMMITMENT: FUNDING THE FUTURE OF PETALUMA’S STUDENTS THROUGH THE ANNUAL PEF IMPACT GRANT PROGRAM

2024-2025 PEF Impact Grants Announced with over $330,000 awarded to local schools this academic year

Petaluma, CA, January 9, 2025 - When the Petaluma Educational Foundation (PEF) was founded in 1982, we made a promise to offer Petaluma’s youth the same—or even better—educational opportunities that we were fortunate enough to receive so they could go on to build a brighter future for our city, county, and world. Today, we honor that promise through community-supported scholarships, impact grants, and endowed funds. With the help of our generous donors, we subsidize curricula in literacy, STEAM, health education, the arts, student well-being, and more.

Through the community’s partnership, we continue to seek financial donations to Fund the Future, supporting the annual PEF Impact Grant program. This academic year, PEF is providing over $330,000 in funding for curriculum-based programs across grade levels and academic focus areas at several of our community’s public, private, and charter schools—all aimed at supporting student learning and growth.

Numerous studies have shown that fine arts, physical education, and social-emotional learning (SEL) are critical to childhood development and well-being. Yet, these vital programs are often the first to be cut when schools face budget constraints. PEF’s Impact Grant program is designed to bridge this gap, offering grants that help sustain and strengthen these essential programs in local schools. Our grants cover a wide range of subjects—from vocational skills to literacy, math to the humanities—but all share the same goal:

• Create a level playing field for students of all abilities and backgrounds in the classroom
• Actively engage students in the learning process
• Provide educators with the tools and resources to transform the delivery of education

PEF is committed to ensuring that the grants we award have a lasting impact. We view each grant as an ongoing process, working closely with our school partners to track implementation and evaluate outcomes. This allows us to measure the success of the programs and demonstrate the tangible impact of our donors’ support.

Your donation to PEF’s Fund the Future will help fund the following programs for local students:
· Casa Grande High School Debate Team Instruction: $770.00
· Native Plants and Garden Restoration (Phase 2) at Cinnabar Elementary School: $9,077.00
· Bringing Contemporary Literature to All Students at Corona Creek Elementary: $9,295.65
· Culinary Arts Agriculture Program at Dunham School: $15,612.00
· Literacy Instruction Supplementation at Grant Elementary: $19,700.00
· Fueling Fitness at Harvest Christian School: $13,504.00
· Kenilworth Junior High School Fitness Lab Improvement Project: $13,507.04
· Building Blocks & Bridges through Language Arts at McDowell Elementary: $18,543.33
· Literacy and English Language Development at McKinley Elementary: $19,786.30
· Bringing Contemporary Literature to All Students at Meadow Elementary School: $8,671.11
· Nature-Based Inclusive Learning at Miwok Valley Charter: $14,744.30
· Learning through Play for all Old Adobe District TK Classrooms: $15,000.00
· Literacy and Learning Decodable Readers at Penngrove Elementary Charter: $20,000.00
· Digital Design Multimedia Instruction at Petaluma Accelerated Charter School: $10,600.00
· Journalism and Photojournalism Production Tools at Petaluma High School: $5,500.00
· Scale Wind Tunnel for Auto Shop Classes at Petaluma High School: $9,864.01
· Introduction to Digital Media Equipment (Phase 2) at Petaluma Junior High: $16,788.00
· Reading Pathway to Supercharge Brains at River Montessori Charter School: $19,785.95
· Learning through the Arts at Sonoma Mountain Elementary School: $10,500.00
· Smart Board Technology Tools at St. Vincent de Paul College Prep: $12,500.00
· Beyond The Projector Enhancing Learning at St. Vincent Elementary: $7,908.56
· STEM Education at The Spring Hill School (3 rd -8 th ): $15,000.00
· STEM Education at The Spring Hill School (K-2 nd ): $15,000.00
· Multilingual Learners Development at Valley Vista Elementary: $13,347.00
· Strengthening Brain and Body Connections with IPM at Waugh School District: $16,041.00

For more information on how to make a financial pledge to Fund the Future and support the PEF Impact Grant program or to establish an endowed fund that will provide ongoing support for local students today and in the future, please contact PEF Executive Director Maureen Highland at maureen@pefinfo.com or 707-778-4632, or visit pefinfo.com.

PEF creates impactful educational opportunities for all students in our community. We fund programs that promote critical thinking, creativity, student well-being, and lifelong learning. The Internal Revenue Service has designated PEF as a tax-exempt, non-profit, charitable 501(c)(3) organization (Tax ID# 94-2847212).