FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:                       
  Monica Lopez                          
626.396.3625                          
April 29, 2016
Ignite the Spark of Innovation with
Virgin Galactic President Steve Isakowitz at the
Pasadena Educational Foundation's
CELEBRATING OUR SCHOOLS INNOVATE 2016

PASADENA, CA - Innovation in education is the theme of the Pasadena Educational Foundation's spring event-- Celebrating Our Schools INNOVATE 2016 --which will feature Virgin Galactic President Steve Isakowitz, an award to community arts advocate Joan Palmer, and the first ever Launchpad interactive showcase featuring the Pasadena Unified School District's (PUSD) innovative programs and students. The event will be held on Wednesday, May 11, at the historic Pasadena City Hall. Guests are invited to explore Launchpad from 5-6 P.M. Program begins at 6 P.M. followed by a reception in the courtyard.

Tickets are available online at
http://pased.org/springevent

"Virgin Galactic is creating and building something new and exciting: the world's first commercial spaceline," said PEF Executive Director Patrick Conyers. "The space industry today is more vibrant than ever with new technologies and visionary leaders. We are excited to have Steve Isakowitz at our spring event to share this spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship." Virgin Galactic will provide suborbital spaceflights to space tourists, suborbital launches for space science missions, and orbital launches of small satellites. Steve Isakowitz has broad leadership responsibilities in developing this new spaceline including the company's suborbital spaceflight program and its satellite launch offering, LauncherOne.


The 2016 Exemplary Service Award will be presented to community arts advocate and former PEF board member Joan Palmer. The Foundation is proud to honor
Joan for enriching the lives of countless PUSD students through her passionate and tireless advocacy for the arts. In addition to being on the PEF board, Joan is a former City of Pasadena Arts Commissioner, she established the Docent Council at USC Pacific Asia Museum, served on the Boards of Performing Tree and the Armory Center for the Arts, and chaired Pasadena's Cultural Nexus Plan (2005), resulting in the My Masterpieces program, which provides every student with a cultural journey through Pasadena's world-class museums as part of the PUSD's K-6 curriculum. 

New this year, Launchpad An Innovation Showcase invites event attendees to get hands-on and have fun as they experience art, write computer code, make a flashlight, take photos, and more with interactive exhibits and experiences highlighting PUSD's outstanding students and remarkable programs.


Contributions to the Celebrating Our Schools INNOVATE 2016 help the PEF provide essential resources and enrichment opportunities to every public school student in Altadena, Pasadena, and Sierra Madre.


WHAT:         
Pasadena Educational Foundation's
                     Celebrating Our Schools INNOVATE 2016

WHERE:       Pasadena City Hall Courtyard
                     100 N. Garfield Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101

WHEN:          Wednesday, May 11, 2016

               Launchpad, An Innovation Showcase 5-6PM 
                      Program begins at 6PM. Reception to follow

For more information and to purchase tickets go to:
  http://pased.org/springevent or contact the Pasadena Educational Foundation at (626) 396-3625
 
 
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Pasadena Educational Foundation (PEF) is a nonprofit organization that advocates for public education, engages the community, and develops resources to support excellent education for every Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) student.

Whether it be through the arts, music, health centers, gardens, or STEM programs they support, PEF is dedicated to creating a better future for the public school students of Altadena, Pasadena, and Sierra Madre. http://pased.org