Pasadena Rotary Club Awards $61,000 to Local STEM Organizations

The Pasadena Rotary Club awarded its 2024 community grants, totaling $61,000, to 14 local organizations during a luncheon at the University Club on Wednesday. The grants, focused on supporting science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs, with some recipients also incorporating the arts (STEAM).

Under the guidance of President Justene Adamec, who selected this year’s theme, the Community Grants Committee accepted applications from local nonprofits, and selected honorees with STEM programs with wide reach and impact in the Pasadena area. The grant recipients represented a diverse array of organizations,  largely focused on the next generations from PUSD and other youth groups, with robotics labs, coding classes, interships, STEM-related college scholarships and chemistry workshops.

Grant Committee Chairs Mic Hansen and Diana Peterson-More announced the 14 awardees:

• American Association of University Women (AAUW), sponsored by Kathy Meagher
• The Armory Center for the Arts, sponsored by Wendy Anderson
• The Boys and Girls Club of Pasadena, sponsored by Fred Findley
• Don Benito School Robotics Lab and Immersive Chemistry Workshops, sponsored by Lisa Kroese
• First Gen Scholarships, sponsored by Cathy Simms
• Five Acres, sponsored by Cathy Simms
• Huntington Medical Research Institute, sponsored by Bill Opel
• Jackson STEAM Multilingual Magnet School, sponsored by Sandy Goodenough
• Learning Works Charter School, sponsored by Marsha Rood
• The Mount Wilson Institute, sponsored by Alan Schier
• The National Council of Negro Women STEAM Program, sponsored by John Burt
• Neighbors Empowering Youth, sponsored by Hillary Schenk
• Pasadena/Altadena Ivy Foundation, sponsored by Tammy Silver
• STEAM Coders, sponsored by Jim Osterling

The Pasadena Rotary Community Grants Program, which began in 2004, has awarded over $765,000 to 152 organizations since its inception. The program aims to support local nonprofit organizations that contribute to the community’s welfare, particularly in the arts, culture, and education sectors.

The Community Grants Committee, comprised of Helen Baatz, Jeannine Bogaard, Phyllis Currie, Mic Hansen, Hassan Kheradmandan, Diana Peterson-More, Jan Sanders, and President-Elect Stephen Smith, focused on selecting organizations that aligned with the club’s goals and demonstrated potential for significant community impact.

The Rotary Club of Pasadena, the oldest and largest community service group in the San Gabriel Valley, celebrated its centennial in 2020. 

The club has over 200 members who participate in various committees focused on local and global community service.

As part of Rotary International, a global network of business and professional leaders committed to humanitarian service, the Pasadena Rotary Club’s community grants program exemplifies its dedication to enhancing community well-being through strategic support of local nonprofits.