During the December 14 regular school board meeting, the School District of Palm Beach County recognized the Mary and Robert Pew Public Education Fund, celebrating a valued partnership that has spanned 25 years.

With its focus on enhancing public education for economically disadvantaged students attending traditional public schools, the Fund has provided financial support for multiple programs for more than 75 different schools, regional teams, and District departments.

Most recently, the Fund donated $379,300 to support Personal Financial Literacy initiatives within the District. The K-12 Personal Financial Literacy Grant will enable the continuation of several of the initiatives begun in the original grants, as well as expanding and sustaining financial literacy programs for K-12 students, especially in light of the new requirements for all high school students to take a course in financial literacy.

This grant, along with the countless other grants provided by the Fund, have been designed to ensure that all Palm Beach County students engage in teaching and learning that results in academic excellence.

Other projects supported by the Fund include more than $400,000 used for the creation of an in-house medical academy at Boynton Beach Community High School, money provided to cover the cost of field trips, summer school programs, reading and writing workshops, book purchases, and much more.

As the recipient of more than $30 million to assist economically disadvantaged students, the District has received valuable support in fulfilling its mission to educate, affirm, and inspire each student in an equity-embedded school system.

Mary and Robert Pew of North Palm Beach, Florida and Grand Rapids, Michigan created the Mary and Robert Pew Public Education Fund in 1998 as a supporting organization to the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties. Their primary philanthropic objective is to positively impact children’s lives by providing access to high-quality instruction and educational enhancements.