Edson Family Foundation

Edson Family Scholarships will support:

Tuition and academic related expenses up to $7,500.00 with education and training periods up to one year.
Students attending nonprofit trade schools and community colleges that provide career and technical education and training for skilled labor jobs, along with certificates/diplomas. Programs should have a history of successful job placement.
Examples of industries that require skilled labor and / or technical training:

• Automotive
• Biotechnology
• Commercial Driving
• Computer Programming
• Construction
• Graphic Artistry
• Healthcare
• Heavy Equipment Operation
• Manufacturing
• Sales

Case for Support

There is a wide skills gap in our country:

• Conventional wisdom in the United States is that a costly, four-year degree is the best path for success and happiness.
• Our culture has glorified the corner office job while unintentionally overlooking the importance of jobs that helped construct the building of that office.
• Alternative learning institutions such as community colleges and trade schools with career and technical training opportunities and / or apprenticeship programs are excellent alternatives for those unable or unwilling to obtain a four-year degree.
• The push for higher education has coincided with the removal of vocational arts from high schools nationwide.
• The effects of this cultural shift have laid the foundation for a widening skills gap and massive student loan debt.
• Millions of skilled jobs are unfilled because no one is trained or willing to do them.
• A significant number of today’s college graduates with jobs aren’t working in their field of study, and collectively owe $1.5 trillion in student loans.
• The solution is a new appreciation for skilled labor. Skilled workers with fulfilling careers and good wages provide the opportunity to thrive in local communities and throughout the nation.

Scholarship Fund Impact

Through this scholarship fund, PCF has been able to

• Provide sustained funding for scholarship programs for students throughout Greater Pasadena.
• Expand equitable educational pathways
• Empower educational organizations to expand their services and reach more students in need.
• Support flexibility
• Allows PCF to direct resources when and where they are needed most, respond quickly to emerging needs, and fill funding gaps that restricted gifts can’t cover.

Contact Us

For more information about PCF giving opportunities, please contact
Pasadena Community Foundation
301 E. Colorado Blvd., Suite 810
Pasadena, CA., 91101
626.796.2097
pcfstaff@pasadenacf.org