About EPAK

About EPAK

We are a community-based organization 
giving grants directly to teachers.

OUR COMMUNITY

Our schools are located in the heart of Silicon Valley. Yet, a stark difference exists in the schools we fund compared with neighboring schools in Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Portola Valley and Woodside. Our students are challenged by overwhelming socioeconomic pressures and the schools are underfunded with lower teacher salaries and high turnover rates. 

OUR VISION

For generations, education has been the path for children to rise above their economic circumstances.  Our vision is based on narrowing the equality gap in education by providing grants directly to educators so their students can have the same opportunities as children in neighboring communities.

OUR STORY

Founded in 1993, we are an all-volunteer organization with a record of granting over 93% of funds raised directly to public schools in the East Palo Alto and eastern Menlo Park area.

Over $5 million in grants have been given to educators since May 2006.

We believe all children should have access to the best education possible, regardless of where they live. Every donation matters in a community where 6 out of 10 students are English learners and half of the students are homeless or housing insecure (Source: Ravenswood City School District, 2024).

Won’t you join us?

“I joined the board when I left teaching because I know how instrumental EPAK funding is for students.” 

– Jeannine M.

Our Schools

Our Team

A striking testament to the power of our mission—all members of our team are volunteers, and several are current or former educators themselves.

Officers

Audrey Crowley grew up in, and raised her own family in, Silicon Valley. After attending UCLA and earning her MBA from Santa Clara University, Audrey became certain that her life’s primary goal is to provide children with a safe, supportive community and access to quality education, regardless of their family circumstances. To that end, she works and volunteers in support of educators at schools and organizations in Mountain View, Los Altos, East Palo Alto, and Belle Haven. She has volunteered and worked at many, including for her kids’ elementary school PTA executive board for 8 years, a FIRST robotics team for 13 years, the local districts’ education foundations, and many others. Audrey currently tutors and mentors students through Mentor Tutor Connection, volunteers in classrooms and school libraries, and serves on the board at EPAK. She has been a volunteer and donor to EPAK since 2014 because teachers know what their students need, and getting resources into their hands is one of the best ways to make an impact.

Jeannine Marston taught history and English at Castilleja School In Palo Alto for many years and supported the diversity work and goals of its ACE Center (Awareness, Compassion, Engagement). She has participated in SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) workshops, Facing History, and the Gilder Lehrman Institute. Her multi-year commitment to the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy teachers’ summer institute has contributed to her belief in the importance of education in the development of human capital. She enthusiastically endorses EPAK’s goal to support teachers in their essential work. “Teachers know best what they and their students need to succeed. I am honored to work with EPAK to make this achievement possible.” She holds BA and MA degrees in education from the University of Michigan.

Ellen M. Jones recently retired from UBS Financial Services after nearly 40 years in financial management for high net worth individuals. After majoring in American Intellectual History at Radcliffe College, Ellen attended graduate school at U.C. Berkeley and then worked as an economic analyst for American Airlines. After taking some time off to raise her children, she returned to work as a high school teacher at Menlo School in Atherton before beginning a her career in the financial services industry. After living in Menlo Park for over 50 years, in 2018, she moved to San Francisco to be closer to her family. Ellen has three children and seven grandchildren. She enjoys hiking, reading and playing competitive bridge.

Joy Shen is the daughter of immigrants who has always held a strong conviction in education as a tool for social mobility. She began her career in management consulting, then moved to the Bay Area to pursue an MBA and Master’s in Education at Stanford. She was drawn back into education by the chance to bring the promise of public schools to life for all communities.

Joy currently serves as Chief of Staff to the Superintendent of the Sunnyvale Elementary School District, where she blends her experience in strategy, operations, and organizational change with a deep commitment to creating schools where every student thrives. 

Previously, she spent four years leading strategy and operations at Ravenswood City School District, working alongside students, educators, and families to translate a shared vision into measurable outcomes in literacy and attendance.

Board Members

Henning Heine currently works at a technology company and has over a decade of investment banking experience. He previously worked at Centerview Partners, an independent investment banking and strategic advisory firm, as a founding member of its Technology practice in Palo Alto. Prior to Palo Alto, he was based in the firm’s London and New York offices.

He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business from the European Business School in Germany.

Amy Joh has been invested in the East Palo Alto community since 2000 as both a resident and through her work in non-profit youth development and educational spaces.  She worked at Hope Horizon East Palo Alto for 23 years, most recently serving on their executive leadership team with a focus on partnerships, communications and volunteer experience.  She currently works at Costaño School of the Arts, where she provides early literacy support for TK/K students.  Amy is also part of the leadership team of Arbor, a network of small, spiritual communities.  Amy is married to Steve and they have two daughters, Bethany and Kyra, which she enjoys supporting in a variety of ways including volunteering at their schools and cheering them on in sports and music. In her spare time, Amy enjoys the outdoors, reading, staying active and spending time with friends and family.

Mary Ruth Leen is a wife, mother, grandmother and teacher. She has her Master’s in Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing from Washington University in St. Louis. Mary Ruth has been President of the PTA at her children’s school in Palo Alto and Director of the Family Center at Weingarten Children’s  Center, in Redwood City, where families and deaf children, together, learned to listen and speak with cochlear implants. She was a teacher and director of Parents Nursery School, in Palo Alto, while her children were young. Due to her love of reading she volunteered to bring books to the elderly through Palo Alto’s Library. Mary Ruth has the greatest respect for teachers, today, understanding the budgetary, environmental and family issues facing them and their students at this time. EPAK is the perfect place to land and continue helping others. 

Bailey Linden is a kindergarten teacher in the Los Altos School District. She attended the Stanford Teacher Education Program & began her teaching career in 2017 in Ravenswood School District teaching second grade. She was a recipient of many EPAK grants throughout her four years in Ravenswood School District & knows firsthand the impact they make on every classroom. Through this partnership, her immense gratitude for EPAK grew & she is elated to continue her involvement in the community. Bailey is passionate about ensuring that all children & educators have access to what they need in order to ensure equitable outcomes in the classroom. She is excited to partner with community members to advocate for children & teachers in our schools.

Rebecca Lowell comes to EPAK with 10 years of volunteer experience with local school foundations. She is the immediate past president of the MVLA High School Foundation, and former Secretary of the Los Altos Educational Foundation. Additionally, Rebecca has volunteered for numerous local projects and organizations including: Los Altos Friends of the Library, Loyola School PTA Board, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Project Cornerstone, and the AVID program at both Los Altos and Mountain View High Schools. Rebecca also serves on the Los Altos-Los Altos Hills Joint Volunteer Awards Committee. In addition to volunteering, Rebecca enjoys gardening, hiking, reading, baking and traveling.

Viridiana Luna Sanchez is a longtime resident of East Palo Alto and proud to be the first in her family to graduate from high school, earning her diploma from Sequoia High School, and later graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Interior Architecture and Design and a minor in Chicano Studies. Her life took an unexpected but meaningful detour into education, and she currently works as Bilingual Parent Liaison at East Palo Alto Academy. She connects families with resources, services, and opportunities that strengthen their school experience and overall well-being. Viridiana continues to grow both personally and professionally; she is pursuing her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and licensure at Notre Dame de Namur University. Outside of her professional and academic work, Viridiana is a full-time mom to her two beautiful daughters. She enjoys traveling, reading books by the beach, and watching films. At the heart of everything she does, it’s her love for her family and commitment to her community that drive her work.

Kendra Muscarella is passionate about children, education and community. She has enjoyed over 14 years of volunteering in schools with PTA fundraisers, as room parent, Project Cornerstone and as team parent for some of the LAHS athletic teams. She’s also volunteered with several other local organizations including Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and Mentor Tutor Connection. Kendra is a team lead working with Highway Community, City Team & Second Harvest to provide a food pantry to residents of Buena Vista Mobile Park. Prior to becoming a full-time mom & volunteer, Kendra did PR & Marketing for a start-up and taught 2nd grade at Edison Brentwood School in East Palo Alto. Kendra enjoys cooking, hiking, reading and traveling with her husband and three children.

Sponsors

  • Atkinson Foundation
  • The Callison Foundation
  • Wilson and Sue Cooper
  • Anna Maria Zara and Robert English
  • First Tech Federal Credit Union
  • Mark A. Goldsmith and Anne Midler
  • Melvin and Geraldine Hoven Foundation
  • Intero Foundation Inc.
  • The Franklin and Catherine Johnson Foundation
  • Literacy Partners – Menlo Park
  • Palo Alto Community Foundation
  • Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund
  • David and Elizabeth Rome
  • The Scandling Family Foundation

We value all of our donors. For a complete list of supporters, please see our Annual Report.

EPAK promotes educational opportunities for public and charter school students in eastern Menlo Park and East Palo Alto. Founded in 1993, we are a private, 501(c)3 non-profit foundation; all donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. 

We accept applications from teachers of pre-school through 12th grade twice a year. Click here for more information. 

Non-Discrimination Policy: EPAK is an equal opportunity organization and does not allow discrimination based upon age, ethnicity, ancestry, gender, national origin, disability, race, size, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or any other status prohibited by applicable law.