Los Alamos, N.M. – The Los Alamos Community Foundation announces the establishment of the Paul and Susan Bombardt K-12 Music Education Endowment for Los Alamos Public Schools. The fund will benefit students in music education in Los Alamos by providing funding for performing artists to give demonstrations, classes, or workshops that will expose, engage, and excite students (K–12). The fund will also support teachers in their efforts to attract and retain music students throughout their education and provide student access to musical instrument (rental) where needed.
Paul and Susan were fortunate to experience music in their early education and were inspired by their music teachers. Paul studied the violin and enjoyed playing in both school and community orchestras. Susan studied piano, clarinet, bass clarinet, and tenor saxophone and played in concert, stage and marching bands. She also sang in her school chorus and church choir.
“Although Susan and I pursued careers in science, we understood how we benefited from our music education in numerous ways,” said Bombardt. “We believe music added another perspective to our scientific and technical careers.”
The Bombardt’s hope is that through this endowment fund, music educators in LAPS will be able to further excite, engage and retain students in the musical arts so that they in turn will similarly benefit from life enriching and inspiring experiences.
“Our music education taught us teamwork and to appreciate music of all varieties and provided us an avenue for making new and lifelong friends,” said Bombardt.
In addition to their initial gift, the Bombardts have made a provision in their estate that will direct a substantial gift to their endowment after lifetime. “It’s our desire to leave this type of legacy for Los Alamos and have our fund continue to grow with an after-lifetime contribution,” said Susan Bombardt.
The Bombardt endowment fund is administered by the LACF and the distributions will be administered through the Los Alamos Public Schools Foundation.
“The Los Alamos Community Foundation is grateful to Paul and Sue for entrusting us with the opportunity to bring their philanthropic vision to life through the creation of this fund,” said Rachel Kizielewicz, LACF Executive Director.
“This is an incredible gift for students in Los Alamos both now and in the future,” said Jenny McCumber, Executive Director of the Los Alamos Public Schools Foundation. “LAPS Foundation is grateful to the Bombardts for their generosity and looks forward to the impact their gift will have on music education in Los Alamos Public Schools.”
About the Los Alamos Community Foundation: Established in 2015, the focus of the Los Alamos Community Foundation is to improve the quality of life in our community by inspiring, facilitating and supporting enduring philanthropy, and building the capacity and success of our local nonprofit organizations. The Los Alamos Community Foundation currently stewards ten local endowment funds and total assets of more than $575,000. For more information about the Los Alamos Community Foundation, visit www.losalamoscf.org.