Santa Barbara Education Foundation & Summer School

Santa Barbara Education Foundationis a non-profit organization that promotes the private support of public education, by investing resources in our schools to support the education of our students, the most valuable asset to our community and society.

Our mission is to enhance the success of students by supporting academic enrichment programs, developing partnerships to champion the critical needs of our schools, and engaging the community in building educational excellence.

SUMMER SCHOOL

Students entering grades 9-12 can earn 5-10 units of high school credit during the summer, acquiring the flexibility to take more advanced classes or more electives in the next school year. Most courses meet A-G requirements. Any student aged 12-18 can also take courses for non-credit. VIEW CLASS SCHEDULE >

HOPE AWARDS

The Santa Barbara Education Foundations HOPE Awards annually honor those who are champions of public education in our community. These honorees hold a long and valued history of commitment to our schools and it is our privilege to recognize their continued and steadfast dedication to education.

PIANOS ON STATE

Pianos on State is a collaborative and interactive musical experience in Santa Barbara. Coinciding with the New Noise Festival, Pianos on State took place in October. This event is made possible by the collaborative efforts of the Santa Barbara Bowl, Notes for Notes, Santa Barbara Education Foundation, Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative, Santa Barbara County Arts Commission and New Noise.

INSTRUMENT DRIVE

instruments are accepted all year long and all levels of instruments are needed from pianos to keyboards, ukuleles to guitars. There is a strong need for alto saxophones and clarinets as well as violins and guitars of all sizes. All donated instruments are carefully inspected, repaired, and then placed in the hands of students such as Raul. Raul was a top violin student last year but this year he decided he wanted to learn to play the trumpet. A professional model Yamaha trumpet was donated through the Instrument Drive. Because of his demonstrated discipline and love of music, Raul was chosen as the recipient of this coveted instrument. Simply knowing he was chosen for this trumpet gave Raul the motivation to work a little harder and he really shined. Daniella was one of the first elementary school student oboe players. Oboe is not generally taught, but thanks to the Instrument Drive, we were able to give her an oboe the instrument of her choice!

Over the years, everything from simple percussion instruments to grand pianos have found new homes where they truly make a difference in young peoples lives. Past recipients of the instruments have included Dos Pueblos High School, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Notes for Notes, Girls Inc., the Sergio Romero Guitar Club, Pianos on State, Santa Barbara Strings, JAMS, Los Prietos Boys Club, Rockshop Academy, numerous Santa Barbara schools and the Santa Barbara Youth Symphony.