NEWS
College Corner: Raising Hopes for College Applications
Students, You're Not Alone — The Way Forward in Pandemic Times Source: The Independent By Cassie Lancaster Even before the pandemic, there was plenty of anxiety surrounding college admissions. My students would often describe the lump in their throat when adults asked them where they were going to college or what they’d be majoring in. [...]
Santa Barbara Education Foundation Keeps the Beat for Local Music Teachers with a $24,000 Gift
The Santa Barbara Education Foundation awarded SB Unified music teachers with $24,000 to purchase necessary instruments and materials for the upcoming school year. This year SB Unified music teachers are adapting more than just their lesson plans to teach students to learn music from home. McKinley Elementary Music Teacher, Karen Dutton, has a plan in [...]
Isis Castañeda Joins Santa Barbara Education Foundation’s Board of Directors
The Santa Barbara Education Foundation recently elected Isis Castañeda to its Board of Directors. Castañeda has worked with teens, young adults, and their families in the Santa Barbara area since 1997. Castañeda is currently the project coordinator for the Isla Vista Coalition for Healthy Communities. A graduate of Santa Barbara High School and Santa Barbara [...]
SBUnified to Open School Year With Distance Learning, Per Governor’s Mandate
Source: Santa Barbara Unified School District SBUnified Education Leaders Respond to Governor Newsom’s Announcement that Districts in Santa Barbara County Must Open the School Year With 100% Distance Learning California Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Friday that Santa Barbara Unified School District - as well as all districts across Santa Barbara County - must open [...]
EVENTS
The Santa Barbara Education Foundation (SBEF) will host Wealth of Knowledge, a free financial literacy workshop designed specifically for educators, on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
LATEST ISSUE
Education Matters
As we close out 2025, this issue of Education Matters celebrates the impact made possible by our community.
From a powerful story highlighting the lifelong influence of music education to key insights from Superintendent Dr. Hilda Maldonado’s State of Our Schools address, this newsletter reflects a year of growth and opportunity across Santa Barbara’s public schools.
You’ll also meet SBEF’s newest board member and join us in thanking a longtime leader for his dedicated service.
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