Boys team charity (btc), a service organization dedicated to developing an altruistic spirit in young men through volunteering with a parent or guardian, is adding a second league in Santa Barbara. The two leagues will extend btc’s boundaries to include members attending schools from Carpinteria to Goleta.
Starting March 4, boys entering grades seven through 11 in the 2024-25 school year can apply for membership in one of two leagues: btc Santa Barbara North and btc Santa Barbara.
The first btc league in Santa Barbara was founded in 2017 by a small group of parents interested in providing age-appropriate and meaningful service opportunities for their tween and teen sons.
The league has logged more than 10,000 hours of service to Santa Barbara nonprofits. Members value sharing time volunteering with their boys while strengthening family bonds and exposing young men to social issues impacting their community.
Most members join btc the summer before their seventh grade year, and a majority remain active members until they graduate six years later.
Members of boys team charity serve a number of local nonprofits, partnering with organizations including: Santa Barbara Zoo, Santa Barbara Rescue Mission, I Madonnari, SB-SNAP Adaptive Sports, PATH, Bucket Brigade, and Teen Court.
Members build community with one another annually by attending three meetings with the entire membership, and three class-based events that bring together boys based on school grade.
Applications for new membership open March 4. Interested families can be added to the contact list to be notified when the application is available:
• Families living or attending schools in Dos Pueblos High School boundary can apply to the btc Santa Barbara North League. Contact Shruti Ramaker and Rebecca Rios, btcsbnorth.membership@gmail.com.
• Families living in or attending schools in Carpinteria or Santa Barbara High School boundaries apply to the btc Santa Barbara League. Contact Lara Sullivan and Tiffany Corby, sbbtcmembership@gmail.com.
• Families living in or attending schools in the San Marcos High School boundary can choose to apply to either league.
Applicants will be notified of their membership status by April 1. The 2024-25 league year starts May 1 when members can begin volunteering.
Founded in 2002, boys team charity began in Phoenix, Arizona, with families that wanted to teach their 7th-12th grade boys the importance of giving back and making a difference in their local community. Parents and sons volunteer side by side to strengthen their community and family relationship.
In 2024, boys team charity, Inc., has 40 leagues in seven states with 12,000 active members contributing some 100,000 service hours annually.