To assist Santa Barbara County schools that are struggling to meet the classroom technology needs of their students, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians has donated more than $79,000 to 10 area schools that applied for grants through its foundation’s Technology in Schools Program for the 2024-25 school year.

The program encourages Santa Barbara County school administrators and faculty to apply for technology grant dollars to fund specific projects. The grants let schools buy hardware, upgrade infrastructure, add high-tech resources, and boost their curriculum.

Deadline to apply for the 2025-26 school year is April 30, and all applications must be submitted online at www.chumash.gov/foundation.

The 2024-25 recipients are Vista Del Mar Union School District in Gaviota, College School District in Santa Ynez, Los Olivos Elementary School in the Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara Unified School District, La Colina Junior High School in Santa Barbara, Orcutt Academy High School in Santa Maria, Saint Louis de Montfort Catholic School in Santa Maria, San Marcos High School in Santa Barbara, Lakeview Junior High School in Santa Maria, and Santa Ynez Valley Union High School.

“It’s an honor to help enhance the learning experience of potentially thousands of young, learning minds in Santa Barbara County through our Technology in Schools Program,” said Kenneth Kahn, tribal chairman for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians.

“An innovative education is crucial to student engagement and the success of our future generations, and we’re proud to be able to contribute by helping put the latest technology in local classrooms,” he said.

Following is how some of the schools are using the funding:

Vista Del Mar Union School District will use the $8,255 it was awarded to upgrade its existing Chromebooks so students can use the latest applications, access the State Testing Portal and replace uninterruptible power supply (UPS) for consistent internet during power outages.

“Vista is incredibly grateful for the support of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians,” said Bree Valla, superintendent/principal for Vista Del Mar Union School District. “Their support will allow us to ensure that Vista students have continued access to quality technology and are prepared for the 21st century.”

College School District was awarded $9,173, which will be used to upgrade its STEAM Maker’s Lab by purchasing a 3D printer and an interactive whiteboard.

“We are so excited to be receiving multiple 3D printers from the Technology in Schools Program,” said Anthony Bruemmer, principal for College School District. “This generosity from the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians goes a long way in our schools by giving enrichment opportunities to our students that would otherwise not be available to them.”

With the $10,136 it was awarded, Los Olivos Elementary School will buy seven MacBooks and AppleCare to support learning activities conducted on its Promethean interactive display boards.

Santa Barbara Unified School District was awarded $10,000 to purchase three digital projectors for its Visual Arts & Design Academy (VADA), a small learning community of about 225 students at Santa Barbara High School.

“The students and teachers of the Visual Arts & Design Academy at Santa Barbara High School extend deep gratitude to the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians and their Technology in Schools Program for generously supporting our state-of-the-art full wall projection system, allowing the highest level of both digital instruction and exhibition of student work,” said Daniel Barnett, VADA program director and art instructor for Santa Barbara High School.

“Already, in just the first two months of school utilizing the modernized technology, we see a heightened level of student engagement and seriousness,” Barnett said. “Our observation is that students see and feel they are being invested in and in turn, produce more and better creative work.”

La Colina Junior High School received $8,500 to purchase and install Promethean interactive display boards for its math classrooms to advance student learning beyond what is currently provided, as a new, modern Amplify Desmos Math curriculum is implemented next year.

“We are so grateful for the Technology in Schools Program grant,” said Michelle Fomin, a La Colina math teacher. “This grant allows our math department to buy interactive smart boards that act as an effective teaching tool for teachers to better deliver content.

“This tool enables our students to better access our new online-based curriculum and helps us ensure we improve math outcomes for all students. This technology will allow both students and teachers to be 21st-century learners.”

Orcutt Academy High School was awarded $3,000 for library equipment, including a Paragon Chargebar Table, adjustable stools and portable charging stations.

“We are so excited to get working on using these generous funds from the amazing Chumash Foundation to help our kids here at the Orcutt Academy High School,” said Principal Rhett Carter. “We are very grateful for your continued support of students and education in our community.”

San Marcos High School received $5,500 to buy two Cannon EOS R6 digital cameras, 15 SD cards and an iPad Pro.

“We were able to acquire two cameras to help our students document the year,” said Haley Tran, junior yearbook editor. “Our high school is such a busy place, with many activities that we want to document. We were often running out of cameras to photograph events. We are so thankful for this support.’”

The $7,000 awarded to Santa Ynez Valley Union High School (SYVHS) will fund new hardware, software, accessories and travel expenses to support the launch of its new Esports league.

“Our students at SYVHS have wanted to increase our technology presence and establish an eSports league for some time now,” said David Kirkhart, science teacher at the school. “Thanks to the incredible grant made available by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, it will become a reality.

“The kids are very excited and even with only word of mouth so far, the interest in the [Esports] league continues to grow and grow. We can’t wait to see how far the students will take this and how well they will do.”

In 2015, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians donated the proceeds from its annual charity golf tournament to four local schools in the form of technology grants.

Inspired by the success of those grants, the tribe’s leadership created the Technology in Schools Program through its foundation to help fulfill the high-tech needs of classrooms in Santa Barbara County. Since its inception, the program has issued more than $550,000 in grants to area schools.

The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians has donated more than $30 million to hundreds of groups, organizations and schools in the community and across the nation as part of the tribe’s long-standing tradition of giving.