Extraordinary educators from schools and districts across Santa Barbara County were honored at the 2024 Education Celebration event held at Craft House at Corque in Solvang.

Honored educators pose for a photo holding their Crystal Apple awards. (Courtesy photo)
Recognized for going above and beyond in their roles as educators are recipients of the Crystal Apple awards. (Courtesy photo)

Hosted by the Santa Barbara County Education Office (SBCEO), the event spotlighted more than 100 grant and award winners for their contributions to the education profession and service to school communities. 
 
Educators, school board members, business partners, and guests, celebrated the recipients of the Crystal Apple Educator Awards:

Bill Cirone Heart of Education Award; Marvin Melvin Career Technical Educator Awards; Multilingual/Multicultural Curriculum Project Grants; Care for Our Earth Grants; Instructional Strategy Team Grants; Curriculum Project Grants; Performing Arts Curriculum Project Grants; Collaborative Learning Team Grants; and TeachNet Technology Grants.

The outgoing and incoming Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year Awardees were also recognized.
 
Recipients were selected by SBCEO’s Teachers Network, which has provided $1.5 million in grants and awards since its establishment in 1983.

Grants were awarded to individual and teams of teacher applicants for the development of new instructional strategies, projects, and collaborative approaches to support student learning in all subject areas, including literacy, environmental science, performing arts, mathematics, and technology integration.

This year also saw the addition of a new category Multilingual/Multicultural Curriculum Project Grants, designed to support Dual Language Immersion teachers, learners and programs.
 
“Since its inception 31 years ago, the annual Education Celebration has never strayed from its original purpose: to elevate and celebrate the field of education, to spotlight the exceptional work and creativity of our educators, and to shower our honorees with gratitude,” said Santa Barbara County Superintendent of School Susan Salcido.

“Thank you to our many business partners and sponsors for your generous support and investment in our county’s schools,” she said. “Congratulations to each of the honorees for the critical work they do for students and school communities.”

The event included a performance by the Cabrillo High School Madrigal Singers, directed by Jennifer Peterson, 2023 Santa Barbara Bowl Performing Arts Teacher of the Year.

Emcees for the evening were Anne Hubbard, superintendent of the Hope School District, and Darren McDuffie, superintendent of the Santa Maria-Bonita School District.

Among the evening’s speakers was Greg Wolf, 2024 Santa Barbara County and California Teacher of the Year who said: “I want to acknowledge my fellow educators for their dedication and commitment to the noble profession of teaching.”

On his selection as both county and state Teacher of the Year, Wolf said, “It has been the absolute privilege of a lifetime to represent the dedicated teachers of our state, whose unwavering commitment to education shapes the future of our society. I am forever grateful for this recognition.”


Award recipients are listed below by category:
 
Crystal Apple Educator Awards
• Administrator:
◦ Holly Edds, Orcutt Union School District
• Certificated specialists:
◦ Carla Dewey, Lompoc High School, Lompoc Unified School District
◦ Heather Magner, Dos Pueblos High School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
• Classified employees:
◦ Frankianne Gallardo, La Colina Junior High School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
◦ Berenis Santos, Santa Ynez School, College School District
• Elementary teachers:
◦ Charlene Asmussen, Santa Ynez School, College School District
◦ Daniel Barrett, Peabody Charter School
• Secondary teachers:
◦ Maria D.R. Garmendia, Vandenberg Middle School, Lompoc Unified School District
◦ Rolando Grijalva, Ernest Righetti High School, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District
• Early Care & Education
◦ Silvia Hernández, Santa Barbara County Education Office
 
Bill Cirone Heart of Education Award
• Stephanie Hernandez-Jarvis, El Camino Elementary School, Goleta Union School District
 
Marvin Melvin Career Technical Educator Awards
• Gretchen Flaherty, Lompoc High School, Lompoc Unified School District
• Russell Thomas, Mark Richardson Career Technical Education Center & Agriculture Farm, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District
 
SBCEO thanks the partners that provided funding for this year’s event, grants, and award recipients: Altrusa International Foundation, Santa Maria, Chevron, Cox Communications, ExxonMobil, Fielding Graduate University, Frank Schipper Construction Company, Melfred Borzall, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), Rusty’s Pizza Parlor, Santa Barbara Bowl, Santa Barbara City College Foundation, Santa Barbara County Water Agency, Santa Barbara Teachers Federal Credit Union, Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation, Santa Ynez Valley Foundation, SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, Towbes Foundation, TRADART Foundation.
 
For the full list of award and grant recipients and details on sponsors and community partners, visit www.sbceo.org/educationcelebration.
 
SBCEO hosts two annual educator recognition events: Education Celebration, and A Salute to Teachers in the Fall.