The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara is instructing local schoolchildren on the importance and practicability of attending college or vocational school through a summer program presented in partnership with area youth development organizations.
As part of its Future Scholars program, the Scholarship Foundation has teamed with United Way of Santa Barbara County, Girls Inc. of Carpinteria, and other organizations, to present young students with information about college-level study, financial aid, careers, and related subjects.
The goal is to encourage children as young as age 8 to plan for their future.
“We want to normalize the idea of college among children who might otherwise overlook it as a viable future path,” said Melinda Cabrera, Scholarship Foundation/CEO.
“If we can encourage them at a young age to view college as a realistic option following high school, they are more likely to apply themselves academically and consider their career interests in relation to their studies,” she said.
“Our early outreach is all about getting kids to visualize themselves as college students and professionals, which is essential if they’re to make informed decisions about their future,” she said.
The Future Scholars summer initiative principally involves partnerships with Girls Inc. of Carpinteria’s Eureka! program and United Way of Santa Barbara County’s Fun in the Sun program.
Eureka! is a five-year program that emphasizes science, technology, engineering and math, while incorporating physical activity, personal development, and college and career readiness.
Under the Future Scholars partnership, foundation program advisors work with junior high school students from Carpinteria at UCSB, where they provide a foundational understanding of college and financial aid through presentations and activities.
Topics include types of colleges, the meaning of terms such as cost of attendance, various forms of financial aid, majors, and careers.
With the United Way of Santa Barbara County’s Fun in the Sun program, foundation program advisors instruct elementary school students on the basics of college and financial aid at sites throughout the county.
Scholarship Foundation Future Scholars partnerships also encompass organizations and programs serving local high school students during the summer months.
In July, foundation program advisors are providing information about college and financial aid to incoming seniors attending Santa Maria-area high schools through UCSB’s Early Academic Outreach Program and the Upward Bound program at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
In August, they will present similar information to students in grades 9-12 from Santa Barbara and Ventura counties at Rancho El Chorro in San Luis Obispo through Future Leaders of America.
“No other organization in our region does what we do on a comparable scale,” said Cabrera. “We enjoy partnering with other community organizations to provide financial aid and college access information to individuals and families in our county.”
For more, visit www.sbscholarship.org.