The city of Goleta is bringing back the popular LEAD Goleta Community Academy. LEAD stands for Learn, Empower, Advocate and Discuss.

This free, interactive six-week program is designed to help community members better understand the role local government plays so they can effectively participate, share that knowledge with others, and possibly consider a future role in city governance.

This will be the third LEAD Goleta the city has held, and for the first time, it will be offered as a bilingual program with simultaneous Spanish interpretation.

The LEAD Academy will take place every Thursday, 6-8 p.m., April 20-May 25, with a graduation ceremony at the end. Most classes will be held in City Hall Council Chambers, 130 Cremona Drive, but some may be held out in the community.

Each interactive class features different city departments, giving a behind-the-scenes view of how the city of Goleta is run. Attendees will learn everything from how roads are maintained to what goes into creating the city’s budget. Throughout the program, participants will be exposed to the role of local government.

To get an idea of what the academy offers, watch a recap here of the LEAD Goleta Community Academy held in January-February 2020. 

There are 30 spots in the LEAD Goleta Community Academy, and priority is given to Goleta residents, but LEAD Goleta is open to any resident of Santa Barbara County. Students are encouraged to apply. Participants must be able to attend all six classes to be

To apply, go to www.CityofGoleta.org/LEADGoleta, or to access the application in Spanish, click here.