Dos Pueblos High School alumnus Ector Flores-Garcia credits the Santa Barbara County Education Office’s Partners in Education program for his valuable preparation in the workplace.
His introduction to the organization began when his family received a home computer through the Computers for Families program, and he is a student alumnus of the Paid Student Internship Program.
Partners in Education better helped prepare Flores-Garcia for opportunities after high school.
He practiced interview skills with volunteers, gained personal financial literacy and other practical skills, as well as the ins and outs of a pharmacy during an internship in downtown Santa Barbara.
Flores-Garcia is a third-year sociology student at UC Santa Barbara and on the road to a minor in applied psychology and education.
He lived in poverty as a Goleta child. Pursuing higher education opportunities and getting a job would help boost Flores-Garcia out of poverty, he said.
“I am who I am today because of people like you,” Flores-Garcia said. “To me, a career in the health field felt like one of the best ways I could give back to the world.”
The annual Business and Education Partnerships Breakfast Wednesday celebrated the collaborations among local educators and businesses, and how paid internship programs and matching volunteers with local classrooms are important for students’ future success.
Partners in Education Executive Director Chelsea Duffy welcomed the audience at Earl Warren Showgrounds on Wednesday morning.
The nonprofit has many supporters in the education and business communities.
The organization’s efforts have resulted in more than 12,000 families receiving computers and training, and more than 660 students gaining career readiness, as well as more than 313,000 hours volunteered countywide.
A goal for 2019-20 is ensuring at least 85% of educator requests that Partners in Education received from teachers countywide are fulfilled. The organization reached 80% last year, Duffy said.
One of Partners in Education’s challenges is filling time-intensive volunteer roles.
Partnerships with UCSB, Westmont College and City College allow for college students to step into some duties, such as tutoring, and Partners in Education is looking for ways to involve professionals, Duffy said.
The organization hopes to offer more internships to students. This year, Duffy said, the nonprofit is taking a small step by increasing the total amount of students from 60 to 65 individuals thanks to generous funders and supporters.
Partners in Education wants to ensure computers and training through the Computer for Families program is serving all South Coast elementary schools, and look beyond that region.
A joint project of Partners in Education and the county Education Office, Computers for Families was created to provide computers and internet access to local students lacking the educational tools at home.
The organization brings individuals, businesses, foundations and government together to help students be computer literate and prepare for their futures.
The Computers for Families event distributes refurbished computers, and offers equipment and internet instruction to students and families.
One of Partners in Education’s goals is to expand to North County.
For the first time, the organization will set up a pilot program in Santa Maria and Lompoc.
“We are excited about that,” Duffy said.
Another Partners in Education program coordinates paid internships and job training for students. There has been an increase in demand for internships that focus on health care, Duffy said.
“We have great relationships with local clinics,” she said. “Even with all of those groups taking on multiple interns every year, we still have more interest in the health care field than we have current placements.”
Two student alumni of the paid student internship program, including Flores-Garcia, spoke of their involvement with Partners in Education.
Linda Arellano, a former participant of the internship program, spoke about her journey working in the professional world. She is the outreach coordinator at the Santa Barbara Police Activities League.
The Santa Barbara High School alumna is a first-generation college student. She lacked the family resources to navigate higher education and a career, and that’s where Partners in Education stepped up.
“During my internship program, I learned many valuable skills that I use today,” Arellano said.
Earlier at the gathering, County Superintendent of Schools Susan Salcido provided information on student demographics. Salcido also is the Partners in Education board president.
Santa Barbara County has the second highest percentage of homeless students in California, and also has the third highest percentage of families living in poverty, and the fourth highest percentage of students who are not proficient in English, but “they do have rich cultural language backgrounds that they come with,” she said.
“We have much that we are addressing at our schools,” Salcido continued. “This is not a North County, not just a Mid-County, and not just a South County situation.”
Partners in Education was created by education leaders and area businesses in 1977, and its programs are administered by the county Education Office, an intermediate agency between the California Department of Education and 20 school districts within the county’s boundaries.
— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
