The Santa Barbara Education Foundation (SBEF) celebrated a milestone year for its Teacher Grants program, awarding a record-breaking $228,000 to educators across the Santa Barbara Unified School District.
This year’s grants, presented at the annual Teacher Grants Awards Reception, will support 102 teachers across 21 district schools, funding innovative, hands-on classroom projects that enhance learning opportunities for thousands of students, SBEF said.
Since launching the Teacher Grants program in 2018, SBEF has awarded more than $1.1 million in funding, directly supporting teachers and students through projects that spark creativity, increase engagement, and bring learning to life.
The recent reception featured student performances by the Santa Barbara High School Madrigals and La Colina Junior High School Orchestra.
One of this year’s honorees, Stephen Hughes, director of instrumental music at La Colina, received the Margie Yahyavi Grant for Excellence in Music Education.
The grant will support the launch of Honor Strings, a new district-wide program that brings together string students from all levels of SBUSD to rehearse with a guest conductor and perform in concert.
For many years, students in SBUSD band programs at all levels have participated in Honor Band, which brings together students from every school in the district for a unified presentation.
Now string students will have similar opportunities, which the district hopes will increase enrollment in orchestra classes at the junior high and high school levels.
Alta Vista High School teacher Carlos Estrada spoke at the event, explaining how his teacher grant will support the next phase of the school’s garden and outdoor learning space.
The grant will fund a tiller, wildlife trail cameras, and a small greenhouse to support the launch of a small-scale food production course.
“We came up with the idea of integrating food ways, music ways, and ways of being by creating a garden with coastal native plants, ecosystems, and an outdoor gathering space,” Estrada said.
“Our aim was to create a space for students to tell their stories, humanize others, and learn from the land through exploration, observation, dialogue, action, community and expression,” he said.
“Our garden has become a multidisciplinary learning space at the intersection of music, health, and the land,” Estrada said. “The grant from the Santa Barbara Education Foundation made it possible to connect our garden, ruralism, music and community. We are truly grateful for that.”
“Our teachers bring incredible vision to their classrooms, and the Teacher Grants program exists to support that vision,” said Katie Szopa, SBEF programs manager/interim executive director.
We’re deeply grateful to the donors who make it possible for educators to expand opportunities for students in such impactful ways,” she said.
This year’s grant program is made possible by donors, including the Gainey Foundation, Stone Family Foundation, Kirby Jones Family Foundation, John C. Mithun Foundation, Google.org, Gretler Foundation, and Arnesen Family Foundation, along with numerous individual donors.
Lazy Acres Market was the event’s awards reception sponsor.
The Santa Barbara Education Foundation works to generate private support for Santa Barbara’s public schools, impacting some 12,000 students. To learn more, visit www.santabarbaraeducation.org.