Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD) celebrated the grand opening of a new Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy (DPEA) facility, the Virgil Elings Center for Creative Learning, on Nov. 12.
The event marks a milestone in expanding hands-on career preparation for local students, SBUSD officials said.
The facility provides state-of-the-art environments modeled after professional workplaces where students can design, build, test, and refine complex projects.
The project is part of a districtwide effort to bridge classroom instruction with college and career readiness across all high schools, the district said.
“Dos Pueblos is proud to celebrate this new facility and all of our Career Technical Education programs,” DPHS Principal Bill Woodard said.
“They provide opportunities for students to gain valuable experience in career fields they are passionate about to discover what they want to pursue,” he said.
The DPEA offers a four-year curriculum integrating engineering, manufacturing, and product development. Students manage the full creative process — moving from an initial concept to a functional end product — while building teamwork, communication, and technical expertise.
The newly opened Product Innovation and Design Lab includes specialized areas for testing, quality evaluation, redesign, manufacturing and presentations.
Students will use the space to develop interactive exhibits and installations, gather user feedback, and iterate on their work, the district said.
“It is so important for students to have access to industry-standard equipment and facilities to prepare them for the world of work,” said DPEA founder Amir Abo-Shaeer.
“We are sincerely grateful for Virgil Elings and his generous support of education that empowers students to learn by doing, which he calls ‘brains-on learning,’” Abo-Shaeer said. “We look forward to the opportunity for our students to showcase what they are doing with the community.”
The facility will host educational visits for local elementary school students, exposing younger learners to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) concepts, and introducing them to future pathways available within Santa Barbara Unified.
“These modern learning spaces equip our students with the real-world tools, technical skills, and confidence they need to succeed after high school,” said Superintendent Hilda Maldonado.
“When students experience hands-on lab work, they begin to see what is possible for themselves,” she said. “That is the real value of these spaces: inspiring today’s students while opening doors for the generations that follow.”
Other recent career technical facility enhancements include the Visual Arts and Design Academy (VADA) at Santa Barbara High School, the Health Careers Academy at San Marcos High School, and the media building adjacent to the new DPEA space.