Santa Barbara Partners In Education A Calif Non Profit Public Ben Corp

TO CONNECT BUSINESSES AND INDIVIDUALS WITH SCHOOLS TO IMPROVE PUBLIC EDUCATION

COMPUTERS FOR FAMILIES (CFF) IS AN AWARD-WINNING PROGRAM THAT SEEKS TO BRIDGE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, WHICH CAN HINDER STUDENTS WHO DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO ADEQUATE TECHNOLOGY, FROM ACHIEVING ACADEMIC SUCCESS. CFF REFURBISHES USED COMPUTERS AND DISTRIBUTES THEM TO STUDENTS AND FAMILIES ACROSS SANTA BARBARA COUNTY. THIS COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM INCLUDES ASSISTANCE ACCESSING SUBSIDIZED HIGH-SPEED INTERNET, TRAINING, COACHING AND ONGOING TECHNICAL SUPPORT. TO DATE 13,711 COMPUTERS HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO LOCAL FAMILIES NEED. IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19, CFF EXPANDED ITS SERVICES TO ANYONE IN NEED, REGARDLESS OF AGE, GRADE, OR STUDENT STATUS.

THE COUNTYWIDE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO RESPOND TO SCHOOL NEEDS THAT CANNOT BE MET WITHOUT SUPPORT FROM COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS. UPON EDUCATOR REQUEST, THE PROGRAM RECRUITS AND SCREENS VOLUNTEERS WHO PLAY VARIOUS ROLES IN SUPPORT OF TK-12 SCHOOLS AND YOUTH SERVING NONPROFITS SITES ACROSS SANTA BARBARA COUNTY. OVER 332,074 TOTAL HOURS OF SERVICE HAVE BEEN COORDINATED SINCE 2008, AND ARE VALUED AT MORE THAN 9 MILLION DOLLARS. MAIN AREAS OF VOLUNTEER SERVICE INCLUDE CAREER EXPLORATION AND CAREER READINESS, AS WELL AS ACADEMIC SUPPORT. IN THE WAKE OF COVID-19 AND SCHOOL CLOSURES, VOLUNTEERING SHIFTED TO OFFER OPPORTUNITIES, IN ADDITION TO IN-PERSON OPPORTUNITIES ACCORDING TO CERTAIN SAFETY PROTOCOLS. THE MOST COMMON VOLUNTEER ACTIVTIES ARE GUEST SPEAKING AND TUTORING. OTHER ACTIVITIES TYPICALLY INCLUDE CAREER DAYS, MOCK JOB INTERVIEWS, CAREER COACHING, AND MORE.

THE PAID STUDENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM PROVIDES HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH AN EXTENSIVE, PAID JOB READINESS TRAINING AND PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR PAID INTERNSHIPS WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS. THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAM, STUDENTS BENEFIT FROM PERSONALIZED CAREER COACHING AND HANDS-ON OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPLORE CAREER INTERESTS AND DEVELOP IMPORTANT JOB RELATED SKILLS, SUCH AS BUILDING A RESUME, INTERVIEWING, AND COMMUNICATION IN THE WORKPLACE. BUSINESS, NONPROFIT, AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES SERVE AS HOST SITES FOR STUDENTS, PAYING A PORTION OF THE TOTAL COST OF WAGES AND PROVIDING SUPPORT TO STUDENTS WHILE THEY ARE IN THE WORKPLACE. IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19, THE JOB READINESS TRAINING BECAME VIRTUAL AND HAS EVOLVED INTO A HYBRID PROGRAM. REMOTE, IN-PERSON AND HYBRID INTERNSHIPS HAVE ALSO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE PROGRAM ALSO EXPANDED INTO OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTY AND DOUBLED THE NUMBER OF SPOTS AVAILABLE FROM 60 TO 100. MORE THAN 859 TOTAL STUDENTS HAVE BEEN SERVED BY THE PROGRAM.