On Thursday, April 24, the Santa Barbara Education Foundation (SBEF) hosted the Hope Awards to celebrate creativity and recognize individuals and programs making a lasting difference for students in the Santa Barbara Unified School District.
Thanks to generous support from the community, including matching funds from the Kirby Jones Foundation and a $10,000 lead gift from the John C. Mithun Foundation, the event raised over $278,000, making it a record-breaking year for the Hope Awards. More than $100,000 of the proceeds will support Teacher and Student Grants, which provide essential resources for creative, project-based learning, classroom innovation, and student-led initiatives.
The event was emceed by Santa Barbara Junior High School theater teacher Rich Lashua and featured energetic performances from Brasscals and the Goleta Valley Junior High School Theatre Group, who performed selections from their recent production of SpongeBob the Musical. Culinary arts students from Santa Barbara, San Marcos, and Dos Pueblos high schools served guests salads, appetizers, and desserts, showcasing their growing skills and creativity.
The Hope Awards honored the work of the late Margie Yahyavi, former SBEF Executive Director, and the Children’s Creative Project (CCP) for their outstanding contributions to the students in our community.
As Executive Director of the Santa Barbara Education Foundation from 2010 to 2022, Margie Yahyavi profoundly impacted public education in Santa Barbara. Her leadership helped secure funding for literacy intervention, teacher grants, and vital emergency support for students during the pandemic. Even in retirement, she remained a beloved presence at SBEF events and a powerful public education advocate. Her legacy of collaboration and commitment continues to inspire and uplift our community.
For 50 years, the Children’s Creative Project (CCP), a Santa Barbara County Education Office program, has been igniting imaginations and transforming lives through the power of the arts. Through the Resident Artist Division and Touring Artist Program, CCP brings professional artists into classrooms from preschool through grade 12. The organization also presents the annual I Madonnari Street Painting Festival to raise funds for arts education and support programs like Kids at the Bowl, Pianos on State, and South Coast Kids Create. CCP reaches more than 50,000 students throughout the region each year.
The evening also highlighted two of SBEF’s most impactful initiatives, Teacher Grants and Student Grants.
Since 2018, SBEF has invested over $888,000 in classrooms through Teacher Grants, funding grants once a year to support the purchase of much-needed supplies, tools, field trips, and innovative teaching resources.
Taking note of Teacher Grants’ success, SBEF launched the Student Grants program last year to empower high school students to lead positive change on their campuses. Grants support student-managed projects to address school-based needs and introduce youth to the grant-writing process.
Two Student Grant recipients, Isabelle Chabinyc and Chelsea Miao, took to the stage to share their experience launching a zine through San Marcos High School’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance. Their grant-funded project aims to educate, build community, and uplift student voices.
“It’s personal for all of us, at the club and here on stage,” Chabinyc shared. “Having the security of an organization like this one is increasingly invaluable.”
Miao added, ” We would like to give a huge thank you to SBEF for not only supporting us with your grant, but also trusting us to do the work we would need to do.”
The Santa Barbara Education Foundation wishes to extend its appreciation to the Hope Awards sponsors, including Pillar Sponsor SAGE Publishing; Visionary Sponsors Griffith and Thornburgh and Trusted Legal; Ambassador Sponsors Arlington Financial Advisors, Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo, Chevron, KBZ Architects, Los Arroyos, M.F. Strange & Associates, RSH Construction, and Santa Barbara Historical Museum; Champion Sponsors Chaucer’s Books, Cottage Health Systems, Goldenvoice, Hospice of Santa Barbara, Huckabee, McGillivray Construction, Montecito Bank & Trust, Montecito Journal, Nick Rail Music, Pedro and Whitney Paz, Santa Barbara Foundation, and Smart & Final.
Founded in 1985, the Santa Barbara Education Foundation promotes private support of Santa Barbara’s public education system, serving 12,000 students in 21 schools. For more information, visit santabarbaraeducation.org.
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