The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara has expanded its innovative “Future Scholars” summer program, forging alliances with four new partner organizations to broaden instructional opportunities for area youth. New program partners this year include Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast, People’s Self-Help Housing, Lompoc Middle School, and El Camino Junior High School in Santa Maria. Launched last summer, the Scholarship Foundation’s “Future Scholars” program provides county elementary and junior high school students with information about college-level study, financial aid, and career options. The goal is to encourage and inspire students as young as age 8 to plan for college or vocational school.
“We are excited about this expansion and delighted to collaborate with our new ‘Future Scholars’ partners,” said Scholarship Foundation President and CEO Melinda Cabrera. “Given the importance of this subject matter, we felt strongly that it should be made broadly available. We want to spread the word far and wide that postsecondary education is a viable option for all young people in Santa Barbara County, regardless of their financial circumstances. Early outreach is often a difference maker in the trajectory of students’ lives. It is our hope that one day we will be able to support ‘Future Scholars’ participants with scholarships when they are ready to pursue higher education.”
“Future Scholars” sessions include presentations and activities that provide participating students with a foundational understanding of college and financial aid.
“Future Scholars” programming will continue through July 30.
The Scholarship Foundation also is continuing its outreach to older county youth through its year-round financial aid advisory services, and has established new partnerships with organizations and programs that serve local high school students during the summer months, including the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara, Lompoc High School, Westmont College, and the Lompoc Teen Center.
“The partnership with the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara is a perfect match for Lompoc Teen Center students enrolled in our ‘Yes I Can/Si Se Puede’ college readiness program, and we believe it will influence the academic preparedness of other Lompoc students who participate in broad-based informational workshops being planned by the Scholarship Foundation in cooperation with the Lompoc Teen Center in the Lompoc community,” said the center’s founder and Vice President Cliff Lambert.
“To be aligned with the largest postsecondary education scholarship organization of its kind in the nation is an incredible opportunity to maximize awareness and opportunities for more deserving students and their parents in the Lompoc community. Together we can make a difference!”
The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara is the nation’s largest community-based provider of college scholarships, having cumulatively awarded in excess of $167 million to some 64,000 county students since its founding in 1962. A nonprofit organization, the Scholarship Foundation also provides free financial aid advising services. For additional information, visit www.sbscholarship.org.
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