Tag archives: education

UCSB A&L
By Steven Libowitz   |   January 23, 2024

UCSB Arts & Lectures’ fall season was one for the ages, with enviable events throughout the breadth of its programming. The dance program boasted an era-spanning array, from the launch of the Martha Graham Dance Company’s Graham100 programs to the stunning West Coast debut of Turn it Out with Tiler Peck & Friends. Pop music […]

The Memories and Masks of Sri Lanka
By Husna Balaven   |   January 23, 2024

This art piece was inspired by my trip with Dunn School’s winter term program to Sri Lanka. I experienced so many colorful sights, flavorful foods, and intoxicating smells on my two-week-long adventure overseas. I went sightseeing and on shopping trips; walked the steps of the oldest Dutch fort in Asia; saw fin whales on a […]

Message from the Cold Spring School District Board
By Mike Marino   |   January 23, 2024

What an amazing year 2023 was for the Cold Spring School District. Cold Spring was once again the highest performing school district in California and named both a California Distinguished School and a California Exemplary Arts School. We saw the building of a new kitchen on campus and the creation of our culinary program to […]

Intro to Overture: UCSB’s Future Film Legends Seek Resources and Dangle Carrots
By Jeff Wing   |   December 19, 2023

I spoke with Writer/Director Iris Ortega Quevedo and Producer Isabella Leonard about their UCSB Film Studies project; a short, wordless feature called Overture that is already creating buzz. “Student film” suggests the fledgling efforts of young academic cinephiles feeling their way forward. On the other hand we have George Lucas’ THX 1138 [Star Wars], Greta […]

Program Explores the Meaning of Preaching
By Schuyler Leigh Johnson   |   December 5, 2023

Lilly Endowment Inc. has awarded Westmont College a $1.25 million grant to create a unique program exploring the meaning and value of in-person Christian preaching. At a time when much communication takes place online, remotely and impersonally, the Incarnational Preaching Project will invite active and aspiring preachers to investigate the value of preaching live to […]

Exploring Creation Care and the Cappadocian Fathers
By Scott Craig   |   November 14, 2023

Westmont senior Katie Knapp presented a paper about the thoughts and practices of the Cappadocian Fathers at the Great Lakes Theology Conference on Nov. 2-3 in Holland, Mich. The religious studies and environmental studies double major from Soquel, Calif., has been working on the major honors project about patristic creation care ethics with professors Helen […]

Director Dunn
By Richard Mineards   |   October 31, 2023

LynnRae Dunn, whose career in education philanthropy has spanned more than two decades, has been appointed director of development for the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara. A native of Napa and a first-generation college graduate, she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science at Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina, graduating summa cum laude. Dunn […]

Santa Barbara Education Foundation
Love of Literacy Luncheon
By Steven Libowitz   |   September 26, 2023

Having books in the home has been proven to positively benefit children in many different ways. One 20-year study found that the mere presence of a home library, no matter how small, not only increases children’s vocabulary development and literacy, but also leads to increases in attention, academic success, and, eventually, job attainment.  The Santa […]

Education, Technology Join at Impact Conference
By Scott Craig   |   August 15, 2023

Westmont’s annual Impact Conference brings together leading thinkers in education and technology to discuss the development of better data systems for colleges and universities. Co-hosted by Salesforce and Westmont’s Center for Applied Technology (CATLab), the free event takes place on campus Thursday, August 10, from 8am – 1:30pm. To register or get more information, please […]

On Education: Annika Wagner
By Stella Haffner   |   August 15, 2023

Most high schools in California require around 60 hours of community service in order to graduate. What does it mean when a student does 40 times that amount? Eighteen-year-old Annika Wagner is a 2023 graduate of Dos Pueblos High School. During her junior high and high school years, she completed more than 2,000 hours of […]

Welcome Chairman McGrew
By Richard Mineards   |   July 11, 2023

Danna McGrew, partner in the advisory and audit department of Bartlett, Pringle & Wolf, is the new chairman of the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara. Her two-year term started at the weekend. A Santa Barbara native, McGrew earned a bachelor’s degree in business economics at UCSB before joining the accounting firm in 1992. She was […]

UCSB Arts & Lectures
By Steven Libowitz   |   June 20, 2023

From DakhaBrakha and The Linda Lindas to Lang Lang and Ballet Preljocaj, UCSB Arts & Lectures’ 2022-2023 season included a luminous lineup of both world-renowned and up-and-coming musicians in a variety of genres, dance companies of far-reaching dimensions, and a full slate of forward-thinking and timely speakers and spoken word artists.  The season was a […]

Our Town’s 21st Annual Graduation Issue 2 of 3
By Joanne A Calitri   |   June 13, 2023

Our town’s schools are holding their graduations from May 21 through June 9th this year. The eight local school graduations are covered in order of occurrence.  This issue has Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the YMCA Preschool. The Montecito Journal wishes much success and congratulations to our graduates, school faculty, staff and parents! Our […]

Our Town’s 21st Annual Graduation Issue 1 of 3 
By Joanne A Calitri   |   June 6, 2023

Our town’s schools are holding their graduations from May 21 through June 9th this year. The eight local school graduations are covered in order of occurrence.  This issue has Cate School leading the charge with 71 graduates. The Montecito Journal wishes much success and offers congratulations to our graduates, school faculty, staff and parents! Cate […]

Scholarly Support
By Richard Mineards   |   June 6, 2023

The 61-year-old Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara has awarded a total of $148 million in grants to students, with nearly $7.2 million this year to 1,864 recipients, retiring board chairman Matt Rowe told 200 guests at the annual dinner at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum. The scheme started humbly six decades ago with the awarding […]

Brooke Green New Head of Laguna Blanca Lower School
By Joanne A Calitri   |   May 30, 2023

Laguna Blanca School has announced that Brooke Green M.Ed. will be taking on the role of Head of the Lower School Montecito commencing July 1, 2023. Green is an alumnus of Laguna Blanca School 1997, has been the Lower School’s third grade instructor and their Learning Specialist grades two through four since 2013; and taught […]

SBCC Moving Forward
By Richard Mineards   |   May 30, 2023

After days of May gray, the sun shone brightly when Santa Barbara City College Foundation hosted its 4th annual Spring Forward! gala on the campus’s Great Meadow with 320 guests raising around $450,000 for general funds. Chief Executive Officer Geoff Green welcomed the supportive crowd of staff, faculty, college trustees and volunteers, and auctioned off […]

Freedom 4 Youth
By Steven Libowitz   |   April 4, 2023

Freedom 4 Youth’s Director of Development & Advocacy Dylan Griffith and Executive Director Dr. Billi Jo Starr knew immediately what they wanted to highlight in this week’s Giving List column focusing on the nonprofit, whose mission it is to uplift and empower youth – those impacted by the criminal justice system – to build safe […]

Dunn School
By Steven Libowitz   |   March 14, 2023

Dunn School’s Kalyan Balaven, head of school for the private co-ed college prep boarding and day school in Los Olivos, had no idea of the floodgates that would open when he decided to find a way to help a student from the Ukraine who early last year was initially only seeking a few extra days […]

Summerland Elementary School Re-Opens
By Joanne A Calitri   |   February 14, 2023

On Saturday January 28, the Summerland Elementary School held a community-wide reception to celebrate the re-opening of the school. After being closed since summer 2021, this re-opening signifies a complete rebuild from the soil on up to new classrooms, a multi-purpose room, a library, an office and an outdoor playground funded by Measure U at […]