The Bici Centro DIY Community Bike Shop

The Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition aims to empower local residents to use their bikes for transportation on a more regular basis. The organization offers a number of opportunities for Santa Barbara residents to learn about bicycle safety and repair through the Bici Centro community bike shop. Bici Centro teaches individuals how to repair their bikes using the shop’s tools, expert guidance, and parts for just $5 per hour of stand time. The shop offers a safe environment for people with no bike repair experience to learn about proper maintenance.

In addition to its DIY bike repair program, Bici Centro refurbishes bikes, which it sells to the community at reduced prices in order to make them more accessible. The shop, which largely relies on the generosity of donors, accepts donations of used bikes and parts, which it uses to refurbish and repair other bicycles. Donated working bikes are inspected before they are resold at an affordable price to local youth. The shop encourages individuals to donate their bikes and parts, even if they are unsure about the quality, as volunteers sort through donations and recycle anything that is unusable.                            

The Phil Womble Ethics in Sports Award at SBART

To recognize athletic excellence in the local community, the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table (SBART) gives out a number of awards. Among these is the Phil Womble Ethics in Sports Award, which honors student athletes who have demonstrated a strong commitment to sportsmanship and an understanding of ethics. By giving this award to student athletes in Santa Barbara, SBART aims to promote positive conduct both on and off the field and to encourage athletes to work on their character and attitude as much as their athletic prowess.

The coaching staff and athletic directors at each high school choose award recipients from among students in their junior year. Some of the criteria for receiving the award include having respect for teammates and opponents alike, demonstrating an honest and optimistic attitude, placing others before themselves, and putting the well-being of the team in front of personal interests.

Phil Womble, the award’s namesake, is a local author and sports historian who struggles with cerebral palsy. Despite this major challenge, he has used sports as a means of creating fellowship within the community.                            

Support Santa Barbara Students with Annual and Endowed Funds

The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara helps high school students in Santa Barbara County, California, realize their dreams of higher education by connecting them to annual scholarship opportunities. The average scholarship offered by the organization is $2,500, which represents the starting donation for creating an annual scholarship fund.

At present, the foundation administers annual scholarship funds on behalf of families, businesses, individuals, nonprofits, and civic groups. Donors have the option to renew their gift annually and can establish specific selection criteria to fund students interested in a particular academic field or in a certain demographic. The foundation charges no administrative fees, so 100 percent of donated funds go directly to students.

Gifts of $50,000 or more can establish an endowed scholarship fund, meaning the foundation will invest the principal and use returns to fund scholarships in perpetuity. Donors designate names for their funds and receive written profiles about each of the students the funds support. In addition, scholarship recipients send thank-you notes throughout the year with updates on their studies.

The Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition Pedal Power Program

In partnership with multiple area educational organizations, the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition offers the Pedal Power program for children ages 10 to 16. A sort of “driver’s ed” for cyclists, the program teaches children how to operate their bikes safely on city streets and share roadways with cars. Lessons include signaling intentions to other bikers and drivers, as well as basic bike handling skills. Students also have the opportunity to explore bike mechanics and learn how to care for their own bicycles.

After children understand the basics of maneuvering on a bike, they can explore Santa Barbara together through guided field trips that give them practical, firsthand experience. Pedal Power ultimately aims to give children the skills and confidence they need to get around the city on a bicycle.

For students using their own bikes, Pedal Power teachers provide a checklist to ensure that the bicycle is in proper working order and that no components need to be fixed or replaced. Participants who do not yet have their own bikes have the chance to earn a refurbished bicycle from the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition Bici Centro project when they finish the course.

The Lotusland Fourth-Grade Outreach and Education Program

 As part of its work to preserve the historic estate of Madame Ganna Walska, Lotusland cares for a unique array of plants and elaborate gardens. The organization seeks to recognize the importance of plants in the daily lives of humans and nonhumans alike. Keeping education as a central focus, Lotusland invites all fourth-grade classes in southern Santa Barbara County, California, to participate in an environmental outreach program that ties directly into life science lessons taught as part of the public school curriculum.

The educators at Lotusland work closely with each school to design an educational program that will meet the expectations of teachers and engage students. Schools incur no cost by participating in the program, which includes classroom presentations on basic concepts of botany followed by tours of Lotusland. The latter half of the program emphasizes hands-on learning experiences that reinforce the lessons taught in the classroom. As students leave Lotusland, each receives a succulent plant and instructions on how to care.                            

Exciting Volunteer Opportunities at Storyteller Children’s Center

 Located in Santa Barbara, California, Storyteller Children’s Center offers early childhood education for at-risk and homeless youth at no cost. In addition, the organization provides a wide range of support services for the families of these children. The center relies on the teachers and volunteers to keep its programs running. Volunteers can use their skills in a wide range of positions, from hands-on work with children to committee positions and other leadership opportunities.

Many volunteers choose to work directly with children served by the center. These high-risk children between the ages of 18 months and 6 years require individualized attention to help increase their development. Other volunteers engage children with reading and writing exercises in English and Spanish during story time. Volunteers also encourage creative development by guiding children through various art projects.

Working with Storyteller provides individuals with the opportunity to make a real impact on the lives of children in their community. Those interested in volunteering can learn more at StorytellerCenter.org.