Edhat StaffJuly 1 marked new additions to Partners in Education’s Board of Directors, including Santa Barbara City College President Anthony E. Beebe, PhD, EdD, who began serving as board president.
“Partners in Education’s mission to connect businesses and community members with ways to support education is personal for me,” says Dr. Beebe. “As someone whose own career path wasn’t always clear, I especially appreciate the way Partners creates opportunities to expose students to a wide variety of both higher education and career options.”
“I have already seen how intentional and genuine Dr. Beebe is in his approach to everything, and I very much look forward to working with him this year,” notes Partners in Education executive director Chelsea Duffy. “His leadership is also timely. Thanks to the SBCC Promise, more of our local youth have the opportunity to pursue higher education than ever before. It’s our job then, as community members with a vested interest, to arm students with the knowledge and perspective they need to make choices that align with their unique talents and interests. Sometimes all it takes is a personal story from a volunteer for a student’s mind to be opened up to a career path never considered before.”
Each year, Partners in Education coordinates thousands of volunteers—mostly professionals from local businesses—to participate in guest speaking, career days, mock job interviews, resume coaching, and even classroom or afterschool tutoring.
Other board additions include County Superintendent of Schools Susan Salcido as the new board secretary and Terrain Consulting Principal Brian Robinson as the new Computers for Families Committee chair.
Partners in Education fulfills needs in K-12 schools and youth programs through the coordination of volunteer and business resources. The organization was formed by local business and education leaders in 1977, and is administered by the Santa Barbara County Education Office. Thanks to the power of partnerships, more than 200,000 volunteer hours have been served at K-12 campuses and youth-serving nonprofits across Santa Barbara County, more than 11,000 computers have been delivered to families in need, and 500 plus high school students have received paid job readiness training and internship experience in the workplace.
