Santa Barbara County Education Office's volunteer programs inspire students and local businesses to make connections

Young students can always use some help with homework, but sometimes their teachers need help too. Thanks to the Santa Barbara County Education Office’s Partners in Education, which oversees the Countywide Volunteer Program, students and businesses alike are able to get involved in the schools, meeting the needs of students, educators, and programs.  

In Santa Maria, the YMCA is the organization’s home base. Partners in Education mobilizes three important programs from there: Computers for Families, Paid Student Internship Program, and the Countywide Volunteer Program.  

click to enlarge Santa Barbara County Education Office's volunteer programs  inspire students and local businesses to make connections
PHOTO BY EDEN HOOD
CATHY CAN HELP: Partners in Education’s Countywide Volunteer Program Youth and Volunteer Coordinator Cathy Mendez said she is excited at the chance to work with students through her programs at the Santa Maria Valley YMCA.

Partners in Education has served the county since 1977, transitioning into a nonprofit organization in 2000. In 2016, 1,371 community members volunteered in 99 school and nonprofit sites across Santa Barbara County.  

The Countywide Volunteer Program’s mission is to make connections between corporations and education and to give students outlets to improve professional skills. Youth and Volunteer Coordinator Cathy Mendez works directly with those in the program, dispatching volunteers to classrooms in the city.  

“The program was created to serve the schools,” Mendez said.  “Sometimes the student-to-teacher ratio is very high, so our goal is to place volunteers in the classroom to help with extra tutoring or reading with students.”  

The Countywide Volunteer Program produces events in the community as well, such as career fairs, panels, mock job interviews, and guest lectures. Mendez told the Sun that bringing professionals into the schools makes big waves with students, showing them what it takes to be successful. 

click to enlarge Santa Barbara County Education Office's volunteer programs  inspire students and local businesses to make connections
PHOTO COURTESY OF PARTNERS IN EDUCATION
INTERVIEW IN ACTION: A participant in a mock interview gains professional experience through the Countywide Volunteer Program.

Along with volunteers for various mentoring and tutoring opportunities, the organization is always seeking willing businesses, community members, and professionals to inspire students in Santa Barbara County.  

Mendez shared what makes her job so gratifying, through a story of a young woman she saw grow through the volunteer program.  

“I had a young lady who once told me in her first week that she wanted to work in the fields after graduating high school,” she said. “By week six I asked the girl again what she was interviewing for that day. I asked her if she wanted to own the fields. I wasn’t going to let her tell me she only wanted to pick.”

After success with the Community Volunteer Program, the young woman moved on to work in customer service, Mendez said.  

Santa Barbara County Education Office's volunteer programs  inspire students and local businesses to make connections
BE THE CHANGE : A helping hand is always needed in the schools. Get involved with Partners in Education’s Countywide Volunteer Program at partnersined.sbceo.org/forms/htgi_signup.php.

Partners in Education always needs volunteers and support from local businesses. Their dedication to creating an enriching school environment with opportunities to connect businesses with future workforce inspires students to work hard and find their calling.

Intern Eden Hood can be reached through the editor at [email protected].

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