Active inquiry-oriented learning, especially in outdoor settings, has been shown to support improvement in language skills and the development of curiosity, self-confidence, and mental health among elementary-aged students. A $100,000 Women’s Fund grant to the Santa Barbara Education Foundation for an Outdoor Learning Classroom at Harding University Partnership School will provide new opportunities for exploring the natural environment through a variety of interdisciplinary investigations. In addition, the neighboring community will also be able to use the classroom after school hours until dusk.

Located on the westside of Santa Barbara, the school educates an economically disadvantaged student population, with 100% eligible for free meals. Students such as these often have less access to green spaces than more economically advantaged students. According to Harding’s principal, Veronica Binkley, one of the fourth-grade teachers reported that more than half her students had never been to a beach—in Santa Barbara or elsewhere. More than half the student body are also Emergent Multilingual Learners, which can affect student achievement across subject areas.

Working in concert with the school’s STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Music) Lab, the Outdoor Learning Classroom will include a climbing mound, nature path, water-play station, reading teepee, multi-sensory gardens, and other spaces for inquiry, play, and performance. Teachers will be trained in using questions to stimulate learning and conversation through “Talk Communities” that involve children in highly engaging, developmentally appropriate activities focused on language, physical activity, curiosity, and social-emotional development.

As Principal Binkley commented when she accepted the grant last year, “The acronym for Harding's Outdoor Project of Education is HOPE. And that's what this grant provides. This courtyard transition is the first step towards transforming our entire outdoor space into a rich learning environment for students during the day and an oasis for our community in the evenings and on weekends.”

Women leaving legacies: The Women’s Fund Legacy Society is a way for you to contribute to the Women’s Fund endowment through current donations or bequests in your estate planning. 

Joining the Legacy Society is easy. You are eligible when you:

• Make an endowment gift of $10,000 or more
• Give cumulative gifts to the endowment totaling $10,000 over time
• Make a planned gift by including the Women’s Fund in your estate plans for any amount

Volunteers are the magic ingredient that makes the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara work. It’s a great way to put your time and talents to good use and to meet other women who share an interest in local philanthropy. We’re growing and need you more than ever, so please consider joining our volunteer team.

Geordie Scully and Jamie Collins, Santa Barbara County Women's Commissioners for District 1, nominated the Women’s Fund to receive this year’s Commission for Women Service Award for the district from the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors. The award recognizes and honors the achievements of local organizations that contribute significantly to the well-being of women in our community.

Women’s Fund Chair Jamie Dufek accepted the award at the County Board of Supervisors meeting on March 21st. Das Williams, Chair of the County Board of Supervisors, expressed his support of the Women’s Fund and acknowledged the investment it has been making in the community.