A bright spot in education in these challenging times, the Goleta Education Foundation is thrilled and grateful to announce receipt of a $65,000 grant awarded by the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara to create a STEAM lab at El Camino School. The existing computer center, with fixed seating and outdated equipment, will be transformed with flexible seating, interactive monitors, laptops, and tablets. The lab will also be equipped with digital media production equipment, a green screen, and video design and editing software. Hands-on learning will promote student competency in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) in a new state of the art lab specially designed to encourage students to collaborate, design, think, read and write like scientists, engineers, and content creators. Several teachers at El Camino are primed to make full use of the lab, having previously received GEF Innovation Grants specifically designed to support creative exploration and application of a range of STEAM subjects. 

A small campus in the heart of the Goleta Valley, El Camino Elementary School will be the new Dual Language Immersion School for the Goleta Union School District (GUSD). El Camino currently has the highest poverty rate (73%) and the highest percentage of English learners (41%) in the school district. GUSD is contributing all labor costs for the renovation.

The Goleta Education Foundation engages the community to invest in and enhance an excellent educational experience for all students and all schools in the Goleta Union School District,  with the goal of creating parity across all educational programs.  The Goleta Education Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization. To learn more, please visit www.goletaed.org.