Our Partnerships

Education

Creating learning opportunities for exceptional local youth

Learning opportunities that help students unlock their full potential are the way up for many motivated young people, and the way forward for our entire community. We believe that every effort should be made to ensure the availability of those options to high-achieving youth throughout Santa Barbara’s diverse neighborhoods. We support innovative educational programs that assist exceptional K-12 students in low-income families pursue their goals to reach their full potential and become catalysts for change in their communities.

Paving a Path to College

Mission Scholars helps deserving scholars apply to, get into, pay for, and succeed in college and post-graduation. The program was developed by co-founders Cassie Lancaster, Kim Phillips, and Katie Kinsella, who recognized how many truly extraordinary students were being left behind.

“Our program helps bright students select the right college and get accepted, and then we work with them the entire time to ensure they thrive academically and socially,” said Cassie. “We are exceptionally grateful to the Mosher Foundation for joining us in believing that every student in our community who works hard in school deserves an opportunity to succeed in college and beyond.” missionscholars.org

We support stand-out education programs for students who might otherwise not have access to those opportunities. Mission Scholars delivers life changing help to students who will then be well-positioned to make valuable contributions to their communities and in the larger society.”

— Sue Birch
Mosher Foundation Education Program Specialist

Unlocking a Child’s World Through Reading

Faced with online learning in 2020, local schools found it challenging to teach some children how to read. United Way stepped up with the United Learning Center, a free, in-person literacy tutoring program for K-6th grade students. In partnership with the Housing Authority and Santa Barbara Unified School District, ULC offers small group and 1:1 twice-weekly instruction. Children are individually assessed and work under custom learning plans at three ULC locations housed at Harding University Partnership Elementary School, Franklin Elementary School, and the Housing Authority’s Family Opportunity Center. Since launching, ULC has helped 240 children and their families embrace reading, and demand for the successful program continues to grow.

“Most students drag their feet to the first day of class. By day 30, they are skipping with a big smile into a place where reading is fun,” said Melinda Cabrera, Vice President of United Way of Santa Barbara County. “And the results speak volumes—on average, ULC graduates demonstrate a two-grade level gain in literacy skills.” unitedway.org

Learning to read unlocks the world for a child and includes more than just understanding the words. ULC provides tools to build student confidence and engagement in the classroom and the community, and those are important skills for life-long success.”

— Yvette Birch Giller
Mosher Foundation President