Chumash Foundation donates over $70,000 to schools for technology improvements
SANTA YNEZ, Calif. – The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation donated $72,000 to six local schools through its Technology in Schools Program.
Funds from the grant are dedicated to assisting Santa Barbara County schools that struggle to meet the classroom technology needs of their students.
"It’s great to see the innovative ways teachers and administrators in our community use technology to support their key programs and keep their students engaged."
Kenneth Kahn, Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Tribal Chairman
The program encourages Santa Barbara County school administrators and faculty to apply for technology grant dollars to fund specific projects. Such grants allow schools to purchase hardware, upgrade infrastructure, add high-tech resources and boost their curriculum.
Recipient schools for the 2023-2024 grant include:
1. Santa Ynez Valley Christian Academy
Santa Ynez Valley Christian Academy was awarded $15,000, which will go toward purchasing 50 new Google Chromebooks.
2. Dunn School in Los Olivos
Dunn School was awarded $15,000, which will go toward renovating its current library space into a multimedia center, part of their efforts to educate students to their fullest potential in preparation for a life of learning and responsible leadership in society.
3. Carpinteria High School
Carpinteria High School was awarded $14,500 and will use this funding to purchase a projector, laptops, iPads, computers and a PA system to help create a teen center. The goal of the teen center is to foster positive mental health in a safe space, where teens receive academic and emotional support by bridging the gap between education, sports and afterschool programs.
4. Lompoc High School
Lompoc High School was awarded $10,848 and will use this funding to help upgrade the lighting system in the Lompoc High Little Theatre. The high school was also awarded a separate $5,330 grant that will help purchase lab equipment for science classes.
5. Cabrillo High School in Lompoc
Cabrillo High School was awarded $10,000 and will use this funding to purchase and install a Neptune Systems monitoring system for a proposed reef exhibit in the school’s aquarium, part of the program’s Coastal Gallery Project. Through its aquarium, the school aims to promote cross-curricular, hands-on education and strives to emphasize its message of global marine awareness throughout the international community.
6. La Honda STEAM Academy in Lompoc
La Honda STEAM Academy was awarded $2,000 and will use this funding to purchase hardware for a mini projector and whiteboard project that will eliminate paper use in classrooms. The academy’s mission is to nurture curious, independent learners who demonstrate success through collaborative, challenging project-based learning.
The deadline to apply for the 2024-25 school year is April 30, 2024, and all applications must be submitted online at www.chumash.gov/foundation.
For more information and to access applications, please visit www.chumash.gov/foundation or call 805-688-7997.
