Love of Literacy Luncheon comes to Elings Park

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – More resources are on the way to increase child literacy in Santa Barbara County.

The second annual ‘Love of Literacy’ luncheon addressed this issue in education.

Many students can relate to a feeling of helplessness or even shame when they are unable to fully comprehend what is going on in class.

“I remember as a student sitting there listening to the teacher, looking at my my fellow students and trying to figure out what's happening,” said Superintendent Santa Barbara Unified School District Hilda Maldonado

Superintendent Hilda Maldonado is one of the many in Santa Barbara whose second language is English. She knows what it’s like to suffer in silence.

“When you feel disconnected and not belonging and invisible, it's very difficult to learn,” said Maldonado

Now Maldonado is working to make sure that no student feels unseen in the classroom. as superintendent, she oversees 18 schools that roughly 12,000 students occupy.

Literacy is at the forefront of her mission.

“Part of my life's work as an educator is to try to help people understand how to be a teacher for a student like I was,” said Maldonado.

Maldonado spoke to over 100 attendees at the second annual “Love of Literacy” luncheon this afternoon at Elings park in Santa Barbara.

She conveyed the importance of investing in people over programs to increase literacy in the classroom.

The goal was to raise funds and raise awareness about literacy in the district.

“When people are not able to read and write, it impacts their life, limits their job opportunities. Impacts our workforce development as a country, as a society,” said Executive Director Santa Barbara Education Foundation Pedro Paz.

Volunteer in schools, read to a child, donate books. It's going to take all of us working together to really make sure that kids get what they need,” said Maldonado.