Teens and Early Adults

Learn to cook and discover careers in the culinary arts!

Our FREE Chef Apprentice Program is designed for teens at all Santa Barbara high schools. The interactive, hands-on classes are held after school in a safe environment (licensed commercial kitchen), led by nurturing and engaging culinary professionals.

Apprentices learn healthy nutritional and cooking skills, which will soon be needed as they live on their own after high school graduation. Each week Apprentices take home the prepared meals to share with their families.

Subjects Include:

• Health and safety standards
• Nutrition and dietary planning
• Practical and basic skills for food preparation
• Bread making
• Cake making and decorating
• Canning fruits and vegetables
• Budget development
• Fancy napkin folding, floral design, and table setting

Class Locations
Monday classes are held at the Franklin Neighborhood Center, 1136 East Montecito Street.
Tuesday classes are held at the Westside Neighborhood Center, 423 West Victoria Street.

Register
Registration is now closed for our 2024 program. 

Contact
Michelle McDonnell
(805) 897-2652
MMcDonnell@SantaBarbaraCA.gov

The Santa Barbara Arts Alliance is a FREE art-based mentoring program that provides leadership and life skills development opportunities through hands-on service projects.

The Arts Alliance encourages youth to take lead roles in developing, planning, and implementing service projects including graffiti abatement, neighborhood clean-ups, and the creation and installation of murals in public spaces previously plagued by graffiti vandalism.

The program is based at the Franklin Neighborhood Center. 

Contact
Ricardo Venegas
(805) 897-2547
RVenegas@SantaBarbaraCA.gov

The Junior Counselor program is designed for teens ages 13-17 to earn volunteer service hours and develop and strengthen their leadership skills while assisting summer camp counselors with daily activities. 

REGISTER

The Job Apprentice Program was developed to provide youth participants with opportunities to receive “hands-on” training and experiences in a variety of occupational areas within the City of Santa Barbara.

The program helps youth build positive community relationships and assists them in developing self-awareness and life skills by empowering participants to build on and strengthen their own support bases.

Contact
Nicole Morgan
(805) 897-2582
NMorgan@SantaBarbaraCA.gov

The City Council established the United Youth Empowered in 1994 which became the Youth Council in 1997. Both the United Youth Empowered and the Youth Council were created to function as a voice for teens by facilitating youth forums, youth publications, and planning teen activities. For many years, the Youth Council functioned as an advisory board for Teen Programs, the Parks and Recreation Commission and City Council.

The Youth Council has served as a youth voice on the creation of City policies and the coordination and development of facilities and activities for teens in the community.

General Functions

• Represent community youth to ensure their concerns, issues, and viewpoints are presented.
• Identify concerns, interests, and needs of Santa Barbara youth and make recommendations to the City Council, Parks and Recreation Commission, and Parks and Recreation Department staff.
• Promote and encourage youth interest and participation in community affairs.
• Gather youth and community input through civic engagement activities. Create and/or support opportunities for public discussion through forums, meetings, workshops and conferences. Share information gathered and make recommendations as appropriate.
• Collaborate and/or engage with other community agencies, advisory bodies, or youth groups in areas of mutual concern and benefit.
• Recommend to City Council, various city departments and agencies, as appropriate, changes in procedures, policies, and/or legislation pertinent to youth in the Santa Barbara.

Committee Functions   

Membership
15 members. The Youth Council may appoint up to five non-voting junior high school members.

Qualifications
Members must be between the ages of 13 - 19 years. Eight of the 15 members must be residents of the City.

• Nine members representing three SBUSD high schools
• Two members from local alternative, community, or continuation high schools
• Two members from local private high school or independent studies
• Two members at large

Length of Term
Members serve two-year terms, July 1st - June 30th. Members may be appointed to multiple terms. City Council may appoint a successor for vacant positions.

Meeting Schedule
The Youth Council meets the first and third Monday of each month at 5:15 p.m. in Council Chambers, 735 Anacapa Street (upstairs at City Hall). *During the months of July and August the Youth Council meets once per month on a date and time decided by the Youth Council.

Time Involved
Approximately 10 -20 hours per month for meetings and activities.

Financial Disclosure Requirement = None

Compensation = None

Contact
Nicole Morgan
(805) 897-2582
NMorgan@SantaBarbaraCA.gov 

Reference
City Council Resolution 12-018

The Parks and Recreation Department offers a variety of hourly positions including lifeguards, camp counselors, and more.

Parks and Recreation offers a variety of volunteer opportunities. If you care deeply about community service, love the outdoors, appreciate our city parks, or want to learn about horticulture or restoration work, we have the job for you! Check our events calendar for special volunteer event opportunities.

Get involved with:

Weekly Food Distributions
Volunteers are needed to help distribute food weekly at our three locations:

• Westside Neighborhood Center
  423 West Victoria Street
  Every Monday at 1:00 p.m.
   
• Parque de los Niños
  520 Wentworth Street
  First and Second Tuesdays of the month at 1 p.m.
   
• Franklin Neighborhood Center
  1136 E. Montecito Street
  Every Thursday at 1:00 p.m. and every third Tuesday of the month at 1:30 p.m.

Please contact Annette Guadarrama at AGuadarrama@SantaBarbaraCA.gov and start the onboarding process today!

Weekly Gardening at Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden
Every Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Drop-in volunteers welcome.
Light pruning, weeding, deadheading, mulching, and raking under the direction of onsite staff.
Bring water and sun protection; hand tools and gloves if you have them, a limited supply is available.

Weekly Rose Pruning at Mission Historical Park
Regularly prune and care for your assigned section of the garden. Additional direction is provided by staff members when needed.
Experienced volunteers only; contact ParksAndRec@SantaBarbaraCA.gov for information on becoming a rose garden volunteer.