Teen and Early Adult Recreation

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.

View Current Job Openings

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, consider one of our volunteer opportunities.

Weekly Gardening at Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden
Join gardeners of all experience levels in caring for this beloved park. Volunteer opportunities are available each week. Parks staff will provide volunteers with guidance in proper pruning, mulching, deadheading, and weeding techniques and assign tasks. Drop-in volunteers are always welcome.

Weekly Rose Pruning at Mission Historical Park
Experienced volunteers are assigned a section of the garden to regularly prune and care for their roses at their convenience. In addition to this regular volunteer program, Rose Pruning Day takes place annually in January and brings many volunteers together to prune the garden in preparation for new spring growth!

Weekly Food Distributions
Volunteers are needed to help distribute food weekly at our three locations, Franklin Neighborhood Center, Parque de los Niños, and Westside Neighborhood Center.

All Volunteer Opportunities