FUN IN THE SUN

 

Fun in the Sun Logo

Since 1997, United Way of Santa Barbara County has provided Fun in the Sun, a national award-winning summer learning collaborative program involving 80 service delivery partners, 20+ funding partners, and over 600 volunteers. Originally designed to address summer learning loss, FITS has expanded its academic curriculum and services to position itself as a holistic space to support students and their families throughout the summer. Enriched with a robust mindfulness program, STEAM activities, mentorship opportunities, environmental education, and field trips, the program offers hundreds of students and families throughout the community with an enriching summer experience.


2024 Program Dates:

Mary Buren Elementary: June 17th - July 26th, 2024

Aliso Elementary: June 17th - July 31st, 2024

Hollister Elementary: June 24th - July 26th, 2024

SY Valley: June 17th - July 26th, 2024

Santa Barbara: TBA

 

Enrollment for Fun In The Sun 2024 in Carpinteria, Goleta, and Guadalupe is open now!

Enrollment for  Santa Barbara and Solvang coming soon.

 

 

 

Fun in the Sun RequirementsFun in the Sun Requirements ESP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enrollment for 2024 Fun In The Sun Leader-in-Training program is coming soon!

Participants at FITS

Fun in the Sun 2024 Employment Opportunities:

Volunteer with Lunch Bunch!

As part of United Way's Fun in the Sun program, we offer an hour-long volunteer opportunity for community members called "Lunch Bunch." Lunch Bunch gives volunteers an opportunity to play games and interact with students in the program, fostering positive adult engagement for the kids and giving volunteers the opportunity to mentor students and share about their lives and career. 

Volunteer

2023 Fun in the Sun Program Video

 

2023   Program Services

 

Adult Mentorship

Character Education

Daily Reading/Writing

Environmental Education

Expression through Arts

Family Fun Nights

Financial Literacy Training

Field Trips

Free Health Services

Free Lunch & Snack Daily

Mindfulness Curriculum & Activities

Nutrition & Health Education

Parent Education Seminars

Self-Esteem Building Activities

Service-Learning

STEAM Education

Sun Safety Education

Swim Lessons

Team-Building Activities

 

2023  |  Results

 

Results of the 2022 FITS program


 

Why Fun in the Sun?

Local data suggests that parents of students eligible for the Fun in the Sum summer program work on average, 2.2 jobs each. As school lets out for the summer, many parents from low-resource communities struggle to balance an intense workload and lack of resources with the needs of their children. Despite best efforts, many of these children spend the summer alone, without access to learning tools and basic needs that are offered during the traditional school year, like reading help and daily meals and snacks. These students are at the highest risk for summer learning loss, a major contributor to the achievement gap between students from low and high-income households. 

Fun in the Sun provides students and their families with unique and engaging learning experiences to reduce and reverse summer learning loss and narrow the achievement gap, ensuring academic success during the school year and beyond.

 


 

Service Delivery Partners | Fun in the Sun 2023

School Districts 

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College School District

Carpinteria Unified School District

Goleta Union School District

Guadalupe Union School District

Santa Barbara Unified School District

Solvang School District

Community Organizations 

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Alisal River Course

Allan Hancock College

Assistance League of Santa Barbara County

Art with Louie

Bank of California 

Bike Coalition

CalSOAP

Carpinteria Community Pool 

Carpinteria Library

Cottage Health 

Creative Network 

Dana Adobe

Drum Tiki 

Explore Ecology

Fishing Club 

Goleta Sanitary

Goleta Valley Library 

Key Class

Kid's Farmers Market

Lost Art of Love Letters 

MarBorg Industries

Montecito Bank & Trust

Montecito Family YMCA 

MOXI - The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation 

 

 

 

Montecito Union School - Nature Lab 

NASA Globe Program 

Nature Track 

One Cool Earth

Pacific Conservatory

Procore

Salesforce

Santa Barbara Public Library

Santa Maria Library

Santa Barbara Maritime Museum

Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara

SEEAG

Santa Maria Humane Society 

Solvang Library 

Stuart C. Gildred YMCA

Super Bee

Santa Ynez Therapeutic Riding 

TVSB

UC Santa Barbara 

Westmont College 

Wilding Museum 

Yoga with Kimberly 

Youth Arts Alive