
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.
2023 Program Dates:
Mary Buren Elementary: June 12th - July 21st, 2023
Santa Ynez Elementary: June 19th - July 28th, 2023
Hollister Elementary: June 19th - July 28th, 2023
Aliso Elementary: June 19th - July 28th, 2023
Franklin Elementary: June 20th - 28th, 2023
McKinley Elementary: June 20th - July 28th 2023
Apply for the 2023 Fun in the Sun program:
Apply for the 2023 Leaders-in-Training (formerly CIT) program:
Fun in the Sun 2023 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.
2023 Fun in the Sun Program Video
2022 | 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 |
2022 | Results
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