FUN IN THE SUN

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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, Fun in the Sun has expanded its academic curriculum and services to position itself as a holistic space to support students in grades 2nd - 5th and their families throughout the summer. The program also includes 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.

Enrollment for Fun in the Sun 2025 is now open.

Please visit the link below for the campus you would like to enroll your student in.

Carpinteria Campus (Existing Participants) 

Carpinteria Campus (New Participants) 

Goleta Campus 

Solvang Campus

Santa Barbara East Campus

Santa Barbara West Campus

For questions about enrollment, please contact Nadine Vasquez at nvasquez2@unitedwaysb.org or 805-882-0508.

Volunteer with Fun in the Sun! 

Students in 9th - 12th grade are welcome to join the program as Leaders-In-Training. Learn more about the program here. 

To enroll your student as a Leader-In-Training, please click the link below for the site you would like to participate in. 

Carpinteria

Mountain View 

Franklin Elementary 

Monroe Elementary 

Solvang Elementary 

For questions about the Leaders-In-Training program, please contact Nadine Vasquez at nvasquez2@unitedwaysb.org or 805-882-0508.

2024 Fun in the Sun Program Video

2024  |  Program Services

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.