Organization: SANTA BARBARA POLICE ACTIVITIES
Mission: PROVIDE QUALITY ACTIVITIES FOR YOUTH TO BUILD POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH POLICE AND COMMUNITY.
Activities: THE PAL TWELVE35 TEEN CENTER, CENTRALLY LOCATED IN DOWNTOWN SANTA BARBARA, IS OPEN TO 11-18 YEAR OLD STUDENTS MONDAY-FRIDAY 3PM -6:30PM TO PROVIDE A SAFE HAVEN AND A POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT DESIGNED TO EXTEND THE LEARNING PERIOD OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AS WELL AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR TEENS TO RECEIVE MENTORING BY LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. TEEN CENTER ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS FOCUS ON THE FOLLOWING AREAS TO HELP TEENS DEVELOP INTO HEALTHY, WELL-ROUNDED MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY-EDUCATION: TUTORING IS AVAILABLE DAILY AT THE TEEN CENTER WITH BI-LINGUAL TUTORS PROVIDED BY CAL-SOAP AND WESTMONT COLLEGE. THE COMPUTER LAB IS AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS TO COMPLETE HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS AND PLAY EDUCATIONAL GAMES. GRADES AND ASSIGNMENT WORK IS MONITORED WEEKLY. PARTNERSHIP WITH WILDERNESS YOUTH PROJECT WITH WEEKLY EXCURSIONS TO LOCAL PARKS AND TRAILS. ART & CULTURE: MUSICOLOGY SANTA BARBARA INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP MUSIC LESSONS OFFERED 5 DAYS/WEEK. "IT'S A GIRL THING" MEETS WEEKLY WITH ALI CORTES AND A BOYS GROUP MEETS WEEKLY WITH MARCUS LOPEZ, BOTH SBUSD EMPLOYEES. SPORTS & HEALTH: DRAMATIC CUTS IN BOTH PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND AFTER-SCHOOL ATHLETICS AT SCHOOLS COMBINED WITH THE HIGH COST OF CLUB SPORTS, RESULTS IN MANY YOUTH NOT PARTICIPATING IN DAILY PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES. PAL HAS BROUGHT FITNESS AND NUTRITIONAL CONCEPTS TO THE TEEN CENTER TO HELP EDUCATE TEENS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF HEALTHY LIVING WHILE PROVIDING THEM WITH FUN STRUCTURED ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE THEIR OVERALL FITNESS. CURRENTLY, PAL OFFERS A WEEKLY JIU JITSU PROGRAM WITH PARAGON. THESE PROGRAMS NOT ONLY ENCOURAGE PHYSICAL HEALTH BUT ALSO INCLUDE THE ADDED BENEFITS OF SELF-DISCIPLINE, INCREASED SELF-ESTEEM BENEFITS, AND SOCIAL SKILLS.RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES: TEENS ARE INVITED TO ENJOY RECREATIONAL AND LEISURE ACTIVITIES IN OUR GAMING, VIDEO OR REC ROOM AFTER-SCHOOL AND DURING SCHOOL BREAKS.
TEEN LEADERSHIP IS COMPRISED OF THREE YOUTH DRIVEN PROGRAMS, YOUTH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL (YLC) AND THE SANTA BARBARA POLICE EXPLORER POST, AND THE TEEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE (TAC).YOUTH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL: COMPOSED OF HIGHLY MOTIVATED AND DEDICATED HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS REFERRED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS, YLC MEMBERS GO THROUGH AN EXTENSIVE INTERVIEW PROCESS, ARE REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN A 2.5 GPA AND TO PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS. THE WEEKLY YLC MEETINGS ENCOURAGE PARTICIPANTS TO COMPLETE THEIR EDUCATION, TO PREPARE FOR POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION, AND TO LEARN AND DEMONSTRATE LEADERSHIP AND TEAMWORK SKILLS. YLC MEMBERS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME SELF-RESPONSIBLE, TO GIVE BACK TO PAL & THEIR COMMUNITY, AND TO SERVE AS ROLE MODELS FOR THEIR FRIENDS AND SIBLINGS. YLC MEMBERS ATTEND TWO YOUTH LEADERSHIP CONFERENCES EACH YEAR: CAL-PAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP ACADEMY IN ANAHEIM AND PAL'S COPS & KIDS CAMP. THESE EVENTS PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE TEENS TO INTERACT WITH THEIR PEERS FROM ACROSS THE STATE AND FROM WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITY TO DEVELOP LEADERSHIP SKILLS THEY WILL UTILIZE TO BETTER THEIR PAL AND THEIR COMMUNITIES.SANTA BARBARA POLICE EXPLORER POST: THE EXPLORER POST PROVIDES AN EDUCATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAM FOR YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS ON THE PURPOSES, MISSION, AND OBJECTIVES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PUBLIC SAFETY. RIGOROUS IN NATURE, THE PROGRAM HELPS TO DEVELOP YOUNG PEOPLE INTO GOOD CITIZENS, CARING AND HELPFUL COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AS WELL AS PREPARE THEM FOR THE POLICE ACADEMY AND A CAREER IN PUBLIC SAFETY. THE PROGRAM CONSISTS OF WEEKLY 3 HOUR MEETINGS, WHICH INCLUDE PHYSICAL & MENTAL TRAINING, INSPECTIONS, COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS, AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS. THE POST MEMBERS WEAR UNIFORMS, HAVE A RANKING STRUCTURE AND ARE EXPECTED ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE DEPARTMENT. APPROXIMATELY 80% OF THE POST IS BELOW THE POVERTY LINE, HISPANIC AND FIRST GENERATION AMERICANS. EXPLORERS PARTICIPATE IN COMPETITIONS THROUGHOUT THE STATE TO TEST THEIR SKILLS AGAINST THEIR PEERS FROM OTHER POSTS AND TO RECEIVE FURTHER MENTORING FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL.TEEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE: COMPOSED OF JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO MEET WEEKLY TO PLAN TEEN CENTER ACTIVITIES.COMMUNITY SERVICE: A CORNERSTONE OF OUR LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS IS REINFORCING A POSTIVE COMMUNITY SPIRIT WHERE THE TEENS LEARN TO GIVE BACK AND HELP BUILD A STRONGER, UNIFIED COMMUNITY.
CAMPERSHIP ALLIANCE IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN PAL AND 15 OTHER AGENCIES TO PROVIDE SUMMER CAMP SCHOLARSHIPS TO QUALIFIED YOUTH AGES 3-18. PAL OPERATES AS THE CENTRAL HUB FOR QUALIFYING, REGISTERING AND ALLOCATING MORE THAN 500 SUMMER CAMP SCHOLARSHIPS, AS WELL AS PROVIDING TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM THE CAMPS AS NEEDED. PRIOR TO THE CAMPERSHIP ALLIANCE, LOW-INCOME FAMILIES WOULD HAVE TO CONTACT EACH AGENCY INDEPENDENTLY TO SECURE A CAMP SCHOLARSHIP, A CHALLENGE FOR NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING PARENTS, PARENTS WORKING MORE THAN ONE JOB AND PARENTS WITHOUT A MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION. MANY SCHOLARSHIPS WERE GOING UNUSED DUE TO LACK OF RESOURCE OF THOSE MOST IN NEED. THE CAMPERSHIP ALLIANCE BREAKS DOWN THESE BARRIERS BY BRINGING THE APPLICATION, QUALIFYING AND ALLOCATING PROCESS UNDER ONE ROOF.
NTEE category: Youth Development
Secondary category: Crime & Legal-Related