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Youth Interactive: young artist painting sunburst on floor
$ 60,000 grant
2013-14
Youth Interactive Santa Barbara

Operating in a storefront in Santa Barbara's gang-neutral Funk Zone since 2012, Media4Good's Youth Interactive Santa Barbara (YISB) offers an indoor learning classroom and an open-air workshop for large art projects. Its purpose is to provide underserved youth with the skills, creativity, knowledge and experience that today's businesses demand. Using technology, entrepreneurship and arts classes, YISB staff helps students develop business ideas, write business plans, pitch to funders, learn teamwork and launch real businesses. The Women's Fund grant gave operational and capacity support for the YISB programs for an entire semester. It serves 100-130 students aged 10 to 24, largely from low-income, minority families. The grant included stipends for instructors, materials for students, and two staff salaries.