The United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County

The United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County’s mission is to enable all young people – especially those most in need – to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens. The clubs, now five strong stretching from Carpinteria to Santa Ynez – including locations on Santa Barbara’s west side and in Goleta – offer a full range of services, from academic support and mentorship to creative arts and sports programs. It’s all part of an effort to nurture the whole child; fostering confidence, resilience, and a sense of belonging by providing what is essentially a second home where children can explore their passions, build lasting relationships, and develop the skills they need for a bright future. 

Collectively, UBGC annually serves more than 5,000 youth, their ages ranging from kindergarten through high school. UBGC’s programs include offerings in Education (Power Hour with individual tutoring, and College Bound with help on applications, visiting campuses, and more), Health and Life skills (featuring social and emotional learning plus snacks and supper), The Arts (ceramics, painting, theater, choral singing, and the Note for Notes instrument/instruction partnership), and Athletics (basketball, flag football and soccer). 

What’s astounding is that UBGC does all this at a cost of just $40 a year per student member. That used to translate to 19 cents a day, but with the clubs’ expanded hours and days – it’s now open on Saturdays – it’s closer to 13 cents.

“And we don’t charge them if the family can’t afford it,” said Michael Baker, United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County’s Chief Executive Officer. “Almost 70% of our memberships qualify for the free and reduced lunch program at schools, which means the participant lives on or below the poverty line. We don’t ever turn anyone away for lack of the ability to pay.” 

But the nominal fee doesn’t affect the quality of the programming, all of which is 100% youth-oriented, with every moment geared toward supporting the kids and helping the children to grow in a variety of ways. 

“Nobody does what we do to the level that we do it,” Baker said. “We are the only facility based youth service organization that’s only for children. We are completely kid-centric. Our staff are trained professionally to work with children, and the facilities are only for children. That’s what we do.” 

During the school year, the clubs spring into action after classes end in the early afternoon, with an array of activities including Power Hour – a study hall for its student members to concentrate on finishing homework, studying or reading. The College & Career Bound program is focused on securing plans of action for junior high and high school students, in support of graduation and confidence in their future after high school.

“We provide snacks and dinner, and there’ll be at least 45 minutes of physical activity that the kids will go through,” Baker said. “We expose them to art programming, technology programming, and leadership programming.” 

For middle school and older kids, the Clubs put a special emphasis on working with the children to make sure that they are on track to graduate high school on time with a plan for the future, Baker said. The plan includes one of four outcomes: going to a two- or four-year school, going directly into the workforce, going to a trade school, or going right into the military. 

“We want to make sure that every child that comes to our organization already has a plan in place the day they graduate from high school, and they’re ready to execute it,” Baker said. “Our job is to help them get to that point.”

Baker is particularly proud of the summer months, when the Boys & Girls Clubs are open all day long, critical for families whose parents work and wouldn’t have any other place for their children to spend time. The benefits are endless. 

“They’re on the free lunch program at school, but for a lot of those kids, when there’s no school, there’s no breakfast or lunch. Just being open and feeding children is very important,” Baker said. “But our programming also makes sure that we’re keeping kids on track throughout the summer, so they avoid what’s called ‘summer learning loss’ for children who grow up in more challenging circumstances. Studies show that without summer programs like ours, those kids are three years behind in reading and math skills by the time they enter the seventh grade.”

The Clubs’ Summer Brain Gain offers one-week modules with fun, themed activities for elementary school, middle school, and high school students that are aligned with common core anchor standards. The project-based learning approach means youth stay engaged in a process of learning through discovery, creative expression, group work, and a final project or production. 

UBGC also operates Camp Whittier, a 94-acre affordable summer camp that boasts a variety of activities, including field trips, hikes, athletics, and a camping trip for older members. 

Taken in total, those programs all have a lot of impact. United Boys & Girls Clubs reports that 96% of its members are on target to graduate, 80% regularly attend the clubs, and 66% engage in physical activity at least five days a week. 

All of that, of course, takes financial support, including donations from philanthropists and the local community. While there are any number of ways to support the Clubs, a fun way to rev up your engines is just a short six weeks away. The weekend of September 12-13 is when the 2025 Rally4Kids once again rolls into the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club. UBGC’s flagship fundraising event, co-founded and co-chaired by Montecito’s Monte Wilson, is now in its 10th year. Rally4Kids features a daylong rally, when drivers wind through some of the Central Coast and Santa Ynez Valley’s most picturesque roads in a spirited competition designed to test skills, creativity, teamwork and (much like the Clubs’ members) problem-solving abilities through a series of exciting checkpoint challenges. The rally participants then return to the Polo Club for a special Paris Nights Gala al fresco under the stars, a sophisticated evening filled with gourmet French-inspired cuisine, live entertainment, and an auction. 

The youth served by the Clubs are the ultimate beneficiaries of the rally, which organizers are fond of saying creates brighter futures one mile at a time, as every dollar raised goes directly toward the nonprofit. 

“It’s a very fun way to get involved,” said Baker, who has participated as a team member in the Rally4Kids in past years. “But general support is always needed. People support us because they know we get the job done. We do really good work and we stretch the dollar further than anybody we really do. And we’ve got a very good reputation in the community. But if someone still needs convincing about what it is we do, I would personally invite anybody that reads this to come see impact in action. They can schedule a tour with me, and I’ll take them on a guided tour of any one of our facilities.”  

Visit www.unitedbg.org for more information