May 4 Santa Barbara Service Learning Celebration

On Friday, May 4, Santa Barbara County Service Learning Initiative held its first year-end celebration for Service Learning Site Advocates and Mentor Teachers. The festivities took place at American Flatbread (www.foodremembers.com) in Los Alamos and we are deeply indebted to Drew Staub, Cindy Cripe, Meg Feil and the entire American Flatbread staff for their wonderful support of and commitment to Service Learning. Coordinators Irene Falzone and Kathy Kelly welcomed upwards of 35 attendees* who were able to tour the acre-plus garden (which will be in full bloom by harvest time), visit with other Service Learning teachers and administrators, and sample the various delicious pizzas for which American Flatbread is duly renown.

Examples of students’ work on the American Flatbread flags were exhibited and blank flags were distributed to those present to take back to their classrooms. Charlene and Tom Huston from Angels Bearing Gifts (http://www.angelsbearinggifts.com) introduced participating teachers and described the Angels program. Louise Fisher announced a special (and simple!) Santa Barbara Foundation grant opportunity, available in the fall to every third-grade teacher in the county, that will enable them to access $250 for their classrooms. Art Fisher discussed SBCEO’s commitment to Service Learning and introduced Bill Cirone, County Superintendent of Schools, (attending with his wife, Barbara Cirone). Mr. Cirone is also Chairman of the National Center for Learning and Citizenship, an organization focused on Service Learning research and advocacy at the national level. He discussed the great importance of Service Learning and thanked the teachers for their valuable service. Those teachers present also received a copy from SBCSLI of A Life Like Mine, a UNICEF book published by Dorling-Kindersley.

We would like to thank all of our SBCSLI Site Advocates for the wonderful and inspiring Service Learning work that they have done this year. We look forward to working with all of you next year to continue and expand the wonderful work that has begun. Thank you!!

American Flatbread	Art Fisher	Bill Cirone speaking to group
	Clark Staub & AF Staff	Corrine & Michael Araki-Kawaguchi
Cindy Cripe & Meg Feil
Katrina and Michael Soltero	Bill & Barbara Cirone w. Louise Fisher	Tino Aleman, Bob & Judy Forbes, Krista Burke

Tom Huston, Gail Winn Jones, Ken Parker	Colleen Millon, Linda Edwards, Lynn Seigel Boettner, Barbara Frombola	Tino Aleman and daughter Bianca
SBCSLI Site Advocates	Some of American Flatbread Staff	SBSCLI Celebration

*Sally Fisher (Los Alamos), Ken Parker (Orcutt), Bob and Judy Forbes (Guadalupe), Jan Clevenger (SBCEO), AJ Winckler (Los Olivos), Barbara Frombola (Montecito), Gail Winn-Jones (Orcutt), Ann Kemper (Santa Maria-Bonita), Kristin Burke (Santa Maria-Bonita), Katrina and Michael Soltero (SBCEO), Rosalie Jones (Santa Maria-Bonita), Tino Aleman and Bianca Aleman (Guadalupe), Corinne and Michael Araki-Kawaguchi (Santa Maria-Bonita), Heather Blanchard and Cora Blanchard (Los Olivos), Lee Knodel (Santa Barbara), Hazel Anderson (Santa Barbara), Kat LaGrone (Santa Maria-Bonita), Joanna Airey (Santa Maria-Bonita), Lynn Seigel-Boettner (Hope), Colleen Million (Goleta), Bill and Barbara Cirone (SBCEO), Linda Edwards (Cold Spring), Paul Oisboid (Los Alamos), Suzanne Dalton (Santa Barbara), Sue Green (Santa Barbara), Charlene and Tom Huston (Angels Bearing Gifts), Art and Louise Fisher (SBCEO), Irene Falzone (SBCSLI), and Kathy Kelly (SBCSLI).