Photo courtesy Students for Eco-Education andAgriculture (SEEAG).
SANTA BARBARA — Students for Eco-Education andAgriculture (SEEAG) and the Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD) entered into an agreement in which SEEAG will educate elementary and junior high school students about the origins of food, sustainable farming practices, and potential careers in agriculture at La Colina Junior High School in Santa Barbara.
The programs will begin at the start of the 2026-27 school year.
La Colina will host a regional SEEAG Farm Lab Hub, bringing togetherstudents of multiple age groups for hands-on agricultural and environmental education. Third graders from nearby schools in the district will explorewater, plant, and soil science through SEEAG’s Farm Lab field trips in theexisting garden space, while seventh- and eighth-grade students will engage in advanced STEM investigations within two new learningenvironments: an Agricultural Innovation & STEM Discovery Lab and aCalifornia Climate Resilience & Conservation Learning Lab.
La Colina students will also be able to participate in SEEAG’s “STEM CareerPathways in Agriculture” program. The cost-free, three-part programprovides in-class and on-farm learning experiences in agronomy,technology, and engineering, connecting students with industryprofessionals and providing information on agricultural education pathways.
The programs are funded through SEEAG’s community of partners and local grant makers, meaning there is no cost to the Santa Barbara Unified SchoolDistrict.
“The La Colina Farm Lab Hub creates opportunities for students to engage with agriculture at every stage of learning,” says Caitlin Paulus Case,SEEAG’s executive director. “Elementary students will discover where foodcomes from through hands-on Farm Lab experiences, while La Colinastudents will explore agricultural innovations, sustainable farming methods,Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and local career pathways. With collegeinterns and SEEAG staff helping develop curriculum, teach, and maintainthe outdoor learning spaces, the La Colina Farm Lab Hub will become acollaborative campus where curiosity takes root and agriculture comes to life.”
“La Colina is excited to partner with SEEAG to create meaningful learning opportunities for students and support SBUnified’s vision to prepare students to be college and career ready and support belonging and community,” says Jennifer Foster, Principal at La Colina Junior High School.
“SEEAG continues to grow in Santa Barbara County, with several exciting events coming up,” says Paulus Case. “Our Santa Barbara County FarmDay is on September 19, taking place at over 15 locations across the county.Our annual Summer Celebration is August 16 at Vega Vineyard and Farm in Buellton, where we’ll share exciting updates on projects like the La Colina Farm Lab Hub and celebrate the partners, donors, and volunteers who make this work possible. If you’re interested in helping us inspire the next generation of agricultural and environmental leaders through hands-onSTEM education, there are a limited number of sponsorships and tickets still available. We’d love to have you join us.”
For more information about SEEAG and its upcoming events and initiatives, go to www.seeag.org
About SEEAG
Founded in 2008, Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) is a501(c)3 nonprofit organization that aims to help young students understand the origins of their food by bridging the gap between agriculture and consumption through its agricultural education programming. SEEAG’s”The Farm Lab” program teaches schoolchildren about the origins of theirfood and the importance of local farmland by providing schools withclassroom agricultural education and free field trips to farms. Through thisand other SEEAG programs, over 100,000 elementary school students in Central and Southern California have increased their understanding of thefood journey. For more information, visit www.seeag.org or email info@seeag.org