our core programs

Learn more about us and our work!

IMG_0513-1024x768

Community Engaged Learning

Engaging UCSB
students with local public schools and community organizations. Our team delivers engaging, culturally relevant programming for students navigating their educational journey. 

Translating Research Into Policy and Practice

Supporting our
faculty in disseminating their findings to the public.

public-policy-web

Community Engaged Research

Deploying the robust strength of UCSB’s research program in local communities to find solutions to issues in social and environmental [intersectional] justice). 

more info

FOCUS aREAS

Community Engaged Learning

Community Engaged Learning (CEL)combines academic coursework with the application of institutional resources to address challenges facing communities.

Community Based Research

Community-Based Research (CBR) is a powerful model of engaged scholarship in which students, faculty, and community members collaborate on research to solve pressing community problems or effect social change.

Educational Reform

Close achievement gaps, promote rigorous accountability, and ensure that all students are on track to graduate college- and career-ready. 

Inter-Sectional Justice

Advocacy and policy-oriented research to make anti-discrimination and equality policy more inclusive and address structural inequalities,

Social Justice Literacy

Literacy, social justice and inclusive practice, will explore some specific examples of the tensions and debates linked to the aim of achieving literacy for all. 

Translating Research

Disseminating their findings to the public.

more info

CPES Health Equity Projects

At the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Center for Publicly Engaged Scholarship coordinated with Dr. Melissa Smith of the UCSB Health Equity Initiatives to support health equity efforts in Santa Barbara county. Together, we partnered with the Latinx and Indigenous Migrant COVID-19 Response Task Force (the Task Force) to gather relevant information and resources for public use. Over the past several months, we have also been partnering with the Santa Maria-Lompoc chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to facilitate health equity projects.

Santa Barbara County COVID-19 Response

 The Database for SB County COVID-19 Response is a spreadsheet with a collection of thirty six studies, reports, and datasets related to several different social determinants of health in Santa Barbara County. The goal of the document was to inform organizations, policymakers, and community members with a collection of publicly available data about different categories of social determinants of health in Santa Barbara County. This document was last updated in Fall 2020.

Link: Database for Santa Barbara County COVID-19 Response

Inventory of CBO'S COVID-19 Activities and Resources

 The Inventory of CBO’s COVID-19 Activities and Resources is a spreadsheet with information related to different organizations and their activities/resources available during the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of the document was to provide community members and organizations with information about what resources are available to people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the organizations are also members of the Latinx and Indigenous Migrant COVID-19 Response Task Force. This document was last updated in Fall 2020.

Link: Inventory of CBO’s COVID-19 Activities and Resources

Funding Resources for COVID-19 Efforts

The Funding Resources for COVID-19 Efforts is a spreadsheet detailing over fifty different grants available for Indigenous- and Latinx-serving organizations to apply for during the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of the document was to provide organizations that serve indigenous communities a single source to look for different funding opportunities at the local, state, and national level. This document was last updated in Spring 2020.

Link: Funding Resources for COVID-19 Efforts

Inventory of Youth Mental Health and COVID-19 Resources

The Inventory of Youth Mental Health and COVID-19 Resources is a spreadsheet detailing forty resources available for youth in Santa Barbara County during the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of the document was to provide community members with information about available services and resources to help them during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to mental health, the resources included information about housing and food resources in Santa Barbara county. This document was last updated in Summer 2020.

Link: Inventory of Youth Mental Health and COVID-19 Resources

COVID-19 Health Disparities Graphics

The COVID-19 Health Disparities Graphics is a 16-page presentation on the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 based on race and ethnicity. The goal of the presentation was to inform community organizations about the available information regarding the impact of COVID-19 on different communities. Data for the presentation are pulled from the CDC, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Kaiser Foundation, and Pew. This document was last updated in Fall 2020. 

Link: COVID-19 Health Disparities Graphics

Domestic Violence Resources

The Domestic Violence Resources document is a three-page document summarizing five articles that have noted trends of domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. The document includes summaries of the articles and notable quotes from the articles. The goal of the document was to provide information to community organizations about domestic violence trends throughout the United States. This document was last updated in Fall 2020.

Link: Domestic Violence Resources

Price Gouging Response Strategies

The Price Gouging Response Strategies policy brief is a three-page document that summarizes the scope of price gouging problem; interventions used around the country and recommendations for Santa Barbara county public officials. The goal of the document was to provide community organizations and local policy makers a short summary of how to respond to price gouging in Santa Barbara county. This document was last updated in Fall 2020.

Link: Price Gouging Response Strategies

SB County Computer/Internet Access

SB County Computer/Internet Access is a spreadsheet that details the computer, smartphone, and internet access for community members in every Census Tract in Santa Barbara County. The goal of the document was to inform school officials and other community organizations about where the digital divide is greatest in neighborhoods throughout the County. This document was last updated in Fall 2020.

Link: SB County Computer/Internet Access

Businesses in Most Overcrowded SB County Census Tracts

The Business in Most Overcrowded SB County Census Tracts is a spreadsheet that uses the American Community Survey and Google Maps to detail five to ten essential businesses in the top twenty most overcrowded Census Tracts in Santa Barbara County. The goal of the document was to inform community organizations about possible organizations they could partner with to promote public health messages in overcrowded neighborhoods. This document was last updated in Fall 2020.

Link: Businesses in Most Overcrowded SB County Census Tracts

Black Community Demographics in Santa Barbara County

The Black Community Demographics in Santa Barbara County is a twenty-page presentation on the descriptive statistics of age, poverty, educational attainment, and occupation among Black people in Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, and Lompoc. The goal of this project was to inform community members and organizations about the aggregate experiences of the Black populations in these three cities, and to inform them about the gaps in data available for Black community members in the area. Data for the presentation were pulled from the American Community Survey. This document was last updated in Fall 2020.

Link: Black Community Demographics in Santa Barbara County

Vaccine Report and Survey for Vaccine Forum

The Vaccine Report is a six-page report based off of a survey of one hundred and twenty community members. It was hosted by the Family Services Agency of Santa Barbara County and fielded by members of the Latinx and Indigenous Migrant COVID-19 Response Task Force. The Center for Publicly Engaged Scholarship designed the survey and analyzed the quantitative and qualitative data from it. The goal of the document was to inform the questions asked by community partners of the Latinx and Indigenous Migrant COVID-19 Response Task Force at the February 2021 Vaccine Community Townhall co-sponsored by the Santa Barbara County Department of Public Health and the Task Force. This document was last updated in Spring 2021.

Link: Vaccine Report and Survey for Vaccine Forum 

Language Justice Survey Results

 The Language Justice Survey Results is a sixteen-page document that summarizes the findings from a survey of thirty members of the Latinx and Indigenous Migrant COVID-19 Response. The goal of the document was to inform the Task Force about the efficacy of their Language Justice efforts through the midway point of the Task Force. The survey was fielded and hosted by the Latinx and Indigenous Migrant COVID-19 Response Task Force and the data was analyzed by the Center for Publicly Engaged Scholarship. This document was last updated in Summer 2020.

Link: Language Justice Survey Results

Innovative Health Equity Collaborative Models in the United States

The Innovative Health Equity Collaborative Models in the United States Report is a twelve-page document that summarizes how one hundred and fifty health equity organizations around the country define health equity, describe the barriers they seek to address, pursue projects and policies, work with partners, evaluate their work, and present their online identity. The goal of this document was to provide models for the formation of a future, countywide health equity collaborative. This document was last updated in Spring 2021.

Link: Innovative Health Equity Collaborative Models in the United States

Projects in Progress For 2021

  1. Supporting the Task Force Wellness Working Group and the Infinity Healing Ceremony planning group
  2. Report on Task Force efforts, impact and lessons learned
  3. COVID-19 in Santa Barbara County: Racial, Ethnic, & Socioeconomic Data & Strategies Report, in collaboration with the Santa Maria-Lompoc NAACP
  4. Development of Resource Directory for Latinx and Indigenous migrant families

TESTIMONIALS

What people say about us

It takes only few minutes of your time to read and sign the petition, but your vote can make a difference. Simple actions could save many lives.

BRANDON MUNSON

Volunteer
We will always struggle for clean and healthy environment to save natural resources of the world and prevent drastic climate changes. Get involved now!

Carol Stephens

Volunteer

About

The newly established Center at UCSB aims to bridge the gap between research and the community. 

Hours of Operation

Mon -Fri: 8am - 6pm

Sat - sun: Available via email

Our Location

Unviersity of California

Santa Barbara