Early Academic Outreach Program is ‘Planting Dreams’ at UC Santa Barbara

Meant to foster educational awareness, promote college readiness, and provide valuable resources to students and parents alike, the Early Academic Outreach Program (EAOP) at UC Santa Barbara will host its annual Family Conference, “Planting Dreams.”

Taking place on campus from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27, the conference targets parents, high school, middle school, and elementary students from EAOP partnership schools across the region. It aims to engage and empower students and parents from various educational backgrounds through workshops and activities.

Among the highlights of Planting Dreams 2024 are a student panel discussion and a guided tour of the UCSB campus.

Parent workshops will cover essential topics such as financial aid and financial literacy, as well as the transition from high school to college and beyond; all workshops will be available in both English and Spanish to accommodate diverse audiences.

Workshops tailored for seventh- through eleventh-graders will focus on areas such as becoming a competitive applicant and budgeting. High school seniors will receive assistance on their university applications, while transfer bound students can attend workshops led by UCSB’s transfer admissions team to help students better prepare for transferring from a community college to a four-year university.

To keep the younger audience engaged, the event will offer hands-on activities including Physics Circus demonstrations, chalk drawing, painting, 3D puzzles, a paper tower competition, a slime party, and STEM kits exploration.

EAOP this year is set to welcome participants from Santa Maria High School, Ernest Righetti High School, Pioneer Valley High School, Del Sol High School, Rio Mesa High School, Pacifica High School, Channel Islands High School, Hueneme High School, Santa Paula High School, Fillmore High School, South High School, Fillmore Middle School, and Isbell Middle School. Students from Lompoc High School, Carpinteria High School, Oxnard High School, and Adolfo Camarillo High School are also expected to attend.