SANTA BARBARA MARITIME MUSEUM

EDUCATIONTHE MUSEUM'S EDUCATION PROGRAMMING CONTINUES TO EXPAND, NOW PROVIDING PROGRAMS FOR ELEMENTARY AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ACROSS SANTA BARBARA COUNTY AND BEYOND. IN THE PAST FEW YEARS PROGRAMMING HAS EXPANDED TO LOMPOC HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, AND NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN CARPINTERIA, IN ADDITION TO HAVING SCHOOLS FROM BAKERSFIELD AND VENTURA COUNTY VISIT. IN FY2025 SBMM SERVED 4,813 STUDENTS THROUGH 146 PROGRAMS AND 2,434 ADULTS THROUGH 50 PROGRAMS. SBMM SERVES AS THE FISCAL AGENT FOR THE SANTA BARBARA CHANNEL WHALE HERITAGE AREA (SBCWHA), WHICH BECAME THE NINTH SUCH DESIGNATED AREA AND ONLY THE SECOND IN THE UNITED STATES. THE MUSEUM'S WHALES ARE SUPERHEROES! PROGRAM, WHICH PROVIDES BOTH INSTRUCTION AND AN ART ACTIVITY TO SHOW HOW WHALES HELP WITH CLIMATE CHANGE, HELPS FULFILL THE SBCWHA'S EDUCATION ROLE. THE MUSEUM'S NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED MARITIME ON THE MOVE (MOTM) PROGRAM HAS WON NUMEROUS AWARDS, INCLUDING: BEING NAMED A FINALIST IN THE AMERICAN ALLIANCE OF MUSEUMS 2021 EDCOM AWARD FOR INNOVATION AND EDUCATION AWARD PANDEMIC EDITION, BEING AWARDED THE CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS CALIFORNIA NATURAL RESOURCES AGENCY SECRETARYS PUBLIC EDUCATION AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN SUSTAINABILITY, BEING ASKED BY THE COUNCIL OF AMERICAN MARITIME MUSEUMS TO PRESENT ABOUT THE PROGRAM AT THEIR 2021 NATIONAL CONFERENCE, AND RECEIVED THE EPIC AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION. THE MAJORITY OF STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN SBMM EDUCATION PROGRAMS ATTEND UNDER-RESOURCED PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY THAT QUALIFY FOR TITLE I FUNDING AND SERVE LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS. ADULTS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS INCLUDE A MONTHLY LECTURE SERIES, MUSEUM TOURS, AND A DOCENT PROGRAM. THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF SBMM BOARD MEMBER ROGER CHRISMAN AND HIS WIFE SARAH, THE MUSEUM NOW HAS ACCESS TO THE TALL SHIP MYSTIC WHALER, ALLOWING YOUNG STUDENTS TO EXPERIENCE OPEN-OCEAN SAILING BASED ON THE 1830'S EXPERIENCE OF RICHARD HENRY DANA, JR. STUDENTS GAIN A CLEARER UNDERSTANDING OF THE 19TH CENTURY LIVES OF THOSE THAT BROUGHT CARGO AROUND THE WORLD AND HAD THE SAME RESPONSIBILITIES THAT PERSIST INTO THE 21ST CENTURY. THEY EXERCISED THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF MATH, PHYSICS, HISTORY, AND ENGINEERING TO PRACTICE TRADITIONAL SKILLS SUCH AS NAVIGATION AND MECHANICAL ADVANTAGE. IN SEPTEMBER 2024 SBMM CONTINUED TO EXPAND ITS GIRLS IN OCEAN SCIENCE PROGRAM FOR JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL FEMALES. BOTH GROUPS GOT TO GO OUT ON THE OCEAN, WORKING WITH FEMALE NATURALISTS AND SCIENTISTS, INCLUDING THOSE FROM UCSB'S JENN CASELLE LAB, WHICH IS FOCUSED ON MARINE CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH. THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS PERFORMED HANDS ON EXPERIMENTS ABOARD THE NOAA RESEARCH VESSEL SHEARWATER WITH THEIR CREW. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO INSPIRE THESE YOUNG LADIES TO GO TO COLLEGE AND PURSUE STUDIES AND CAREERS IN VARIOUS OCEAN RELATED FIELDS. WHALES ARE SUPERHEROES! COMPLEMENTED SBMMS PERMANENT EXHIBIT OF THE SAME NAME. SBMM SENDS STAFF AND NATURALISTS TO CLASSROOMS COUNTYWIDE TO SHOW HOW WHALES HELP WITH CLIMATE CHANGE, AND INCLUDES AN ART COMPONENT TAUGHT BY SONDRA WEISS. STUDENTS LEARN TO APPRECIATE THE ROLE WHALES PLAY IN PROVIDING OXYGEN TO OUR PLANET, HELPING OUR OCEANS PROVIDE MORE OF THE AIR WE BREATHE EACH DAY THAN TREES DO.