City of Goleta’s spring LEAD Goleta Community Academy is almost full and we want you to be a part of it! Don’t wait, apply today. After a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic, our popular LEAD (Learn, Empower, Advocate, Discuss) Goleta Community Academy returns next month. This will be the third LEAD Goleta the City has held, and for the first time, it will be offered as a bilingual program with simultaneous Spanish interpretation.

This free, interactive, and eye-opening six-week program is designed to help community members better understand the role that local government plays so that they can effectively participate, share that knowledge with others and possibly even consider a future role in city governance.

The spring LEAD Goleta Community Academy will run for six consecutive weeks every Thursday evening from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. starting on April 20, 2023, and ending on May 25, 2023, with a celebratory graduation ceremony. Most classes will be held in City Hall Council Chambers located at 130 Cremona Drive, but some may be held out in the community.

Each class features different key City departments giving a behind the scenes view of how the City of Goleta is run. Attendees will learn everything from how roads are maintained to what goes in to creating the City’s budget. Throughout the program, participants will be exposed to the role of local government. To get an idea of what you will experience as a participant, watch a recap here of our last LEAD Goleta Community Academy held in January & February 2020.

Spots are filling up fast for the LEAD Goleta Community. Priority is given to Goleta residents, but LEAD Goleta is open to any resident of Santa Barbara County. We strongly encourage students to apply. Participants must be able to attend all six classes in order to be considered. Don’t wait, apply here. To access the application in Spanish, click here.

The City of Goleta is proud to offer this unique and enlightening experience and looks forward to meeting our Goleta LEAD Academy class this spring. To apply, go to www.CityofGoleta.org/LEADGoleta.

Apply Here!