UCSB Latin Fraternity, Sorority Host Youth Outreach

At the third annual “Barrio to Academia” outreach program, area high school students learned the merits of a college education and the means by which to achieve one. The January 24 conference, organized and orchestrated by UCSB Latino fraternity Lambda Theta Phi and by UCSB Latina sorority Lambda Theta Alpha, proposed to steer first-generation students from low-income families in the direction of higher education.

Every year the Lambda Theta societies work with high school counselors from Santa Barbara, Dos Pueblos, and San Marcos high schools in seeking out students who are not college-bound for financial or personal reasons. This year they extended their outreach to include high schools from Carpinteria and Panorama City.

The Lambda Thetas arranged for the students to be transported and fed, and spent their Saturday overseeing the event. This year the conference attracted a crowd of 105 students, more than tripling the turnout at the first outreach three years ago. The day involved a series of speakers and workshops intended to educate students about issues like admissions, the benefits of a college degree, and the dangers of street life.