Youth-Run Santa Barbara Kids Magazine Reaches $15,000 in Donations for Local Nonprofits

Santa Barbara Kids Magazine presents a total of $6,300 to Heal the Ocean, the Santa Barbara Scholarship Foundation and Direct Relief International. From Left to Right: Sophie Haber, SBKM photographer, Logan Carmody, SBKM Chief Technology Officer, Kerri Murray, VP of Marketing, Communications and Development for Direct Relief International, Colette Hadley, Executive Director of the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, Hilary Hauser, Executive Director of Heal the Ocean, Skyler Matthews, SBKM Publisher, Sumner Matthews, SBKM Editor in Chief.

The magazine’s mission is to be a kid-friendly resource for youth who live in or visit our community offering suggestions for places to go and things to do in Santa Barbara. The magazine also aims to inspire kids to make a difference in their community.

SBKM generates profits by utilizing an advertising-based publication model. The magazine donates 100% of all profits to local charities. This year, SBKM raised a record $6,300 for Heal the Ocean, Direct Relief International, and the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, bringing a total of $15,000 donated to local non profits over the past three years. Skyler Matthews (age16), SBKM’s publisher, is thrilled with this bump in advertising sales. “It feels great to be able to contribute to some of our local non profits that are doing great things for kids and for our community,” says Matthews.

“Direct Relief is honored to be a recipient of the funds raised by Santa Barbara Kids Magazine. We are also inspired by the ambition of young people to take on this project and provide such a great resource for kids and teens in the area,” said Thomas Tighe, President and CEO of Direct Relief International. “Direct Relief’s mission is rooted in the idea of people helping other people. The team at Santa Barbara Kids Magazine is doing just that by creating a source of information and entertainment for their peers.”

The latest edition of Santa Barbara Kids Magazine features exclusive interviews from local singer and songwriter, Jack Johnson and actor, James Franco, games and puzzles, an art contest and a new website. Chief Technology Office and webmaster Logan Carmody (16) recently launched an interactive website, sbkidsmagazine.org. The website has been a focal point this year, as the SBKM team recognizes that most of their readers’ preference, and the future of journalism, favors online technology. “We hope even more young people will want to get involved and join the conversation by responding to the interactive forum that has been set up on the website,” says Carmody. The site includes video links to some of the interviews and articles, favorite beaches and bike paths are highlighted, and the website has the answers to the puzzles in the hard copy magazine. A QR (Quick Response) code has been printed on the cover of the magazine for a quick download of the magazine to any smart phone.

One article that is capturing a lot of interest is ‘Santa Barbara Kids with Passion,’ written by Editor in Chief, Sumner Matthews (14). This article highlights kids in the Santa Barbara community who are following their dreams and choosing to live passionate young lives. Matthews explains, “Eleven kids and teens share their dreams in this article and explain why they are choosing to do what they love; whether it’s playing in a band, skateboarding, or raising money for charities, the hope is that as kids read these inspirational stories that they too might try to find and follow their own path, no matter the dream.”

A generous response to this article came from the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara. “To help another student realize their dream and follow their passion,” Colette Hadley, Executive Director of the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara shares, “we will use your generous donation to establish a Santa Barbara Kids Magazine Scholarship that will go directly to a high school student and will help them pay for college.”

Heal the Ocean (HTO) Executive Director Hillary Hauser said, “I am blown away by the enormity of this gift, not only because it is a very sizeable amount, but because it represents a sizeable amount of work on the part of our young people. These young enterprisers are our next generation; those to whom we are leaving an ocean legacy either for good or ill.” Hauser continues, “Heal the Ocean is working on creating an ocean legacy that is very good, and we appreciate the help of the SBKM staff in making this happen.”

Many other young, creative contributing editors, artists, journalists and photographers were an integral part of the production of this third edition: Skyler Matthews (16), Publisher, Aija Mayrock (15) Managing Editor, (15) Sophie Haber (15) Photography, and Chet Stussy (14) Artist. Other writers and contributors include: Santa Barbara Middle School Teen Press, Remi Pulice (17), Sarah Martin (15), Dylan Carmody (14), Will Pulice (14), Maisie Zimmerman (14), Adam Frank (12), Gracie Macneil (12), Parker Matthews (11), Shane Stanford (10) and Grace Matthews (9).

Santa Barbara Kids Magazine can be found at local newsstands, hotel lobbies, and in other kid-friendly locations and restaurants throughout Santa Barbara. To advertise in the next edition of SBKM, either in print or online, to submit stories or artwork for the next publication, or to join the online conversation at Santa Barbara Kids Magazine go to: sbkidsmagazine.org.