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Santa Barbara, CA: On Friday August 4th, the Bucket Brigade Academy (BBA) will complete its Summer 2023 youth leadership training with our first-ever youth Wilderness First Responder course. This course culminates in a high-pressure night rescue simulation, where thirteen high school students will work to treat, stabilize and evacuate multiple injured parties in difficult terrain to test their proficiency in emergency first-aid, decision-making, and team communication skills in a crisis.
Before beginning Wilderness First Responder, BBA Cadets undergo 70 hours of comprehensive Level 1 and 2 training, focusing on individual and group leadership skills, CPR, Basic First Aid, Wilderness First Aid, psychological first aid and volunteer deployment skills. The Bucket Brigade Academy is dedicated to building competence, confidence and community connection in young leaders in preparation for life in a changed climate.
Empowering Youth Through Advanced Training
The Bucket Brigade Academy (BBA) plays a vital role in preparing high school student leaders for a challenging future. Through advanced spontaneous volunteer deployments and leadership development, BBA empowers young individuals to actively organize and mobilize communities before, during and after natural disasters and community crises.
BBA’s Community Self-Rescue System (CSR), refined through experiences during the Thomas Fire and Debris Flow, the global pandemic, the Alisal Fire, and the 2023 winter flooding, forms the backbone of the training approach. Emphasizing life-safety, relationship building, and community organizing, the Academy aims to create a more prepared, connected and resilient Santa Barbara County.
Supporting the Bucket Brigade Academy
Individuals and corporations interested in supporting the Bucket Brigade Academy and its mission are encouraged to explore sponsorship opportunities. Together, we can equip tomorrow’s leaders with the skills, relationship and experience needed to face a changing world.
To learn more about the Bucket Brigade Academy and how to get involved, visit https://academy.sbbucketbrigade.org.
About Bucket Brigade Academy
The Bucket Brigade Academy (BBA) is a community resilience training program for high school
student leaders living in a changed climate.
Through hands-on volunteer deployments and positive leadership development, Bucket Brigade Academy teaches high school students how to organize, train and deploy the power of community in response to natural disasters and community crises.
Building on the Bucket Brigade’s Community Self-Rescue System, developed for decades and honed during the humanitarian response to the Thomas Fire and Debris Flow, the Global Pandemic, the Alisal Fire, and 2023 winter flooding, our trainers put an emphasis on relationship building, safety and community organizing to help create a more connected and resilient Santa Barbara County.
BBA graduates will leave the programs with an understanding of the skills and abilities required to lead spontaneous volunteers during a community crisis. Cadets hone their skills throughout the year by leading Community Uplift Projects (CUPS) in Santa Barbara County and beyond.
The Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade is a grassroots community resilience force created to organize, train and deploy spontaneous volunteers in response to natural disasters and community crises.
The Bucket Brigade Academy is our ground-breaking leadership training program for high school student leaders Through experiential learning and skill-building, the Academy empowers students to lead during crises and to foster a sense of interconnectedness in their communities.
“In the aftermath of major earthquakes and natural disasters, local capacity for rapid, cooperative, humanitarian action can be the difference between helplessness and hope. Bucket Brigade Academy is the place where young leaders learn to build resilience capacity from the grassroots up.”
– John Abraham Powell
CEO Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade
