Experience the City’s LEAD Goleta Community Academy for yourself with our newly released recap video! Thirty-two community members, including a record-high 11 high-school and college students, participated in this unique six-week experience ending with a graduation ceremony on February 19, 2026.

LEAD stands for Learn, Empower, Advocate, and Discuss. Participants heard presentations from various departments, toured the Goleta Valley Library and Goleta Community Center, watched a Sheriff’s K-9 presentation, met the Santa Barbara County Fire Chief, received a tutorial on how to pack a Go Bag in case of an emergency, participated in a Mock City Council Meeting, and more. They all now have a deeper understanding of how the City of Goleta operates and how local government works. 

Enjoy our video recap at https://youtu.be/QBrDnGzw3p8 and view a photo album of the six weeks at https://photos.app.goo.gl/VjvEfm4XbarnbQQZ6.

We hope you will consider joining us for our next LEAD Goleta Community Academy, which we anticipate taking place in January & February 2027. If you would like to be notified when sign-ups open, please email jshaw@cityofgoleta.gov.