SANTA BARBARA POLICE ACTIVITIES LEAGUE
Building the bridge between cops, kids, and our community.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
PAL believes that one of the strongest deterrents to juvenile delinquency and gang influence is to engage youth in structured activities, and to provide youth with educational leadership programs. With the current national climate towards law enforcement and immigrants, PAL programs are vital in building strong community relationships and in providing an avenue for under-served or minority youth to create a promising future for themselves and their families. The achievement gap in Santa Barbara is well documented and continues to be a major problem within minority student populations. According to the California Department of Education, graduation rates for the 2016-2017 school year for Hispanic/Latino students was 84.8% compared to 90.2% for their white peers. Conversely, the drop-out rates during the 2016-2017 school year for Hispanic/Latino students was 8.4% and 6.0% for their white peers.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
ACADEMICS: LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL
Life After High School Academy, is a program designed to reduce youth crime by providing a safe and supportive environment for socio-economically disadvantaged youth. The main objective of the program is to help students achieve academic success and graduate from high school with a plan for their future. The program includes tutoring, college and trade school visits, financial assistance for college application fees, and access to a College and Career Advisor, among other services. Through the program, students will also experience improvements in self-confidence, a positive outlook on law enforcement and develop civic responsibility. The program is open to students referred by the Santa Barbara Unified School District, local police officers, community agencies and peer-to-peer referral among students. SBPAL aims to continue its 9-year trend of 100% high school graduation rates and 100% post-secondary education enrollment among seniors.
LEADERSHIP
Teen Leadership programs aim to foster the development of character, emotional intelligence, and a sense of social responsibility in teenagers. The programs encourage teens to make a positive impact on their communities by participating in community service projects and leadership training. One such program is the Youth Leadership Council (YLC). The YLC is composed of highly motivated and dedicated high school students who have been selected through an extensive interview process. To be eligible, students must maintain a 2.5 GPA and participate in community service projects. The weekly YLC meetings provide opportunities for participants to complete their education, prepare for post-secondary education and learn and demonstrate leadership and teamwork skills. YLC members are encouraged to become self-responsible, give back to the community, and serve as role models for their peers and younger populations.
Family and Community Outreach
Family/Community Outreach programs focus on giving back to the community. The Campership Alliance Program is a collaboration between PAL and 14 non-profit agencies which offer low- income families summer camp scholarships for their children. PAL provides the staffing and support for the program, including income verification, matching kids to their appropriate camps, and providing transportation. Last year PAL allocated more than 500 camp scholarships. PAL also provides holiday programs to families referred by family advocacy groups, including a holiday dinner for more than 200 low-income family members and “Help Portrait” day, which provides professional quality family portrait to more than 60 families. PAL will be partnering with SBUSD to offer parent workshops geared towards non-English speaking parents.
Where we work
Awards
Leadership in Action 2007
Nonprofit Support Center
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of youth who volunteer/participate in community service
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Young adults, Adolescents, Preteens, Social and economic status
Related Program
LEADERSHIP
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The goal of PAL’s programs and activities is to expand the learning period of public schools and help close the achievement gap through after-school program enrichment. Focused on serving low-income youth at risk of poor academic achievement and gang involvement, PAL programs help steer teens towards successful academic and career goals through educational and character building programs offered at the teen center programs while fostering positive relationships between the youth and law enforcement personnel. During the last school year, more than 100 youth received services through the tutoring lab, averaging a 3.15 GPA, and PAL experienced a 100% High School graduation rate for the senior participants. Academic achievement for the demographic of PAL students is a social change. By receiving the opportunity, the tools and the resources necessary to improve their current realities, PAL students will begin to change the socio-economic status of their communities.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Rather than advocating solely a law enforcement solution to negative behavior & gang issues, PAL unites and supports families by providing educational opportunities and supervised after-school programs. , PAL provides programs at no cost to families and focuses on three primary areas: Teen Center Enrichment, Teen Leadership, and Family/Community Outreach.
The Teen Center Enrichment programs provide youth with development & learning opportunities in the following area: educational, sports & health, art & culture, and social recreational. Teens are able to interact and socialize with their peers in a safe environment, free from the pressures and negative influences on the streets.
Teen Leadership programs inspire youth to better their communities by participating in community service projects, and to become more effective leaders by participating in leadership training designed to prepare them for post-secondary education and/or careers in law enforcement or automotive industry.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
PAL employees one full-time bi-lingual Program Director with over 10 years experience developing programs, and working with youth and other agencies. The teen center also employees on full-time bi-lingual Campership and Family Outreach Coordinator with over 7 years experience working with families and other family and youth advocacy agencies. PAL's three part-time staff are PAL alumni and provide mentoring and supervision to the teen center members. PAL partners with other agencies to achieve our goals, including YMCA, City of SB, Musicology SB, Cal-SOAP, Westmont College, UCSB, and the Santa Barbara Unified School District. Additionally, police officers assist with camps and programs to provide mentoring to the teen center members. PAL's Board of Directors and the Santa Barbara Police Department are committed to ensuring the sustainability of the PAL programs.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
During the past 5 years, PAL has experienced 100% high school graduation rates for seniors. Last year, the leadership programs averaged a 3.25 GPA and have accumulated nearly 3000 community service hours. Two major programs have been established: Musicology SB and DRAGG - Drag Racing Against Gangs & Graffiti. Teen Center participation averages 45-50 daily, and the tutoring center averages 25 students daily and averaged a 3.21 GPA. Parental involvement has increased as PAL staff provides support during school conferences and by offering parent workshops in collaboration with SBUDS.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
SANTA BARBARA POLICE ACTIVITIES LEAGUE
Board of directorsas of 01/19/2023
Mr. Kent Wojciechoski
Retired Police Officer/Founder
Term: 2021 - 2024
Jonathan Keith
Laguna Capitol Management
Term: 2019 - 2023
Richard Auhll
Darryll Dewan
John Dixon
Tri-County Produce
Adrian Gutierrez
Santa Barbara Police Department
Tom Shapiro
Santa Barbara City Attorney
Jim Stretchberry
Jonathan Keith
Laguna Capital
John Van Donge
Stifel
Tracy Colahan
Waypoint Acquity
Angela Rodriguez
City of SB
Charlie Katsapis
Santa Barbara Police Department
Audry Nafziger
County of Ventura
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data