We extend a heartfelt thanks to our 2023 Love of Literacy Luncheon sponsors, speakers, table captains, and attendees for joining us in making literacy a priority in our community. Your contributions to the Open Books Project are helping the Santa Barbara Education Foundation send new books home to more than 2,500 SB Unified students! We look forward to sharing updates soon.
Reservations are closed.
DONATE TO THE OPEN BOOKS PROJECT
Emcee: Melinda Palacio
As Santa Barbara’s tenth Poet Laureate, Palacio feels a deep connection to her predecessors, drawing inspiration from the city’s rich poetic legacy. As a self-described “poet from South Central Los Angeles,” Palacio embraces her Chicana identity and the honor of representing Mexican Americans through her words. It was the poetry workshops with local luminaries like Perie Longo and Barry Spacks that propelled her into a serious exploration of her craft. From her initial journalistic endeavors at the Goleta Valley Voice to her recognition at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference, her poetic journey found its muse in Santa Barbara. As Poet Laureate, Palacio envisions multicultural readings in public spaces and outdoor literary activities, alongside her new column “Poetry Connection” in the Santa Barbara Independent.
Keynote Speaker: Thomas Sanchez
Thomas Sanchez has deep family roots dating back to the 1849 California Gold Rush. His novel “Rabbit Boss” is lauded by the State of California Librarian Emeritus, Kevin Starr, as one of the finest books set in California, and recognized by Vine Deloria, a leading Native American historian, for its unforgettable prose. Sanchez’s literary achievements have been honored with grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation. His contributions have garnered recognition worldwide, including being named a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture. Notably, he’s received the PEN Lifetime Achievement Award, the California Classics LitQuake Award, and the Hubert Howe Bancroft Founder of the University of California Bancroft Library Award. Set in Early California, Thomas’s newest novel for young readers, “OCEANO Horse From The Sea,” follows Wild Girl, a teenager from Santa Barbara, who rescues a drowning horse from the sea, forging a unique bond as its rider. However, powerful community leaders aim to keep them apart due to traditional rules.
Event Committee
Veronica Binkley
Elle Chaves
Melissa Davenport
Nina Dunbar
Tisha Ford
Kelly Fresch
Mat Gradias
Pedro Paz
Katie Szopa
Warren Ritter
Veronica Rogers
Donna Ronzone
Wendy Sims-Moten
Table Captains
Veronica Binkley
Melissa Brooks
Isis Castañeda
Eva Maria Catalan
Tisha Ford
Lisa Gosdschan
Bukola Ishola
Lindsay Johnson
John Ogilvie
Warren Ritter
Donna Ronzone
Sandy Schoolfield
Katie Szopa
Lauren Trujillo
Melissa White
Margie Yahyavi
Sherry Yong Chen
PROCEEDS WILL SUPPORT THE OPEN BOOKS PROJECT
Where did your love for literacy begin? Schools were a gateway to the mechanics of reading for most of us. Once we learned how to decipher words and sentences, the magical world of books was revealed. Unfortunately, more than 60% of California 3rd graders were not reading at their grade level in 2022. Nationally, 21% of US adults are illiterate. We want to change these statistics in Santa Barbara.
The Santa Barbara Education Foundation has supported critical literacy programs for students and teachers in the Santa Barbara Unified School District through its Literacy Project. With your help, we are now committed to cultivating a culture of reading that extends beyond the classroom.
This year, to celebrate the District’s launch of its first new literacy curriculum since 2015, we are launching the Open Books Project. Our goal is simple: raise funds to send 2,500 new books home to every TK-3rd grade student and their family during the 23-24 school year.
DONATE TO THE OPEN BOOKS PROJECT
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
Tisha Ford
John Ogilvie
