Past Projects

From 2005 to 2011, Project Excel sought to increase the number of African American, American Indian, and other underrepresented students in Santa Barbara and Goleta Middle and High Schools (grades 6–12) in order to ensure that they were academically prepared for enrollment at UCSB and other colleges and universities.

The project was created in response to the facts that for the past decade, the UCSB student body had included roughly 3% African Americans and just 1% American Indians, and that fewer than one thousand African-American high school students in the entire state of California were eligible for admission at any of the University of California campuses.

The Project Excel program was coordinated by Professor Julie Carlson, then Associate Director of the Center and a professor in the English Department at UCSB. As a longtime associate of the Center, Professor Carlson, together with community liaison Keith Terry, paired students and their families with college-student mentors. Whenever possible, the family was provided with a computer, with the Center and Project Excel receiving 20 computers donated from Santa Barbara Community College. Mentors served as role models and helped the students stay on track with their academic goals. When students were ready to graduate, mentors helped them fill out scholarship and admissions forms and continued to provide advice and support once they began college. In addition, in hardship cases, financial aid was been provided for SAT fees from donations from the community. Other key participants were Joe Castro (Academic Preparation & Equal Opportunity) and former City Council member Babatunde Folayemi.

Excel earned support from the Office of the President (University-Community Engagement Grant), the Office of Academic Preparation (Faculty Outreach Grant), and from the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor. Excel received multiple grants, including UCOP University Community Engagement Grants, Faculty Outreach Grants, Youth Making Change, and a federal Community Development Block Grant administered by the City of Santa Barbara. The project received the full endorsement of this campus and the UC system, as well as that of various community constituencies. Throughout its six years, Project Excel gained momentum and respect on campus and in the Santa Barbara community