Founded in 1918 by Santa Barbara’s Americanization committee, the School of Extended Learning started out as evening English and citizenship classes for foreign-born community members. In 1959, when Santa Barbara Junior College was formed, the adult education program became merged with the new college and greatly expanded its course offerings.
Today, the School of Extended Learning is comprises several different programs, including English as a Second Language (ESL), Career Skills, Adult High School, Parenting, Health and Safety, Fee-Based Life Enhancement, and Older Adults.
“Older Adults is one the biggest of the programs, and we’re really excited about it,” said Senior Director Andrew Harper. Part of their excitement comes from the fact that for the first time in five years, the college has received enough funding to offer a full complement of tuition-free Older Adults classes. “We are predicting a huge increase in enrollment,” said Harper.