Our Mission & Values

Giving equal opportunities to Goleta’s children, allowing them to excel in school and beyond

Photo by Tom Modugno

Our Mission

GEF engages the community to invest in and enhance an excellent educational experience for all students attending schools in the Goleta Union School District (GUSD).

We support each of the ten GUSD schools with their unique needs. Three schools have State and Inclusion preschool programs, and six schools are considered Title I. 17% of students are Multilingual Learners. The more than 3,500 students in GUSD are diverse in both socioeconomics and ethnicity.

By funding additional programs, we can support parity across schools and learning groups, regardless of each school’s ability to raise funds to augment district resources.

Our Vision For 2025

By 2025, all Goleta schools will be supported with an abundance of resources including technology, infrastructure, and enrichment activities. Parents will be confident that Goleta’s schools are on par with the finest in the region. All students will be supported in their opportunity to succeed.

GEF will have a keystone partnership with GUSD to foster innovation, excellence, and equity. We will proactively collaborate with community partners to build awareness, solve problems, garner support, and respond to changing school needs.

The Goodland

OUR VALUES

Opportunity

Every child should have the opportunity to excel academically, socially, and emotionally. GEF pursues resources with equity in mind, taking into account the unique needs of the Goleta Valley community. We promote experiences that nurture the whole child.

Community

The Goleta Valley community includes GUSD students, teachers, administrators, families, donors, businesses, and beyond. We build awareness of our schools and the importance of supporting our students to engage our vibrant community.

Service

To serve our community’s changing needs, we fundraise to meet the goals and visions articulated by our stakeholders and support our students, families, and schools. GEF promotes the diversity and strengths of our schools. 

Transformation

An engaged community has transformational power. We evaluate the impact of our investments and adapt to the needs of children in the community.

Discrimination Policy

The Goleta Education Foundation (GEF) affirms its commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access. Goleta Education Foundation Board Members, committee members, volunteers, and organizations with which GEF partners are urged to uphold this commitment. The foundation supports organizations and individuals that do not discriminate in their delivery of programs and services based on race, color, religion, gender, national origin, ancestry, age, medical condition, disability, veteran status, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or any other legally protected characteristic.

GEF does not knowingly award grants to organizations that discriminate in their hiring, their recruitment of volunteers, or the clients they serve. Importantly, funding requests supporting organizations or programs whose policies conflict with GEF’s nondiscrimination policy may face denial, even if the project and the requesting organization fulfill all other funding criteria.