"School may be out, but various departments of our tribal government are busy making sure our young people have a summer that’s both fun and educational.

Educating our young people is of particular importance to me. It’s a passion shared by many members of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash and shows up in many ways, whether it’s benefiting from the wisdom of our elders, or discovering the world through teachers outside the tribe.

In my last column, I discussed how we believe an early start is critical, so we’ve been promoting academic readiness for kindergarten by supporting the pre-school education of 35 students. Also, 34 credentialed teachers tutor more than 100 tribal students — pre-K through college — in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Los Angeles counties.

Tribal families last month celebrated more than 45 graduates, from eighth grade through the doctoral level."

Get the Story:
Richard Gomez: Education is the tribe’s major focus (The Solvang Valley News 8/2)