There’s a world-class university right in your backyard. Performances, programs, activities, lectures — how will you join UC Santa Barbara? We invite you to explore ways community members can be part of campus activities and university outreach programs.
The Department of Recreation at UCSB offers a variety of activities, programs, and services, for students, faculty, staff, and the community.
- Recreation Center Memberships allow access to the entire facility including pools, gyms, racquetball courts and more.
- Summer Camps are available to address interests from surfing to science.
- Wellness and Fitness Institute offers an array of services dedicated to assessing your health and wellness.
- Recreational Courses are offered throughout the year to learn a new skill or simply stay in shape.
- Adventure Programs offer a unique opportunity to try something new and exciting while pushing your limits.
A selection of the mental health, assessment and career guidance services offered to UCSB students, faculty and staff are also available to the public.
- Hosford Counseling & Psychological Services Clinic provides culturally sensitive, low-cost treatment and assessment services to people living within the central coast community.
- Koegel Autism Center Assessment Clinic offers comprehensive diagnostic, developmental, educational, and psychological assessment services for individuals of all ages.
- UCSB Career Services can connect you with the proper student talent for your company's success.
UCSB hosts a large collection of educational and historical resources for students, staff, faculty, and the community in the Library and in various museums and collections across campus.
- Art, Design and Architecture Museum offers access to permanent and special exhibitions of art, serving as a teaching museum and community resource.
- Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration restores campus lands while also preserving and managing a vast array of natural history collections and educating K-12 students, undergraduate and graduate students.
- REEF Program offers a hands-on, interactive experience with our local marine ecosystems and ocean habitats worldwide.
- Repository for Archaeological and Ethnographic Collections houses collections of artifacts gathered at nearby archaeological sites.
- University Library houses an extensive collection of printed volumes, manuscripts, sound recordings, cartography, and digital resources.
UCSB hosts year-round performances, lectures, and events open to the public.
- Campus Calendar of Events tracks unique and exciting events occurring on campus.
- Arts & Lectures annually presents more than a hundred events, from critically acclaimed concerts and dance performances by world-renowned artists to film series and talks by groundbreaking authors.
- Carsey-Wolf Center brings you Pollock Theater, a place in which students and the community come together to screen films and engage in direct conversations with filmmakers, critics, and scholars.
- CCBER Restoration Seminar is a weekly series open to the community featuring guest lectures and tours of local restoration projects.
- Community Support Groups host events and lectures that are open to the public.
- Cultural Awareness Programs hosted by the MultiCultural Center (MCC) promote cultural awareness, interaction, and education.
- University Library hosts events, rotating exhibitions and a public lecture series.
- Department of Music offers public performances in genres ranging from choir and opera to ensembles and orchestra.
- Department of Theater & Dance offers live theatrical performances including popular plays and student creations.
- GRIT Talks Lecture Series "Ground-breaking Research/Innovative Technology" (GRIT) is a free summer (June & July) lecture series comparable to TED Talks.
- Institute for Energy Efficiency (IEE) Lecture Series brings guest speakers on topics related to supporting an efficient and sustainable energy future.
- Intercollegiate Athletics brings you Gaucho athletes that compete locally and internationally in a wide variety of sports.
- Interdisciplinary Humanities Center Public Lecture Series is a year-long public program focused on a theme suggested by UCSB faculty and graduate students.
- Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics hosts lectures, seminars and conferences to discuss emerging theories and present research.
- Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies hosts lectures and conferences focused on global, international, and area studies.
- Technology Management Program offers the Distinguished Speaker Series featuring leaders from academia or industry who have distinguished themselves as experts in their fields.
- UCTV is a public-serving media outlet featuring programming from throughout the University of California.
UCSB offers several opportunities for professional development and continuing education that can be accessed by the public.
- Professional Women's Association (PWA) works to increase awareness among campus constituencies of the contributions of women to the mission of UCSB.
- UCSB Extension offers professional development training, personal enrichment, and certification programs in a variety of areas.
- Research Experience for Teachers (RET) affords teachers the opportunity to create new lab projects for science classrooms by participating in laboratory research under the guidance and direction of Materials Research Lab researchers.
- South Coast Writing Project is comprised of a network of teachers dedicated to improving student writing by improving the teaching of writing. They do so by providing professional learning, resources, and expanded roles for teachers throughout the Tri-county area.
UCSB offers extensive educational programming for K-12 students as well as programming to enhance students' awareness and readiness for higher education.
K-12 Educational Outreach - UCSB In the Community
- America Reads and America Counts at UCSB pairs K-6 students with undergraduate tutors to improve their math and reading skills.
- Early Academic Outreach Program offers pre-college preparation and guidance in local schools.
- Earth Research Institute Presentations bring the wonders of seismology, natural hazards, global change, and geology to local schools.
- Earth Sciences K-14 Outreach offers local schools classroom visits, department tours, and educational materials related to local geology.
- It's a Material World brings Materials Research Lab graduate students to present at elementary school science nights.
- Kids Do Ecology website and the Scientist in the Classroom Project promote education and outreach to elementary school students.
- MESA School Program provides academic enrichment and college preparation to first-generation middle and high school students.
- Oceans to Classroom (O2C) offers hands-on learning to K-12 students and their teachers through classroom visits and tours at UCSB.
- Physics Circus is an on-the-road program where UCSB students and faculty demonstrate science experiments in local classrooms.
K-12 Educational Outreach - On Campus
- CSEP Science Center offers hands-on experience with science equipment and guided tours throughout the year.
- Kids In Nature (KIN) provides underserved local schools with environmental science education.
- McEnroe Reading and Language Arts Clinic uses intensive tutoring, assessment and intervention to improve reading and language skill for students in grades 1-6.
- Virtual REEF Program offers experience with our local marine ecosystems and ocean habitats worldwide.
College Preparation
UCSB offers many programs designed to enhance awareness about higher education and to better prepare students for their futures.
- Young Scholars Program The Young Scholar Program offers you, a high-achieving, pre-college student in the local area, an opportunity to begin university-level study while you're still in high school.
- Early Start Program is a pre-college program that allows students to academically experience a university setting while also enhancing their college applications.
- Research Mentorship Program provides high school students with a unique opportunity to tackle hands-on, university-level research.
- Campus Tours and Admissions Presentations Campus tours, virtual tours, and webinars are available throughout the year.
- ScienceLine is an "ask a scientist" program where students and teachers can submit science and engineering questions and receive responses from UCSB scientists.
The UC Natural Reserve System is the largest university-administered reserve system in the world, comprised of 39 protected natural areas throughout California. Founded in 1965 to provide undisturbed environments for research, education, and public service, the Natural Reserve System contributes to the understanding and wise stewardship of the earth. The following sites are located in the Tri-County area and provide public outreach.
- Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve (Carpinteria, CA) hosts local elementary/secondary schools and offers weekly docent-led tours.
- Coal Oil Point Natural Reserve (Goleta, CA) offers a self-guided walking tour.
- Sedgwick Reserve (Santa Ynez, CA) offers outreach programs in sciences, humanities, and the arts for regional elementary/secondary schools and field trips through partnership with local organizations.
UCSB offers conference facilities, catering services, and accommodations to help all visitors feel at home. The university also provides general services to the community such as hazardous waste collection and promotional space for property owners in search of tenants.
- UCSB Conference Services will provide everything you need for your next event, from scenic summer conference facilities to world-class meeting venues with convenient amenities and attentive staff.
- University Center Conference and Catering Services offers spacious venues for conferences, lectures, banquets, or retreats.
- The Club at UCSB provides a space to mingle, dine, and conduct business. Guest rooms are available.
- Community Hazardous Waste Collection Center allows households to dispose of hazardous waste free of charge on weekends.
- Off-Campus Rental Listings Submit your rental listing to a portal exclusively accessed by UCSB students, faculty and staff.
UCSB Economic Forecast Project provides the community with information on economic, demographic, and regional business trends in the Tri-County area.
UCSB Family Vacation Center seeks to provide an all-inclusive, affordable family vacation that offers meals, lodging, childcare and activities, plus a variety of programs and events that aim to please all members of the family.