Six-Week Course Begins January 14, 2027
The City of Goleta’s award-winning LEAD Goleta Bilingual Community Academy is now taking applications for its January / February 2027 class. LEAD stands for Learn, Empower, Advocate and Discuss. Space is limited, so don’t wait to apply for this six-week bilingual class which provides a unique up-close look at how local government works. Priority is given to Goleta residents, but the program is open to any resident of Santa Barbara County. We strongly encourage high school and college students to apply. Watch our short video promo to see why you should participate; the video is also available in Spanish.
Take advantage of this great opportunity to learn how the City is run, in a small, intimate setting of around 30-35 participants. You will walk away from the experience more connected to the City with a deeper understanding of how to get involved in shaping the future of Goleta – whether it’s staying informed, volunteering, applying for a Board or Commission, or even running for City Council.
See for yourself what makes this program so special by watching our video recap of the 2026 LEAD Goleta Community Academy.
To participate you must be able to attend ALL six classes which take place on six consecutive Thursday evenings (January 14 – February 18) from 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. Most classes are held in Council Chambers at Goleta City Hall (130 Cremona Drive). Special this year, the final celebratory graduation event on February 18 will be held in the Community Room of the Goleta Train Station which is scheduled to open at the end of this year.
This is the seventh LEAD Goleta Community Academy. In 2024, the program received the prestigious Cal Cities Helen Putnam Award for Excellence in the category of Enhancing Public Trust, Ethics, and Community Involvement. Learn more here.
We can’t wait to meet the next LEAD class in January. For more information and to apply, go to www.CityofGoleta.org/LEADGoleta.