A Note from our Executive Director
Dear friend,
“I never had the chance to meet candidates before. Thanks to your forum, I learned about the school board and I know who I am going to vote for.” – IVYP grandparent.
So much of the way I approach leadership is through listening. I try to hear the concerns of my staff, of our community, of our students, and of our partners. I hadn’t really considered what it meant to be disenfranchised until I began having conversations about our local elections. I quickly learned that my community had never heard directly from local elected officials. I can imagine many reasons for that – but I felt determined to engage our families in our local school board election. Every family in our children’s center and in our after-school program received a personal invitation from me, in English and Spanish, to participate. We partnered with Bridging Voices to ensure that there was seamless, simultaneous interpretation. We invited the candidates. And, then we hoped it would go well. And I'm so pleased with the result.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed during election time. Learning about and getting involved in local elections is one way to feel engaged, informed and effective. I am so proud that IVYP hosted our first ever candidate’s forum and that so many people attended who had never before participated in such an event. As an organization with deep roots in the Goleta Valley whose programs support families throughout the Goleta Union School District, we felt uniquely suited to host this forum. If you haven’t had a chance to hear from our local school board candidates, I invite you to watch our forum here.
No matter where you live, please vote!
Lori Goodman
Executive Director
