AHA! Attitude. Harmony. Achievement.
Inspiring youth to feel safe, seen, celebrated, and emotionally connected
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
AHA! After School Programs
AHA!’s after-school program continues the themes of character development, creativity, social responsibility, diversity appreciation, and enhanced emotional intelligence. The program also includes focused discussion and lessons on problem-solving, conflict reduction, personal accountability, stress management, compassionate communication, and dynamic self-expression.
AHA!’s after-school offerings include Ally Leadership Program, Creative Group, Girls’ Group, All Genders Connect, Connecting with AHA! Peace Builders, Dedicated Music Group, and Sing It Out Group (spring only).
Peace Builders
Peace Builders
The Peace Builders Initiative started in 2013 at Santa Barbara High School with a 12-hour training for 60 students. It has since grown to include San Marcos High School, Dos Pueblos High School, Santa Barbara Junior High, and La Cuesta Continuation High School.
The program serves to knit students together, increasing their acceptance and understanding of one another, and create a campus climate where excluded or marginalized students come to feel accepted.
This year, over 175 students were enrolled as new Peace Builders. In a three-day workshop and ongoing bi-monthly on-campus Peace Builders Club meetings, participants learn:
1.How to deeply listen to one another and share authentically from the heart
2.How to use inclusive and respectful language
3.How to interrupt bullying and cruel behavior with curiosity and humor
4.How to facilitate Connection Circles (a forum for deep listening and open sharing without cross-talk) for other youth and adults
5.How to acknowledge and praise outstanding behavior of other youth and adults
6.How to actively do things to help other people feel more welcome and cared for in school and in our community
7.How to think and act restoratively instead of punitively
8.How to use the PeaceQ web application (www.peaceq.com) to document their positive behaviors weekly
In 2014, 100 Peace Builders facilitated 1000 Connection Circles – enough to introduce 4000 additional peers and family and community members to this peace-building, community-building practice.
Since its beginnings, Santa Barbara School Superintendent David Cash has been a huge supporter of Peace Builders; he stated that “Peace Builders isn’t just a home run…it’s a grand slam!”
For more information please contact Leo Caporal 562-965-8131 [email protected]
In School
AHA! facilitators work with students at area high schools and middle schools, delivering its original Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum. SEL is nationally recognized as an essential component in creating positive school cultures in which students feel safe and supported. Research consistently shows that where schools implement quality SEL programs like those offered by AHA!, they see positive impacts on test scores and reductions in suspensions and violent behavior.
AHA! has been credited in bringing a 70% reduction in suspensions at one local high school; in several others, our work has correlated with a notable reduction in truancy and student-to student-violence.
AHA! in-school serves freshmen at Carpinteria High Schools and offers a dedicated AHA! Peace Builders Groups at Santa Barbara , La Cumbre, La Colina, and Goleta Valley Junior High Schools, Carpinteria Middle School, and Dos Pueblos High School. The curriculum we use in those schools focuses on emotional management and prejudice reduction and diversity training while emphasizing empathy and compassion. Within each AHA! classroom session, teen participants are engaged in fun and interactive games, which provide opportunities to get to know classmates better in a playful setting. They participate in brief, teen-friendly, facilitator-led large group lecture/discussions on subjects including how to interrupt cruel and bullying behavior, how to increase awareness around racism, sexism & stereotypes, how to manage emotions, and how to increase compassion for those in different life circumstances. AHA! staff-facilitated small group discussions on the topics at hand further connect youth across lines of clique, socioeconomic class, and race, knitting classrooms and campuses together to improve climate and reduce ostracism and bullying.
Summer Program
AHA! offers an exceptional summer program for youth ages 14-18. The curriculum is action-oriented and stresses the importance and effectiveness of inclusive and experiential learning. Our very popular summer program focuses on social and emotional learning and the development of creative self-expression through a number of modalities including art, writing, theater games and movement as well as joyful team building. The curriculum develops teens’ confidence, emotional intelligence and social conscience, as well as their ability for authentic self-disclosure, compassionate communication, goal-setting, follow-through, diversity appreciation, and prejudice reduction. The summer program emphasizes FUN and includes beach days and other outdoor activities.
Summer Group participation is offered by donation
Parent Group
At least once per semester, AHA! offers an evening Parent Group run by AHA! facilitators. This opportunity offers parents support, education around parenting & teen issues, and allows adults to participate in some of the fun and engaging activities their teens experience in our program. At least one parent/guardian of each AHA! teen is encouraged to attend each Parent Night.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
AHA! Attitude. Harmony. Achievement.
Board of directorsas of 05/31/2023
Justine Roddick
Kerrilee Gore
AHA!
Term: 2023 - 2025
Lisa Boisset Babcock
Babcock Winery & Vineyards
David Almeida
Lincoln Financial
Kerrilee Gore
Bibi Moezzi
Pacific Premier Bank
Jack Rivas
UCSB
Rand Rosenberg
Bobby Shand
Jennifer Blaise Kramer
Writer
Natalia Alarcon
Carpinteria City Council Member
Mory Fontanez
Eight22 Group
Raquel Zick
SB County Sherrif's Dept.
Justine Roddick
Rendy Freedman
Marla McNally Phillips
Tina B. Nieves
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? No -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 08/25/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.