(SANTA BARBARA, CA)—

Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation (SBTHP) is pleased to announce the winners of its Early California Days field trip lottery, offered annually to third grade students across Santa Barbara County. Now in its 14th year, this field trip to El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park offers students a glimpse into lives of the men, women, and children who inhabited the Spanish fort in the late-eighteenth century through a series of living history stations positioned throughout the park.

Earlier in the school year, teachers submit applications on behalf of their classes, a select number of which are then selected at random for this exciting opportunity.  A total of 1,938 students entered the 2015 Early California Day Lottery from 37 different schools county-wide. On Thursday, April 9 and Thursday, May 7, SBTHP will host a total of 700 students from the following schools: 

Adams Elementary School

Ballard School Carpinteria Family School

Christian Academy

Coastline Christian Academy

Cold Spring School

Crane School

Hollister Elementary School

Clarence Ruth Elementary School

La Patera Elementary School

Peabody Charter School

Roosevelt Elementary School

Santa Barbara Charter School

Santa Ynez Valley Charter School

St. Mary of the Assumption School

Summerland Elementary School

Vieja Valley Elementary School 

Each year, SBTHP works to secure grant funding and to organize volunteers and specialists who staff 16 educational demonstrations.  This year, support for Early California Days came from generous grants from the Towbes Foundation and California State Parks Foundation.  

Lottery entrants who were not selected for the field trip, as well as the general public, may participate in the living history stations and other activities at the Founding Day Festival, held on Saturday, April 25, 2015, 11am-4pm.