Antioch University Santa Barbara

While attending Antioch University, Jen Baron was asked in one of her undergraduate classes to present a final project detailing her dream job.

Little did she know, this presentation would become the foundation for her non-profit organization, Amplify Arts Project, an award-winning, year-round music and arts camp geared towards girls and young women, specifically structured and designed to help them build artistic skill, self-expression, and self-confidence. After graduating in 2015, Jen dedicated herself to using music to change lives, through a variety of activities including sleep-away and day camps; internships and residencies; an instrument lending library, and more.

“Our mission is to empower girls through music education, the creative arts, community and positive mentorship,” said Baron, in an article from the VC Reporter. “Our vision is to provide a brave, diverse and inclusive space to youth. We envision an equitable world that celebrates creativity, embraces authenticity and values all voices.”

Check out the full VC Reporter article here:

“We believe in the power of music”: Amplify Arts Project builds skills and confidence in girls Growing up in Carpinteria, Jen Baron was musically inclined almost from day one — playing music at age 4, writing songs at 9, and playing, writing and producing music as

Nikki Smith-Kea This is "Nikki Smith-Kea" by Antioch University Library on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

🌍✨ Seminar on Freedom and Responsibility ✨🌍

In a time when conformity and compliance threaten educational freedoms, it's more important than ever to explore the complex relationship between freedom and responsibility. Our upcoming seminar delves into this vital topic, examining how our individual and collective actions shape minds, cultures, and environments.

Join us as we challenge assumptions, engage in shared inquiry, and explore the outer world and the world within. This course is not about easy answers—it's about embracing the enduring questions that drive true understanding and change.

💡 Ready to explore freedom with responsibility? Register and join us to be part of the conversation that could shape our future:

ED-5810-A Seminar on Freedom and Responsibility This course is especially relevant and timely in the context of regimes of conformity, compliance, and oppression, and an assault on educational freedoms. The course explores freedom and responsibility with regard to education, minds, cultures, and environments.

Are you ready to take charge of your life? Do you want to unlock your fullest potential? If so, Dr. George invites you to embark on a transformative journey with our exclusive 3-part series focusing on Personal Growth and Resilience. This dynamic program is designed for adults who are eager to foster meaningful change, achieve personal goals, and build their resilience. Learn more: https://ce.antioch.edu/b70

Thursdays October 10, 17 & 24, 2024 | $150
3:30 pm (Pacific Time / 6:30 pm (Eastern Time
3-part workshop series | 60-minute sessions | 3 CE Credit Hours

August 1 is observed as . Overshoot occurs when humanity's demand on nature exceeds Earth's biocapacity. In order to reverse our current consumption, we must work towards solutions and reduce our carbon footprint.

Worldwide, the average person produces about four tons of carbon dioxide each and every year. Besides planting trees, which only temporarily store carbon so long as the trees stay alive, we don't see many alternative solutions.

One of the out-of-the-box solutions is biochar, a unique technology that helps to lock up carbon for up to 1000 years. It's so successful, in fact, that it is responsible for over 89% of engineered Carbon Removal Credits.

To really put our carbon footprint into a visual, artist and the team at WongPhai created the "Carbon Phoenix." Crafted from the annual carbon footprint of the average person and made from 4 tons of carbon, it stands as the world's tallest Biochar art installation at over 6.5m tall. This installation aims to raise awareness for biochar and to fundraise for local carbon removal projects.

Learn more at https://biocharphoenix.com/.

As we celebrate , let's talk about how different types of therapy can help the LGBTQ+ community. For those who may want more than the traditional talk therapy, somatic therapy is an alternative option, as it uses the mind-body connection to help individuals in their journey of healing, whether they're processing trauma or discovering more about themselves and their identity.

If you're interested in learning about our MA in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Somatic Psychotherapy, visit https://www.antioch.edu/academics/psychology/clinical-psychology-mft-ausb/somatic-psychotherapy-ausb/

People have a tendency to hijack their grief. In the coaching, counseling, and clinical spaces, it is important for professionals to understand themes that may or may not be present when working with individuals trying to process grief and loss. Focusing on just a few tools can enhance a positive grief integration experience far more effectively. This is an experiential workshop for clinicians and those interested in a user-friendly and highly adaptable approach to caring for grievers that can be integrated into any manualized approach. Learn more: ce.antioch.edu/r4u

"Consider this small campus, which is being founded largely by women. Look at how they are hustling to get this thing going, what obstacles they are overcoming as they plant the seeds of this campus—and the challenges they are coming up against in daring to be passionate and ambitious about their professional goals at a time when women are still doing the dance steps backwards and in high heels. Join them as they persevere in a mission that will, over the course of the next 45 (and counting) years, reap the benefits of their efforts for so many."

With these words, writer Malia Gaffney begins her oral history of Antioch University's Santa Barbara campus. Read the full piece in this year's Antioch Alumni Magazine to hear the voices of the inspiring and quirky cast of characters who founded this vital Antioch campus.

You can read the full article here:

The Jewel in the Crown: An Oral History of Antioch’s Santa Barbara Campus - Common Thread Six voices come together to share an oral history of the early days of Antioch’s Santa Barbara campus.

We're co-sponsoring this free screening of "ADHD: Wired Differently," on May 16. See below for more details!

“ADHD: Wired Differently” is coming to theaters near you on May 16th! 🎥🍿🎞️

Join us for a FREE film screening sponsored by UCSB AMPLIFY Initiative!

May 16th, 2-5pm at the UCSB Studio Theater: Theater & Dance East, 1101.

What are you waiting for? Register today by visiting our blog:
https://professional.ucsb.edu/blog-adhd-screening

Leading with Emotional Agility in the New Workforce Culture Antioch University and Santa Barbara City College's School of Extended Learning hosted a panel on Friday, April 12, 2024 titled, "Leading with Emotional Agil...

We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to the sponsors of the 2024 Hope Awards! Your support has played a crucial role in making the event a success. A special thanks to SAGE Publishing, Griffith and Thornburgh, Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo, Chevron, KBZ Architects, M.F. Strange & Associates, RSH Construction, Santa Barbara Historical Museum, Antioch University Santa Barbara, Cottage Health, Dennis Thompson Architect, Fielding Graduate University, Hohbach-Lewin, Inc., Huckabee, Montecito Bank & Trust, Montecito Journal, Foundation for Santa Barbara City College (SBCC).

Your generosity supports our mission to empower Santa Barbara Unified School District students. Thank you! 🌟

Long ago, Dawn Murray, PhD, a Professor and Director of the BS in Environmental Studies, Sustainability, and Sciences program, decided she wanted to work alongside people at a grassroots level. Much of her work since then has involved supporting individuals who were already working towards protecting the environment -- leading her to collaborating with different Indigenous communities worldwide.

Back in 2017, Murray traveled to the Kingdom of Bhutan, invited by the Monpa people to collaborate with them to document the knowledge of their last community healer, Ap Tawla. Throughout her book, Monpa Medicinal Plants: Indigenous Knowledge from a Himalayan Healer, she brings insight into her time in Bhutan in 2017 and explores the Monpas relationship with the Himalayan medicinal plants that are used for healing. The Monpa people's deep respect and care for nature is rooted in life, something that has been practiced for generations.

When Murray is on Monpa land, she sees herself as a guest -- not as a scientist or a documentarian. She strives to collaborate in stewarding knowledge and ways of being. “I don’t want us to forget,” she says, “that there are people like that in the world who walk with nature, connected with nature, not separate from nature.”

You can read more about Murray's time in Bhutan here:

In Bhutan, Collaborating to Ethically Preserve an Indigenous Bioculture - Common Thread In 2017, Dawn Murray, a Professor in the Environmental Studies Department and Director of the BS in Environmental Studies, Sustainability, and Sciences, traveled to the Kingdom of Bhutan by invitation from the Monpa people to collaborate with them to document the knowledge of their last community he...

We're excited about this bonus episode of the Seed Field podcast! Faculty members across Antioch's counseling, therapy, and psychology programs are working to reassess the foundations of the mental health field that often contain racism and exclusion.

Mariela Marin, faculty of Antioch Santa Barbara's MA in Clinical Psychology and the Director of the Latinx Mental Health Concentration, is one of the featured Antiochians in this episode, where she brings insight into how cultural self-assessments can help us develop skills needed to combat discrimination in the mental health field.

Big Idea: Decolonizing Mental Health Education - Common Thread Insights drawn from interviews with seven Antioch faculty members who have firsthand experience decolonizing counseling, psychology, and therapy.

Happy ! In line with this year's theme "Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion," we're bringing attention to some of the women a part of Antioch University who work to eliminate bias and discrimination within their communities, fields of study, and classrooms.

Find inspiration in their stories here:

Celebrating Women’s History 2024 - Common Thread This Women’s History Month, we want to highlight ten Antiochian women who, in their own way, are advocating for equity, diversity, and inclusion. Read profiles of the Chair of Antioch’s Board of Governors, a student bringing s*x therapy to her Japanese-American community, a writer excavating her...

ICYMI: The digital version of Antioch's Alumni Magazine is here! Have you checked it out yet?

We had to take an opportunity on to show you a sneak peek of one of the photos from 'The Jewel in the Crown: An Oral History of Antioch’s Santa Barbara Campus."

Be sure to read this and other inspiring stories in the sixth issue of our Alumni Magazine at https://commonthread.antioch.edu/magazine

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Alt text: An image from Antioch archives, featuring MA in Psychology students/reception staff, Karen Kinrose and Candace Etz, standing at the reception desk. On the desk is a tray of organized papers and some scattered manilla folders. Behind them on the wall is a framed photo with a wood frame. A window is to the far right, bringing natural light into the office setting.

Susie Halsell ’18, ’23, (BA, Santa Barbara & MA, Antioch Online) was appointed by UNICEF to the role of Technical Expert for the establishment of a skateboarding program for street children in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Bangladesh Street Kids Aid is actively investing in the future of marginalized youth by providing community and connecting people of diverse backgrounds. They provide education, drug awareness, medical care, and psychological support.

Halsell has over 10 years of experience working with street children in Bangladesh. She has studied the Bangla language at a Bangla institute in Dhaka and Anthropology at BRAC University in Bangladesh. Throughout the years, Halsell has made many valuable contacts in Bangladesh who have helped her bring this project to its current state.

Learn more about Bangladesh Street Kids Aid at https://www.bskaid.org/.