Spatial Mapping to Expand Access to College and Career Opportunities for Youth
New interactive dashboards developed by Advisor Guillen and partners integrate school-level college and career readiness indicators, demographic data, and community assets to identify gaps in youth development and college and career readiness opportunities. These tools are central to regional planning efforts, allowing program staff and partners to make more data-informed decisions about outreach, partnerships, and program placement.
Early insights highlight distinct spatial patterns in access and opportunity. In Santa Barbara County, both concentrations of socioeconomic disadvantage and disparities in college and career readiness outcomes are more pronounced in the northern part of the county. Qualitative insights from stakeholders and youth reinforce these patterns. Common themes include transportation as a consistent barrier, limited awareness of available pathways, and a mismatch between strong interest in career exploration and access to meaningful opportunities such as internships and work-based learning. As one youth shared, “I would like more chances to explore careers and talk to people about jobs.” At the same time, there are clear strengths, including strong local partnerships, emerging community-based models of support, and 4-H youth reporting access to trusted adults, even as they seek more structured guidance and exposure to career pathways.
Building on these findings, Guillen will continue stakeholder interviews and youth surveys to further inform the needs assessment. These insights are helping to shape more targeted strategies and programming to expand access to college and career readiness and youth development opportunities while also identifying priorities for serving underserved youth.
Explore the dashboards:
College and Career Readiness in California: Indicators, Disparities, and Assets
Student Enrollment Patterns, Community Assets and Educational Infrastructure