Women’s Fund Recipient

Grant Description: Many students graduate from high school and even college without prospects for a paying job. TRADART, a local nonprofit, was founded by local contractors to financially support a construction curriculum. This grant provides materials for three Tiny Houses (TH) including: typical household appliances, transportation trailers (part of the TH design), photovoltaic roof arrays (solar electricity), solar hot water rooftop collectors and a portion of the building materials. TRADART and each high school will provide instruction and all other building materials for 300-360 students per year.  The “shop classes” provide a base of training for students that can lead to dual enrollment certificate programs at Santa Barbara City College and the opportunity to obtain a contractor’s license at the completion of their studies. The program is sustainable because the THs will be sold at the end of construction.