Find uplifting stories about heroes, innovations, and solutions
484 results for "santa clara"
This September, Santa Clara will join a worldwide movement that removed over 20 million pieces of trash from waterways in a single day. The city is hosting its own cleanup site as part of California Coastal Cleanup Day, an international effort to protect oceans and wildlife.
Volunteers in Santa Clara County donated over 9,200 hours in 2025 to clean waterways and educate neighbors about water conservation. Their work removed nearly 50,000 pounds of trash from 146 miles of creeks and rivers.
Professional Santas from around the world descended on a Danish city in July for their annual summer summit. The World Santa Claus Congress brings together St. Nicks from Japan to Australia to share ideas and spread joy.
Dave Bell, a beloved Santa Claus impersonator in Powhatan, Virginia, gave a stranger the gift of life by donating one of his kidneys. He even wore his Santa hat during recovery to stay in character.
Santa Cruz High School just made history, claiming its first-ever boys' volleyball championship in a thrilling sweep. The team's victory represents decades of dedication and puts Santa Cruz County volleyball on the map.
Twenty talented high school seniors in Santa Barbara County just earned college scholarships by doing what they love: creating art. The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara awarded up to $4,500 each to young artists whose work impressed judges in the program's 47th year.
Nearly 2,300 students across Santa Barbara County just received life-changing news: they're getting college scholarships totaling $8.4 million. The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara celebrated these future graduates at two packed ceremonies that brought entire communities together.
Twenty high school seniors from Santa Barbara County just scored college scholarships totaling over $66,000 for their artistic talent. The awards mark 47 years of the Scholarship Foundation celebrating young artists and investing in their creative futures.
A public library in Santa Barbara just got four ultra-fast electric vehicle chargers that rank among the speediest on California's Central Coast. Powered entirely by clean energy, the new charging station makes going electric easier for the whole community.
Santa Barbara residents can now access up to $7,500 in rebates for electric vehicles and home chargers, making clean transportation more affordable. The city approved 177 rebates last year and opens its next application window July 7.
Ten students from one of Santa Monica's most underserved neighborhoods just received over $31,000 in scholarships to pursue their college dreams. Eight of them are the first in their families to attend college.
Santa Barbara County is preparing for its biggest cleanup ever, with 37 sites ready to welcome thousands of volunteers on September 19. What started with 2,500 California volunteers in 1985 has grown into a global movement spanning over 100 countries.
A mountain lion that wandered into a Santa Monica residential area was successfully tranquilized and relocated by wildlife experts on Friday, marking a hopeful outcome after a similar 2012 incident ended tragically. The healthy animal will be evaluated and returned to safer habitat, while conservationists work to protect the region's small but resilient mountain lion population.
A new program in Santa Barbara is making electric vehicle ownership accessible to apartment dwellers by covering most of the cost to install chargers at multifamily buildings. Renters have long been locked out of EV adoption due to charging barriers.
Cancer survivors and their caregivers in Santa Clarita Valley will be celebrated at a special dinner featuring live music, raffles, and inspiration on March 14. The event kicks off a season of hope leading to the May 2 Relay For Life celebration.
More than 3,400 Santa Barbara County students applied for college scholarships this year, a 5% jump that signals growing ambition among local youth. The foundation awarded over $7.7 million to 2,125 students last year and expects to announce this year's recipients in spring.
High schoolers in Santa Barbara just proved they know exactly what their schools need. Nearly $10,000 in grants helped them turn their ideas into real projects that make campuses better for everyone.
United Way of Santa Barbara County has awarded over $220,000 to help 40 families afford quality childcare through their Brighter Futures program. The scholarships target working families caught in the middle, earning too much for public assistance but struggling with costs that eat up to 30% of their budgets.
Volunteers in Santa Barbara are keeping household items out of landfills by teaching neighbors how to repair broken blenders, torn clothes, and stuck bike gears. The free bimonthly workshop has grown into a movement where community meets climate action.
Four Santa Barbara County schools just earned California's Distinguished Schools honor, proving that dedicated educators can close achievement gaps while lifting all students. Out of 2,500 schools statewide, only 408 made the cut.
Showing 20 of 484