Santa Barbara County Education Office names Performing Arts Teacher of the Year for 2020

Source: The Santa Barbara County Education Office

The Santa Barbara County Education Office is pleased to name Bree Jansen as the 2020 Santa Barbara Bowl Performing Arts Teacher of the Year.

Jansen is an English and performing/visual arts teacher at Lompoc High School in the Lompoc Unified School District. The award was created in 2015, in a partnership between the Santa Barbara County Education Office (SBCEO) and the Santa Barbara Bowl through the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation Education Outreach, which is dedicated to supporting performing arts in the community. 
Jansen will succeed Aniela Hoffman, a music teacher at Arellanes Junior High School in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District, as the Performing Arts Teacher of the Year next academic year. 

“Santa Barbara Bowl Outreach is dedicated to ensuring all students have access to the arts. Bree’s continued dedication to the future artists of the world is inspiring for the entire Santa Barbara community,” said Karen Kerns, Chair Outreach Committee.

Jansen, who has been a dance teacher for 17 years, will be recognized at the SBCEO Teacher’s Network Education Celebration on May 23 with a more formal recognition in November at the seventh annual “A Salute to Teachers,” a gala event recognizing award-winning educators from Santa Barbara County.  

“Bree’s passion for dance shows each and every day when she works with our students. She is a dynamic teacher who instills the beauty of many forms of dance into our students’ lives. Our students then tell stories with their dance and every now and then you will see Bree join her students dancing along with them,” said Principal Paul Bommersbach. “Lompoc High School is very fortunate to have Bree support our youth of Lompoc.”

“Bree has opened the world of dance to students of all ages and abilities with her inspiring and creative teaching,” said County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Susan Salcido. “We are thrilled to once again have performing arts recognized for the important role it plays in a well-rounded education. Thank you to the Santa Barbara Bowl for its sponsorship of the Performing Arts Teacher of the Year Award.”  

“The Santa Barbara Bowl works hand in hand with many community organizations to help enrich the lives of everyone,” added Rick Boller, the Bowl Foundation’s Executive Director. “By leveraging the success of the Bowl’s Concert Seasons, we are able to help support programs like the Santa Barbara Bowl Performing Arts Teacher of the Year and many of programs like Instrument Fund, Community Ticket Subsidy, and annual grants. Congratulations to Bree Jansen on her success in the classroom and her impact on the world of performing arts.”