Education advocate to raise funds for free youth arts program
PASO ROBLES — Befitting its 25th anniversary of providing community youth arts education, nonprofit Paso Robles Youth Arts Centers (Youth Arts) announced the hiring of Fund Development Director Barby Wunsch. A longtime resident of Templeton, Wunsch joins Youth Arts with a deep commitment to the arts, education, and other causes, along with extensive fundraising expertise to benefit them.
During her early career as a teacher across several grade levels in public and private school settings, Wunsch recognized the value of grant funding in providing services. Transitioning into fund development 12 years ago — she worked with GRID Alternatives, a nonprofit installer of clean energy technologies, and Hartnell College, a public community college in Salinas — she generated millions of dollars through grants and donations.
Wunsch is currently board president for the Templeton Education Foundation, where she has raised funds for the past seven years. Starting out with a Bachelor’s degree in fine arts and a Master’s in education, her career has come full circle at Youth Arts, where many under-resourced students have their first exposure to the arts. Because children’s development is positively linked to arts education, participation in the center’s classes helps these young students develop critical life skills for a changing world.
Donors remain critical and valued partners in Youth Arts’ continued success as Wunsch looks to expand financial support for its acclaimed after-school programs. She can be reached at barby.wunsch@pryoutharts.org or (805) 238-5825.
Feature Image: Barby Wunsch joins nonprofit Paso Robles Youth Arts Centers as their new fund development director. Contribtued Photo
