Camille Garcia is a social worker providing mental health care to students in Sonoma Valley's public schools. During the school year, Camille and her colleagues oversee the Clinical Intern Program and support middle and high school students at the Wellness Centers, which are open for drop-in care thanks to your generosity. 

Thanks to Sonoma Valley Unified School District for permission to re-post this profile!  

How long have you been working for Sonoma Valley Unified School District?

6 years.

What's a moment from that made you feel proud to work in Sonoma Valley public schools?

Anytime the wellness youth council has an opportunity to share their work with adults and the community.

Reflecting on your journey, who was a mentor or champion in your life who helped you get where you are today?

My parents, I've always been close with them and they guided me and gave me the tools and resources to support me in anything I was passionate about.

If you could share one piece of wisdom with our students—something you wish you had known earlier in life—what would it be?

It's okay to change your mind about most things and the ways things end up going are right where you are supposed to be even if it's not where you thought you would end up.

What's a song that always puts you in a good mood?

"Sabotage," Beastie Boys

If you could have any superpower for one day, what would it be?

I wish that I can wave the magic wand of what people think therapy is to make them feel better.

SVEF Wellness programs are made possible in part by a grant from Sutter Health. 

Every fifth grader in Sonoma Valley public schools will have a band instrument to learn how to play starting in the next school year, thanks to a new partnership with Sonoma Valley Unified School District (SVUSD) and the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation (SVEF).

Through the partnership, which was approved May 4 by the SVUSD Board of Trustees, SVEF will fund a centralized library of high-quality instruments. In August, fifth-graders will receive instruments on loan, and then return them at the end of the school year for cleaning and repairs over the summer.

The SVEF library supports the relaunch of a year-round fifth-grade band program at each SVUSD elementary school, which is slated to begin in the 2026-2027 school year. Classes will be taught by SVUSD music teachers, whose increased instructional hours are made possible by new statewide funding earmarked specifically for arts education.

Students will have the opportunity to learn a concert band instrument, including flute, clarinet, trumpet, or trombone, said Landon LeMoine, SVUSD’s visual and performing arts lead and executive director of ViVO Youth Orchestras.

“Music gives students a place to belong, contribute, and discover more about themselves,” said LeMoine. “By introducing instrumental music in elementary school, we’re not only building musical skills—we’re creating pathways for students to connect with one another, take pride in their schools, and experience the kind of collaboration and confidence that comes from making music together.”

LeMoine emphasized that the long-term goal is not only to strengthen music pathways into middle and high school, but also to help cultivate stronger school communities where students feel connected, seen, and engaged through the arts.

LeMoine will train and hire students to clean instruments and make any needed repairs during summer breaks, providing another learning opportunity. Ongoing management, maintenance, and repair of the library will be funded by SVEF.

In addition, SVEF will partner with local organizations to underwrite visits from professional musicians to inspire students’ interest and engagement.

“When students learn music, they listen, collaborate, build discipline, and deepen cultural knowledge, among numerous other benefits,” said SVEF Executive Director Sarah Carroll. “Our goal is to ensure all students, regardless of background, have the opportunity to learn, play, and grow through music.”

Funding for the instrument purchase was made possible in part through a generous legacy gift to SVEF. Community members are also invited to make donations to support the program.

SVEF: How long have you been an SVEF supporter, and what prompted you to become involved?

Donna Halow: My path to becoming a supporter is probably a bit different from the norm. I raised and schooled my children in San Francisco, so when I later retired to Sonoma the schools were not my first priority.

However, I found that my overriding takeaway on just about any social issue was “It all starts with education”, as that is the foundation for logical thinking, pragmatic approaches, insightful voting and, basically, the ability to discern the truth. That made me reconsider my priorities.

Why is SVEF's mission, and investing in local students, important to you?

It all begins with our students’ ability to think. They must learn to manage increasingly difficult challenges, be able to think for themselves, and trust their own judgment. They also must prepare for an ever-changing work environment. We need to get the entire community behind solid, practical, traditional education. We also need to focus on STEM, and support students with social and emotional challenges. SVEF is doing this.

You recently visited the Empowerment Academy at SVHS and the Altimira Wellness Center - what were your impressions? From your perspective, what is the value of these programs and how do they benefit local kids?

I was impressed as I learned the degree to which these programs are directly relevant to students’ success. Every staff member seemed totally committed, knowledgeable and experienced. The students persuasively communicated how they had benefited greatly from the programs.

Thirty percent of the high school students have used or are using the Empowerment Academy for ready-to-work training, financial education, study groups and more. At the Wellness Center at Altimira, with a student body in that difficult transitional stage to adulthood, student reports and evaluations were impressive.

What would you say to others who are considering joining SVEF's community of supporters?

Sonoma is a demographically older community with a declining student population. But that doesn’t mean those of us who do not have children in the schools don’t have a role to play.

Every adult, regardless of age, should help tackle our school system’s issues, which include budget shortfalls, language challenges, lowering of standards and the many social changes our students face. We need to support those with learning difficulties or family issues. We also need to foster rigor, responsibility, and structure to promote achievement.

All of these needs are important and SVEF has programs addressing them all—from the wellness and empowerment centers to the summer Elevate [Math] mastery program. Supporting SVEF is the best means of addressing all of these critical needs.

The Sonoma Valley Education Foundation (SVEF) has received a $25,000 grant to help middle school students build math skills and confidence this summer.

The grant was awarded Tuesday by Impact100 Sonoma, and will help fund Elevate [Math], a summer program that kicks off June 1 for Sonoma Valley public school students.

With the grant, SVEF will expand on a successful 2025 pilot so that students entering sixth, seventh, and eighth grade at Altimira Middle School can attend the summer program at no cost to families.

“Math is how students learn to persevere, think critically, and solve complex problems systematically,” said SVEF Executive Director Sarah Carroll. “We’re grateful to be able to offer more opportunities for students to build these all-important skills through Elevate [Math].”

The proven curriculum focuses on acceleration – previewing concepts for the coming school year through interactive exercises and group work on real-life problems that involve math.

SVEF is working in collaboration with the Sonoma Valley Unified School District to offer Elevate [Math]. School district teachers lead the summer session and receive specialized training on strategies they can use throughout the school year and share with colleagues.

“Teachers tell us that students who are ready for Algebra I by the time they leave middle school are equipped to succeed in advanced science and math classes in high school and beyond,” said Carroll. “Through Elevate [Math], teachers receive additional support for the work they are doing every day to prepare students for their futures.”

Elevate [Math] is the only summer academic program offered to middle school families at no cost to families. No public funding is allocated to the program, and the Impact100 grant covers a third of the costs.

SVEF is currently campaigning to raise the remainder of the funds for Elevate [Math], with a matching gift challenge in effect now through Memorial Day, May 25.

“Elevate [Math] is one hundred percent funded by the generosity of the community,” said Carroll.

Replenish your wine stash at the Benziger Family Winery and Imagery Estate Winery spring Friends & Family Wine Sale Thursday, March 12, from 10am to 6:30pm.  A portion of the proceeds will benefit SVEF!

With discounts up to 60% off, you won't want to miss out on this opportunity to stock up on delicious wines for spring and summer 🍷 - and select merchandise, too!

The sale will be held on site and each winery will offer its own wines exclusively. If you want to sample and buy Benziger wines, head to Benziger; if you want to try and purchase Imagery wines, visit Imagery.  Or, take the opportunity to experience both!

A cutting-edge program for middle school math acceleration is gaining momentum in Sonoma Valley thanks to a joint effort by the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation (SVEF) and the Sonoma Valley Unified School District (SVUSD).

SVEF Executive Director Sarah Carroll gave a presentation Nov. 13 to the SVUSD Board of Trustees about high-impact tutoring, which has demonstrated substantial learning gains at all grade levels in schools across the country.

High-impact tutoring delivers tailored small-group instruction by specially-trained tutors within the school day. Students receive instruction in groups of no more than four students at least three times per week to address academic skill gaps. 

Research from Stanford University’s National Student Support Accelerator shows that when implemented consistently over time, high-impact tutoring can accelerate learning by three to 15 months, Carroll said.

“This evidence-based approach has the potential to make a big difference in the lives of local students,” said Carroll. “We’re grateful to be working in partnership with the school district to pilot this initiative locally.”

Steps taken so far by SVEF and SVUSD to implement high-impact tutoring include: 

• On Oct. 9, SVUSD trustees voted to approve $20,000 in funding for high-impact tutoring during the school day during the 2026 spring semester at Altimira Middle School, supplemented by $45,000 SVEF will raise from its community of supporters. 
  
  
• SVUSD and SVEF are currently participating in an eight-week “solutions sprint” intensive learning cohort, with the goal of designing a full-fledged high-impact tutoring program for implementation beginning next year. SVUSD was selected as one of 30 local education agencies from across California to participate in the sprint, which kicked off Oct. 7. School district staff are collaborating on the sprint, along with Carroll. 
  
  

• A cohort of Altimira students are currently receiving online high-impact tutoring after school. Trained tutors from the Bay Area Tutoring Association lead the sessions and share progress notes with the students’ teachers at Altimira. The after-school program is free to students and funded by donations to SVEF.
  
  
• In the summer of 2026 SVUSD and SVEF will collaborate to offer Elevate [Math], a free summer math intensive for middle schoolers. The Elevate [Math] curriculum was developed by Silicon Valley Education Foundation, which is nationally recognized for fostering excellence in education in science, technology, engineering, and math. A small pilot summer session was offered in 2025, led by two SVUSD teachers who received specialized training.

By focusing on middle school students, the initiative is helping students master concepts that are critical for high school success – and hopefully will inspire ongoing exploration,  said Christina Casillas, associate superintendent of educational services. 

“During the summer intensive, students didn’t just learn linear equations and ratios - they grew in confidence, collaboration, and critical thinking,” said Casillas. “We’re excited to see our partnership with SVEF continue to grow these efforts in math through high-impact tutoring.”

We're excited to share that our generous friends at Benziger Family Winery and Imagery Estate Winery will host their annual Friends & Family Wine Sale Thursday, November 13 from 10am to 6:30pm.  A portion of the proceeds will benefit SVEF!

 🍂 With discounts up to 60% off, you won't want to miss out on this opportunity to stock up on delicious wines for the holiday season! 🍷

The sale will be held on site and each winery will offer its own wines exclusively. If you want to sample and buy Benziger wines, head to Benziger; if you want to try and purchase Imagery wines, visit Imagery. Or, take the opportunity to experience both!