 Thanks to the Sonoma Valley Sun for featuring the Empowerment Academy in a recent article. Reporter Anna Pier describes SVEF's innovative collaboration with the Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance and the Teen Services program of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley, bringing after-school enrichment to the campus of Sonoma Valley High School.
"Launched last spring, the Academy is growing rapidly, and is on track to meet the goal of serving twenty percent of the students from both Sonoma Valley High and Creekside High this 2024-’25 school year," says the article, which goes on to quote SVEF executive director Sarah Carroll: "'With Empowerment Academy, we’re leveling the playing field and opening access to opportunities for families who don’t have the time, money or transportation to source their own enrichment activities,' said Carroll. 'We’re literally meeting students where they are, helping them to thrive and empowering them to build strong futures.' " Read the article for all the details, and please consider making a year-end gift so we can build on this important work.
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A student is paying it forward, with support from donors like you Switching to a new high school is always hard. But when Malakai arrived at Sonoma Valley High School in January of 2022, classes had only been back on campus for a few months in the wake of the pandemic. Masks and social distancing were in full effect, making social connections a struggle. “Everyone was just in their own bubble,” they recall.
Malakai had been assigned a staff counselor, but recognized that resources were stretched thin. “A lot of students couldn't get the support they needed,” they say. Since then, additional help has arrived – thanks to donors like you. Working in partnership with school district staff, the SVEF has expanded access to one-on-one, family, and small group therapy for students district-wide. Now free counseling is available for any student in need. Flyers posted around the SVHS campus feature QR codes for students to scan on their phones to request help. Malakai joined the school-wide Wellness Youth Council and found encouragement and new friends. They recall, “The other members helped me come out of my shell – they talked to me and welcomed me, and I felt like this is a safe place for me.” They and the group have worked to de-stigmatize mental health care on campus – and they’re seeing big changes in students’ outlook. “People are normalizing that it's okay to say, ‘Hey, I'm getting therapy to get the help I need,” they say. “Students can come for free and there’s someone here that you can talk to when you need it. The therapists here are amazing, and they really show that they care.” Malakai takes pride in the progress SVHS has made. Now a senior, they hope their school can serve as a model for others. “It's possible for students to learn to feel comfortable sharing their feelings – we’re doing it here now.”  Laura Stanfield has supported Sonoma Valley students for decades. As a volunteer, she helped high schoolers with their senior projects, co-created the “I Choose” campaign to encourage pride in the local schools, and served as a board member and event volunteer for the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation.
Generous with her time and insights, Laura recently decided to make her commitment to local students even stronger. Laura joined the Honor Roll Society, SVEF’s monthly donation program. For her, signing up for monthly contributions was the right thing to do to ensure the continuity of programs and services students count on. “Our students need us all the time, not just once a year,” she explained. “So I found myself questioning why I write a check once a year, when I can give a little something every month and help create stability.” Not only does Laura’s monthly donation enable SVEF to predict income and plan for the future, but the money can be used to address new needs as they arise. “I want SVEF to be flexible – to be able to send support wherever needed, whenever it’s needed,” she said. Laura believes investing deeply in schools helps secure a bright future for the place she calls home. “Strong schools equal a strong community,” she said. “SVEF helps level the playing field to ensure all students have an opportunity to succeed – and that way, we all succeed.” “Adventurous Abby” has a new quest, thanks to you.
Abby Barragán, a third grader at El Verano Elementary School, used to either go home or head to the Boys & Girls Club after school. Aside from playing tag at the club, she didn’t get much exercise. But this fall, Abby trained for a 5K race two afternoons a week on the El Verano campus. Through a Classroom Grant your donations made possible, school staff teamed up with Girls on the Run, a national program that combines workouts with self-empowerment lessons for girls. Powered by your generosity, Abby made new friends across grade levels and learned about self-care. At the end of the eight-week program, she ran a 5K with her El Verano schoolmates and other North Bay Girls on the Run groups. Family members participated, too, and all the finishers got medals – a wonderful way to recognize the girls’ hard work and growth. On a sunny afternoon in October, Abby and the group lined up for training. They ran to the left or right depending on how they would respond to a scenario described by a teacher: Someone who was hurtful to you is now on the receiving end of mean comments. Would you stand up for them? Abby was in the group sprinting left, indicating they would help. “Just because someone’s mean once, doesn’t mean they’ll do it again,” she pointed out. The lessons are making a lasting impression on Abby. She’s even shared a mindful breathing technique she learned at Girls on the Run with friends. Now Abby is doing more running whenever she’s at a park or playground. “It makes me feel really energized,” she says. Thank you for helping Abby build new strengths and healthy habits that will carry her far beyond the 5K finish line.  Raising two girls in Sonoma, Michelle Dale Jernigan volunteered at each school they attended and then stayed involved even after they’d moved on. Both daughters now attend Chapman University, but Michelle is still dedicated to supporting Sonoma students and schools.
“It’s important to know faces and names, get involved and stay involved,” she says. “That’s how we stay connected to community.” Michelle has been part of the team transforming the Red & White Ball into a community picnic open to all, and has been a fundraising ambassador. SVEF staff call her the “teen wrangler” because she helps organize student events such as senior day visits to elementary schools. For Michelle, supporting local public schools is about building a stronger community. “When we all have skin in the game, it helps all kids, not just our own, and that makes Sonoma Valley a better place for everyone.” If you'd like to learn about occasional volunteer opportunities with SVEF, email [email protected].  Students collaborate at an Empowerment Academy Study Jam last spring. (Photo courtesy Boys & Girls Club of Sonoma Valley) On September 4, Cris and Andrea boarded a time machine on the campus of Sonoma Valley High School.
No sci-fi magic was involved. Instead, Cris and Andrea stepped into their futures courtesy of the Empowerment Academy, an after-school program open to all high schoolers that’s funded by your Red & White Ball contributions. With your support, we’re partnering with Sonoma High, the Sonoma Mentoring Alliance and Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley to provide support and programming teens need to be successful students, employees, and citizens Access to essential life skills right on campus has been a game changer for Cris, a senior. He says, “You don’t have to travel all the way across town to get help, and you don’t have to leave campus and come back – it’s all right here.” Last spring Cris took a Money Matters class at Empowerment Academy that helped him make the most of the paycheck he earns as a Boys & Girls Club culinary intern. The class covers basics of personal finance, including how taxes work, credit and debit cards, and spending decisions. For Andrea, a junior, taking online driver’s education classes on-site at the Empowerment Academy last spring helped her engage more fully with the material than if she’d logged in by herself at home. She says, “Here, I could really look at the assignments and stay on task – and with driver’s education, it’s stuff you really have to know so you can drive safely, so that’s important!” Andrea and Cris plan to make the most of the Empowerment Academy’s offerings this year, from English-language peer tutoring to job skills training. On opening day of the Academy, they and a dozen other students gathered in the informal drop-in space to chat, play pool, and review homework with support from Mentoring Alliance staff. In a nearby classroom, Boys & Girls Club staff led the semester’s first Keystone Leadership class, which helps students develop interpersonal skills and promotes civic engagement and advocacy. Space to connect, study support, and new life skills – the Empowerment Academy’s innovative format provides a launch pad for student success. With your support, their dreams can take flight toward a bright future.  Interns Rashon Talton, left, and Kelsey Middleton at the SVHS Wellness Center. (SVEF Photo) Anxiety, friendship issues, panic attacks, the loss of loved ones: Sonoma Valley children carry heavy psychological burdens – part of a nationwide mental health crisis that’s taking a toll on students.
But local students of all ages have access to immediate help, thanks to generous supporters like you. Funds raised through the Red & White Ball are helping underwrite free one-on-one counseling, group sessions, and even family therapy for students in need. With your support, in collaboration with the school district and other community partners, we’re bringing mental health care providers directly onto school campuses – minimizing barriers to access. Students can seek help with or without a referral from a teacher or staff member. The care team includes six interns, Master’s degree students completing their training who will work at all the district’s public schools, with oversight from the district’s two full-time licensed clinicians. The interns have been hired with funding from SVEF and our generous donors. Although the school year just began, the interns are already working hard to support local students. For intern Kelsey Middleton, the assignment is a form of paying it forward, after having found help in high school for their own mental health challenges. Kelsey specifically requested to work with adolescents, and is already helping students harness the potential for self-discovery during a rich period of emotional highs and lows, exploration, and new experiences. “Teens are finding themselves and learning how to be their own person. It’s really cool to see,” says Kelsey. Intern Rashon Talton is working at Adele Harrison, Altimira, and Sonoma Valley High School and will carry a caseload of up to 20 students at any given time. Applying what he’s learned in the classroom to help adolescents solve real-world problems is a rewarding challenge. “How teenagers think is completely different from younger children or adults,” he says. “I love the out-of-the-box nature of their thoughts. They’re blunt and tell you like it is.” This understanding and compassion gives students the encouragement they need to confront their mental health challenges. Thanks to your support, students have the help they need to find their strength and emerge ready to learn and thrive. For middle schoolers, learning sciences from textbooks alone can be a bore. But your support has brought science to life for local students thanks to a classroom-based miniature ecosystem that kids can study up close.
A bonus for the kids: Poop plays a starring role! In Becky Perkins’ science classroom for sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-graders at Sonoma Charter School, a classroom aquaponics system that you funded presents a unique opportunity for students to develop their skills as environmental stewards, scientists, and problem solvers. Purchased through a Classroom Grant that Red & White Ball donors like you made possible, the system creates a closed-loop environment. Fish waste – aka poop – provides nutrients for plants, and plants help filter and clean the water for fish. This real-time, visual representation of ecological principles not only makes complex concepts more accessible but also fosters an engaging and interactive learning experience. Students gain hands-on experience growing plants and raising fish; tinkering skills come into play building and maintaining the system’s hydraulics; and they practice collaboration by working together on the project. “The Classroom Grant is helping us create a dynamic and engaging learning environment where students can explore the exciting intersection of science and sustainability,” says Mrs. Perkins. “We are incredibly grateful for your belief in the power of education and for investing in the future of our students.” When students experience how abstract scientific concepts intersect with everyday life, they’re motivated to learn. Thank you for making this innovative project possible for local students! We were thrilled to welcome more than 2,000 community members to the Plaza on August 24 to support our local public schools at the 2024 Red & White Ball. We had a blast mingling, dancing, and marveling at the student performers who wowed the crowd. Whether you came to dance, bought a ticket, sampled food and wine, made an online donation, or volunteered, your support makes a difference. Funds raised at the event are already being invested in vital programs and resources:
All told, the event and related fundraising activities exceeded the original $90,000 goal to bring in more than $120,000. This community support helps fill critical funding gaps and makes a huge difference in the lives of our students. When they succeed, we build a better future for the entire Valley. We can’t thank you enough! View the event photo gallery from Genesis Vondergeest View the photo booth snapshots and videos - password "Sonoma" Annual fundraiser kicks off the new school year; cultivates support for student success.
Sonoma, Calif. (July 8, 2024) - The Sonoma Valley Education Foundation (SVEF) announced today that it will host its signature event, the Red & White Ball Community Picnic, on August 24th in the Sonoma Plaza. This inclusive community-wide celebration will feature a picnic-style dining experience, student performances, live music by local band Funk Fatale, and an opportunity to support local students' inspiring potential and celebrate the dedication of hardworking teachers. "It’s been an inspiring three years watching this annual event evolve into a welcoming, unified community experience,” said Sarah Carroll, Executive Director of the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation. "It’s heartening to see teachers, administrators, donors, and families unite to create a meaningful, positive impact on our students while enjoying themselves and fostering stronger community connections. We hope to see even more friendly faces and participation this year!” The event at Sonoma Plaza runs from 5pm to 10pm. General admission tickets cost $50, including lawn seating and a complimentary beverage. For a premium experience, the Champions of Education package is available for $2,500. It features a table and chairs for four, meals from an on-site food truck, wine or beer, and a special shoutout from the stage. Champions of Education packages are limited, so early purchase is recommended. SVUSD students, families, faculty, and children under 18 attend for free. "Transforming the Red & White Ball into a more inclusive, community-oriented event was inspired by the belief that this format not only enhances accessibility but also underscores how even small acts of support can make a significant impact," explained Gail Chadwin, Director of Development of the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation. "We want guests to know that whether it’s purchasing a ticket, donating $5, or enjoying a glass of wine at the event, every contribution matters and positively affects the lives of our students." Tickets are on sale now; all proceeds from the event will benefit Sonoma Valley public school students and teachers for the coming 2024/25 school year. For more information on the event and how to participate, please get in touch with Gail Chadwin at [email protected] |
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