I have a secret.

After five years at Sonoma Valley Education Foundation, I anticipated that writing the annual report would feel familiar and, dare I say, a little redundant.

And you know what? It was.

In the best way possible.

In a world of uncertainty and constant change, the depth of your generosity and dedication to local students have established a predictable, unwavering lifeline of certainty for Valley youth.

Your steadfast certainty allows our students to dream big, knowing their community is behind them and that they’ll have what they need to arrive at school ready to learn.

This report celebrates the strides you’ve enabled in evergreen offerings, like preschool and Classroom Grants, and the conception of the Ready to Learn Collaborative, which empowers SVEF to work strategically across seven youth-serving organizations to creatively combine resources and expertise to serve student need at the highest level.

Ready to Learn, which officially launched in November of 2023, has been instrumental in increasing resources and programming for students who need social-emotional and mental health support and has come to life through the following programs:

Creative Campus is an innovative arts program for elementary school students that provides high-quality arts and social-emotional programming at lunch, as well as during and after school.

Empowerment Academy combines the expertise of the Mentoring Alliance and the Boys & Girls Club of Sonoma Valley to provide
tutoring, mental health services, and SEL programming after school
at Sonoma Valley High School.

Sonoma Valley for Healing Justice is a transformative program that equips local teens with essential personal and community healing tools and insights.

Awakening Wisdom offers an empowering series of workshops designed to increase student self-belief, break cycles of anger and impulsivity, and strive to embody greater self-awareness, self-esteem, empathy, and responsibility.

Alliance for Youth Wellness provides on-campus one-to-one and group mental health clinical services through Sonoma Valley Therapy, SVUSD, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley.

These examples, and many more underway, are just the tip of the iceberg for what is possible when this community and our Ready to Learn Collaborative unify in the name of students.
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It’s worth repeating that without you, there would be no us or these meaningful programs and resources for students.
Thank you for being a beacon of dependability and support for the students of this valley.

We appreciate you!
Angela Ryan, Ph.D.
Executive Director

While it’s never preferable to play favorites, it’s hard to deny that Classroom Grants is a leader in the clubhouse when it comes to your positive impact on student learning.

A fun intersection between our teachers’ creativity and your generosity, what was previously a once-a-year opportunity to fund unique projects, field trips, and extended learning opportunities is now a monthly benefit afforded to our teachers and students.

This past year, you helped fund over 70 diverse projects requested by hardworking teachers, positively impacting hundreds of students across all grade levels.

Among the unique learning opportunities afforded to our students were the following:

• A new ceramics program at Sonoma Charter School.
• Explode the Code workbooks that help El Verano Elementary School students develop reading skills.
• Field trips to the Marine Mammal Center, Westminster Woods, Tremaine Dance Convention, Coloma, and Safari West.
• Covering AVID student college application fees.
• Expanding classroom libraries to include bilingual, non-fiction, graphic novels, and diverse reading materials for students to enjoy.
• Creative physical materials to develop fine motor skills for writing, perseverance, and concentration.
  
  

And so many more.
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Thank you for ensuring our teachers can provide students with the materials, resources, and immersive experiences they need to thrive!

“I can’t do fun, engaging projects without the support of people like you! You’re making our community a better one. Thank you for investing in us!”
   — Mrs. Brandy Melendy, El Verano Elementary School

A record-breaking crowd turned up—and out—in celebration of Sonoma Valley’s public schools!

August 23, 2023: Laughter filled the air, friends greeted each other warmly, and the infectious Latin fusion beats of La Gente SF rang through the Plaza. What could have been mistaken for a jazzy Tuesday night market was the culmination of over 1,500 community members joining together to celebrate the achievements and potential of Sonoma Valley public schools.

The newly evolved picnic-style format delivered a welcoming energy made possible by the parents, families, students, teachers, and community members who came out to celebrate and stand united in support of our local schools.

And while wine and dancing were ever-present, so was the generosity of guests and donors.

Thanks to friends and supporters like you, proceeds from the event and accompanying fundraising efforts totaled $235,000 for Sonoma Valley’s public schools!

Between performances from talented local students and an engaging showcase of all the incredible programs, hopes, and dreams of students and teachers alike, Red & White Ball guests got a glimpse of the magic that makes our schools and this Valley the special place it is.
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We can’t wait to welcome everyone back out this August 24th for another night of sipping, supporting, and, let’s be honest, dancing ourselves into some blistered feet and sweaty red and white attire in support of students.

Your support made a positive impact on our students AND their families!

​It’s well-documented that early education opportunities for our youngest learners have an immense and positive impact on their future academic and personal success.

Your continued support ensured that over 100 of our youngest learners could attend a safe, enriching learning environment without the crushing price tag that is becoming commonplace at private preschools in our region.

Many parents with children in Sassarini and El Verano’s preschool programs shared that having this critical resource has been an extraordinary opportunity for their child to develop social skills and kindergarten readiness and allowed them to continue pursuing work and educational opportunities for themselves.

Because of you, parents don’t have to choose between vital employment and their children’s futures.

Here is what a few of them had to say:

“If this program were not available, I would not have been able to pursue my own education, and my daughter would not be attending preschool because of the tuition required.”
—Sassarini Parent

“Our family appreciates the preschool program very much! Our son has developed greatly in social, emotional, and cognitive ways because of his ability to participate in the program.”
—El Verano Parent

“Thank you very much for funding this program! Both my husband and I are very grateful that because of your kindness, our kids can have an early education. It also really helps us because I would not be able to work if it wasn’t for this option. Thank you so much!”
—Sassarini Parent
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Your generosity is creating ripples of positivity and prosperity through our community. Thank you for ensuring that the next generation has access to critical early learning opportunities!

Since the pandemic began, mental health has become the defining health crisis of our time. The bulk of this emergency has fallen on those least prepared to handle its devastating effects: children and youth.

It’s urgent that young people have access to the mental and emotional support they need. However, the ongoing crisis has placed great strain on local resources.

Thanks to past financial support from our donor community, SVEF was able to immediately respond to the crisis by partnering with our schools and trusted local organizations and experts to help students most in need of support. We remain steadfast in our efforts and are investing in new programs that directly address the pressing mental health needs of local students. 

This holiday season, we ask our generous donors to make a special year-end gift (which will be doubled by matching funds) to continue this work.  

Every student is experiencing the mental health crisis differently, which means we need a robust continuum of care in Sonoma Valley. Your generosity will allow us to expand and launch comprehensive mental health resources to ensure students get the support they need, including:

• Awakening Wisdom: Social-emotional and empowerment-focused small group sessions for young men at Sonoma Valley High.
• Empowerment Academy: Pilot after-school program at Sonoma Valley High, which provides on-campus, after-school educational and social-emotional learning opportunities for youth through various creative, engaging, and empowering programs. 
• Creative Campus: Elementary school students will have the chance to participate in powerful classes that harness the arts to combat social isolation, increase engagement at school, and nurture social-emotional learning.
• And more!

Your gift will make an immediate impact ensuring that tried-and-true mental and social-emotional wellness programs are available to our students now–when they need them the most.

Thank you for helping to ensure that Sonoma Valley students have the healing and support they need and deserve.

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Inspired New Grant Enables SVEF to Facilitate Collaborative of Local Youth Nonprofits
 
Sonoma, Calif. (November 7, 2023) - The Sonoma Valley Education Foundation (SVEF) announced today that it is the proud recipient of the Sonoma Valley Catalyst Fund Reimagine Grant. The Sonoma Valley Catalyst Fund, a fund of the Community Foundation Sonoma County, awards Reimagine Grant recipients up to $100K. The grant program is designed to fill a gap in funding for nonprofits that want to innovate, take risks, and find new solutions to build a more united and equitable Sonoma Valley. 

SVEF is poised to use this exciting new grant to kick off the Sonoma Valley Ready to Learn Collaborative, a coalition of seven youth-serving organizations that will combine and leverage their expertise and assets to support students socially, emotionally, and academically.

“Our vision in how we best serve students has evolved exponentially over the past three years, inspiring a new direction to holistically address the needs of our local youth and ensure that every public school student is safe, healthy, engaged, and ultimately, able to show up ready to learn,” said Angela Ryan, Executive Director of the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation. “We are proud of the collaborative network of the organizations who have committed to fundamentally reimagining how we can bolster our individual strengths and assets to better collaborate and increase our resources on behalf of our students.”

The inspiration behind the Ready to Learn Collaborative was conceived out of a separate Catalyst Grant in 2021, which enabled SVEF and La Luz Center to conduct a community survey - Sueños de Sonoma - unveiling opportunities for growth as prioritized by the community itself. 

In addition, since the pandemic, SVEF has been working collaboratively and creatively with local community partners to develop programs to serve youth in myriad ways, primarily “beyond the bell” or outside of regular school time, where research showed kids needed increased support. Additional priorities for the Collaborative include mental health, social-emotional support, and family engagement.

“One of the key aspects of Catalyst’s mission is to fund innovation and solve problems that no one organization can solve alone. This grant and SVEF’s leadership embodies both of those,” said Diana Sanson, Catalyst Fund Grants Chair.

The Reimagine Grant program, announced earlier this year, aims to inspire local nonprofits to develop ambitious goals for creating thoughtful and innovative solutions to complex regional issues. The funds, totaling $100,000, will cover all phases of innovation, from capacity building and program development to pilot programs and expanded partnerships.

The Ready to Learn Collaborative includes SVEF, Sonoma Valley Unified School District, Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley, Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance, Sonoma Valley Community Health Center, The Community Mental Health Hub at Hanna Center, and La Luz Center. Each member already has a mission they are uniquely qualified to advance and, together, better leverage their resources and expertise to more effectively and holistically support students in need.

Two programs served as case studies and a north star for how Ready to Learn could come to life - Creative Campus, which is a partnership between SVEF, Kimzin Creative, and local organizations that champion student wellness through the arts, and the After School Empowerment Academy, a collaboration between SVEF, the Mentoring Alliance, and the Boys & Girls Clubs’ Teen Services team designed to expand access to in-person after-school educational and social-emotional learning opportunities for Sonoma Valley High School students. Both have proven incredibly successful and continue to serve hundreds of students across the valley.

For more information about the Ready to Learn Collaborative, please contact Sarah Carroll at [email protected]. For more information about the Sonoma Valley Catalyst Fund, please visit https://www.sonomavalleycatalystfund.org.
 
About Sonoma Valley Education Foundation
The Sonoma Valley Education Foundation (SVEF) was established in 1993 and has since provided over 20 million dollars to Sonoma Valley public schools through grants to teachers and district administration, sponsored community initiatives, flagship programming such as Preschool For All, and robust partnerships with youth-serving organizations. SVEF strives to cultivate community support and raise funds to enable Valley youth to succeed in the classroom and beyond. For more information, please visit https://www.svgreatschools.org. 
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Inclusive Community Event Celebrated the Valley’s Public Schools and Raised Funds to Create a Thriving School Community

​The board and staff of the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation (SVEF) were thrilled to welcome another record-breaking crowd to the 2023 Red & White Ball on the Sonoma Plaza on August 26. More than 1,500 guests were on-hand to celebrate the achievements and potential of the Valley’s public school students and the dedicated teachers and staff who make it all possible. Guests were entertained by talented local students, who showed off their music, acting, and dance skills in the Grinstead Amphitheater. In the School Showcase area, community members were able to see student art and school projects, hear from students involved in school clubs, and learn about the projects and experiences made possible by Classroom Grants funded by SVEF’s community of donors. Executive Director Angela Ryan and emcee Nikko Kimzin spoke to the guests from the main stage about the mission of SVEF and their commitment to creating thriving school communities. To cap off the party, the crowd danced the night away to La Gente SF and their infectious latin fusion beats.

This was SVEF’s second in-person Red & White Ball since 2019, and continued last years’ successful  reimagined format of a picnic-style community celebration, with guests invited to learn about the collective hopes and dreams of the teachers, staff and students of the public schools. And there was no shortage of generosity from the guests, many of whom donated in advance or at the event and, thanks to the matching gifts of event sponsors, had their donations tripled. These gifts created SVEF’s Classroom Grants fund for the school year, which allows teachers to purchase everything from materials and supplies to creative enrichment opportunities for students. All told, proceeds from the event and accompanying fundraising activities totaled $235,000 for Sonoma Valley’s public schools!
 
SVEF Executive Director Angela Ryan shared, “This year’s Red & White Ball was beyond my wildest dreams of what this event could be. Seeing the size of the crowd made it clear that the community is eager to celebrate everything that makes our public schools great. In particular, seeing so many students in attendance was heartwarming and a reminder of why we believe so passionately in connecting the community with the schools. I can’t thank everyone enough for showing up for the biggest, most inclusive and most fun Red & White Ball ever!”

Board Chair Graham Smith added, “We’re humbled by the generosity of our supporters and the way they show up every time. It’s an honor to host this inclusive event and see parents, families, teachers and community members united in their dedication to our public schools. I want to express my deepest gratitude to the team and countless volunteers who made this year’s Red & White Ball possible. It’s truly a one-of-a kind event, and I’m thrilled to see the way the community has embraced the new format.”

Be sure to check out the latest article from the Sonoma Index Tribune about a Classroom Grant you made possible: dance instructors, enhanced sets and costumes!

‘Shrek Junior’ musical takes the Adele stage with professional dance instruction, new costumes and set designs
When the musical ‘Shrek Junior’ is performed at Adele Harrison Middle School this week, it will feature lively dances as well as new costumes and set designs, thanks to the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation.
DANIEL JOHNSON
INDEX-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
May 16, 2023, 1:53PM​