Sonoma Valley Education Foundation

DEDICATED TO EXCELLENCE IN PRE-K THROUGH 12TH GRADE EDUCATION.

PRESCHOOL FOR ALLSINCE 2012, SVEF HAS PARTNERED WITH SVUSD TO ENABLE OUR COMMUNITYS LARGEST FULLY-SUBSIDIZED PRESCHOOL PROGRAM. PRESCHOOL FOR ALL PROVIDES CRITICAL ACCESS TO EARLY EDUCATION FOR 104 STUDENTS WHOSE FAMILIES WOULD NOT OTHERWISE BE ABLE TO AFFORD IT, AS WELL AS STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES OR OTHER DIAGNOSES.IN THE 2021-22 SCHOOL YEAR, SVEF WORKED TO SUPPORT LOCAL STUDENTS AND FAMILIES BY ENHANCING AND EXPANDING THIS PROGRAM. PRESCHOOL FOR ALL SERVES THREE SCHOOL SITES, WHICH ALL USE THE SAME HIGH QUALITY, STATE-APPROVED CURRICULUM. MOST SITES OFFER HALF-DAY PROGRAMS, WHILE ONE SITE, SERVING 24 STUDENTS, WAS EXPANDED TO A FULL-DAY PROGRAM. THIS HAS INCREASED THE NUMBER OF FULLY-SUBSIDIZED, FULL-DAY PRESCHOOL SLOTS AVAILABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY BY 30%.PRESCHOOL IS CRITICAL TO THE WELLBEING OF OUR COMMUNITYS YOUNGEST LEARNERS. BY ALLOWING STUDENTS TO EXPERIENCE AN EDUCATIONAL SETTING PRIOR TO ENTERING KINDERGARTEN, PRESCHOOL SETS STUDENTS UP FOR SUCCESS THROUGH EARLY EXPOSURE TO ORGANIZED PLAY, ACADEMIC LANGUAGE, MATH CONCEPTS AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL SUPPORT. THE EXPECTATION IS THAT SUCH EXPOSURE, PARTICULARLY FOR STUDENTS WITH RISK FACTORS AND THOSE FROM SOCIOECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED BACKGROUNDS, WILL ALLOW STUDENTS TO ARRIVE AT KINDERGARTEN READY TO LEARN FROM DAY ONE. AFTER A YEAR OF SOCIAL AND ACADEMIC ISOLATION CAUSED BY THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC, THIS PROGRAM IS MORE NECESSARY THAN EVER.CLASSROOM GRANTSSONOMA VALLEY EDUCATION FOUNDATION (SVEF) PROVIDES DIRECT SUPPORT TO LOCAL TEACHERS VIA CLASSROOM GRANTS. THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS AND STAFF CAN APPLY FOR SMALL GRANTS TO FUND PROJECTS AND SUPPLIES FALLING OUTSIDE THE REGULAR OPERATING BUDGETS OF THE SCHOOLS. GRANTS HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN USED TO FUND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS, SUPPLIES, FIELD TRIPS, AND OTHER EXPERIENCES THAT HELP STUDENTS LEARN AND ENGAGE.AFTER OVER A YEAR OF DISTANCE AND HYBRID LEARNING, TEACHERS FACE THE UNIQUELY CHALLENGING AND ESSENTIAL TASK OF HELPING STUDENTS CATCH UP. IN RECOGNITION OF THE EXTRA BURDEN PLACED ON TEACHERS, SVEF LAUNCHED AN EXPANDED CLASSROOM GRANTS PROGRAM IN JANUARY, 2022. TEACHERS AND STAFF ARE ABLE TO REQUEST ONE-TIME GRANTS OF UP TO $1,000 (DOUBLED FROM THE PREVIOUS GRANT MAXIMUM OF $500) TO SUPPORT INSTRUCTION, SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS, OR SPECIAL PROJECTS. TEACHERS AND STAFF WERE ALSO ABLE TO APPLY FOR FUNDING TO SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. NON-DISTRICT PROGRAMSTHE SONOMA VALLEY EDUCATION FOUNDATION (SVEF) HAS TRADITIONALLY SUPPORTED PROGRAMS THAT OCCUR DURING THE SCHOOL DAY. AS SCHOOLS RETURNED TO IN-PERSON TEACHING IN THE 2021-22 ACADEMIC YEAR, OUR FOCUS WAS ON FINDING INNOVATIVE WAYS TO PROVIDE STABILITY AND SUPPORT FOR OUR STUDENTS OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL HOURS.GIVEN THE UNPRECEDENTED LEVEL OF STUDENT NEEDS, SVEF IS ACTIVELY FORMED PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO EXPAND BEYOND THE BELL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES THAT WOULD NOT HAPPEN WITHOUT OUR SUPPORT. WE IDENTIFIED THREE PRIORITY AREAS, WHICH ARE OUTLINED BELOW ALONG WITH SOME OF THE SPECIFIC PROGRAMS WE SUPPORTED:AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS: PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXTENDED LEARNING AND ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES.MULTI-SENSORY LITERACY PROGRAM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF SONOMA VALLEY, SERVES 240 STUDENTS. USING THE SLINGERLAND APPROACH, THE MULTI-SENSORY LITERACY PROGRAM IS NOW OFFERED AT BOYS & GIRLS CLUB AFTER SCHOOL ELEMENTARY LOCATIONS. TRAINED LITERACY SPECIALISTS CREATE PROGRAMS SPECIFICALLY TAILORED TO EACH GROUPS SKILL LEVEL.MENTEE ENRICHMENT PROGRAM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SONOMA VALLEY MENTORING ALLIANCE, OFFERS AN ARRAY OF ACTIVITIES FROM THE ARTS TO EXERCISE TO STUDENTS FROM K-12 GRADE, WHICH SUPPORT THEIR MENTAL, SOCIAL, AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH.INTERN TUTOR PROGRAM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF SONOMA VALLEY, SERVES 230 STUDENTS. TEEN INTERNS ARE HIRED AND TRAINED TO PROVIDE INDIVIDUAL AND SMALL-GROUP INSTRUCTION AT THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM AT FIVE SCHOOL SITES. TEENS BENEFIT FROM REAL-WORLD WORK EXPERIENCE, TRAINING AND SKILL-BUILDING, WHILE ALSO EARNING AN INCOME. ELEMENTARY STUDENTS BENEFIT FROM ONE-ON-ONE AND SMALL-GROUP TUTORING, AND BUILD BONDS WITH THE TEENS.ART & NATURE: FACILITATE OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES THAT HELP KIDS UNDERSTAND CLIMATE CHANGE, FIRES, AND DEVELOP RESILIENCY.NATURALISTS EXTENDED DAY LEARNING PROGRAM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SONOMA ECOLOGY CENTER, SERVES 125 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS. THIS PROGRAM FOCUSES ON OUTDOOR SCIENCE CONCEPTS AND PRACTICES, AND GIVES THESE YOUNG SCIENTISTS OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPLORE, COLLABORATE, ENGAGE WITH NATURE, AND DEVELOP THEIR OWN PROJECTS AND INTERESTS.TEACHER WILDFIRE TRAINING, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SONOMA ECOLOGY CENTER, WILL HELP OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY DEVELOP RESILIENCY TO FIRE AND DISRUPTION.MUSIC & ARTS: COORDINATE AMONGST MULTIPLE LOCAL PARTNERS TO MAKE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS ACCESSIBLE TO STUDENTS.DUNBAR STRATEGIC ARTS PLAN (DSAP), IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CREATIVE BRIDGES COLLECTIVE AND SIX LOCAL ARTS ORGANIZATION, WILL SERVE 183 K-5 STUDENTS AT DUNBAR ELEMENTARY. THE SIX ORGANIZATIONS WILL DELIVER CURATED, ON-SITE, MULTI-WEEK, IN- AND AFTER- SCHOOL ARTS PROGRAMMING FOR STUDENTS. DUNBAR STAFF WILL BE OFFERED MULTIPLE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, WHILE TWO STAFF MEMBERS WILL BE SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN AN IN-DEPTH MENTORSHIP PROGRAM THAT WILL SUPPORT THEM IN BECOMING ON-SITE ARTS EDUCATION CURATORS.