Initiatives | Community
The initiatives listed on this page are being coordinated by various community agencies and partners in relation to the Aiming High goal of closing the achievement gap. Other initiatives related to the well-being of Sonoma County students and families are also represented.
AVANCE Parent-Child Education Program
Funded by First 5 Sonoma County, the AVANCE Parent-Child Education Program provides education and support to Latino parents with children under age three. It is founded on the belief that a parent is a child’s first and most important teacher, so it is important to train parents to have the skills to support optimal child development, literacy, and school readiness. The program is in place in multiple locations in Sonoma County.
Through AVANCE, parents attend weekly three-hour workshops for nine months. Workshops are frequently conducted in Spanish and child care is provided. During each session, parents make an educational toy during the first hour and are taught to use the toy in activities that promote their child’s development. They receive a “possibility sheet” of suggested activities and vocabulary to use at home. The second hour is used for a 27-lesson sequence on early childhood development. The third hour introduces parents to an array of community resources, services and providers. Parents receive monthly home visits beginning in the third month. At the end of the program, they are encouraged to continue on to classes in literacy, English, obtaining a GED, and enrolling in college or career training.
Contact: Shelley Caviness, (707) 565-6686 or scavines@sonoma-county.org
Best Practices Report: On Our Watch–Opportunity for All
United Way of the Wine Country issued this report in March 2009 to raise community awareness of the need to ensure that all Sonoma County children have the opportunity to achieve their full potential. The report recognizes that English learners and children who are economically disadvantaged are particularly at risk. It identifies four "markers of success" – kindergarten readiness, reading proficiency at fourth grade, algebra proficiency in ninth grade, and high school graduation – and explores programs and practices from across the United States that have had a positive impact in these areas. By providing background, data, and information about best practices, United Way hopes to support a countywide, systemic approach to meeting the important challenge of school success for all students. Access the On Our Watch report at the United Way website.
Contact:
Darlene Fiscus, (707) 528-4485 x108 or darlene@unitedwaywinecountry.org
Healthy Kids Sonoma County
Healthy Kids Sonoma County is a community-wide effort to create and finance a system of accessible, affordable healthcare coverage for all Sonoma County children. The initiative provides a centralize information and referral line, assistance to help families enroll in affordable health insurance programs, and referral to volunteer doctors and dentists who can respond to immediate health care needs.
Contact: (800) 427-8982
Mike Hauser Algebra Academy
Recognizing that having a skilled workforce and closing the achievement gap are interconnected, the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce established this annual summer Algebra Academy in 2008. The program runs for three weeks and serves English learners entering ninth grade from the Piner-Olivet, Roseland, and Santa Rosa City school districts. Each week, the program is held at a different company; Agilent Technologies, JDS Uniphase, Medtronic Cardiovascular, and Pacific Gas & Electric Company have hosted the program. A teacher presents daily algebra lessons, then students have the opportunity to see how the concepts are applied by engineers and other professionals in the workplace. The program was named in memory of Mike Hauser, who launched this successful program when he was president of the Chamber.
Contact: Kelly Bass, (707) 545-1414, ext. 16, or kellyb@santarosachamber.com
Schools of Hope
United Way of the Wine Country is coordinating the Schools of Hope early intervention program for children who struggle with reading. Based on a program originally offered in Dane County, Wisconsin, Schools of Hope provides one-on-one tutoring by trained community volunteers in order to increase early literacy skills. The goal is to raise third-grade reading proficiency levels to 90 percent by 2020. This is especially critical for English learners in Sonoma County: 78 percent of these students tested below proficiency in third-grade reading in 2009. Implementation of the Schools of Hope program began in Santa Rosa in Fall 2010.
Contact:
Darlene Fiscus, (707) 528-4485 x108 or darlene@unitedwaywinecountry.org
Sonoma County 2-1-1
Sonoma County 2-1-1 is an information and referral program that provides a link between people who have needs and the services that can alleviate those needs. 2-1-1 is a free, easy-to-remember telephone number that connects Sonoma County residents in need with health and human services. Services include basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, childcare, physical and mental health resources, health insurance assistance, employment, support for seniors and persons with disabilities, assistance for immigrants, and more. The program is a private-public partnership between the Volunteer Center, Community Foundation Sonoma County, County of Sonoma, and United Way of the Wine Country.
Contact: Call 2-1-1 (Si llama hablamos español)
Sonoma County After School Network (SCAN)
The Sonoma County After School Network (SCAN) works to expand opportunities for Sonoma County children and families to access high-quality after-school programs. Working with community-based organizations and local schools, SCAN also provides training, technical assistance, networking and outreach opportunities to support after-school initiatives across the county.
Contact: Kim Grisell, (707) 769-5322, x16
Upstream Investment Initiative
The Upstream Investments Initiative is sponsored by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors and led by an ad hoc committee. Over 50 individuals from 25 organizations participated in the committee or one of several work groups. Four goals were established to guide the Initiative, each with identified indicators of success:
- The whole community is engage in supporting the healthy development of children.
- Community members have access to education and training and are adequately prepared for the challenges of the future.
- All community members are well sheltered, safe, and socially supported.
- Sonoma County has a thriving diverse economy that produces economic security for all.
Model programs, promising practices, and emerging practices are being identified and developed to support these goals.
Contact: (707) 565-5800 or Info@SonomaUpstream.org
Worksite Held Employee English Learning (WHEEL)
The Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce manages the WHEEL project, a three-part program that local employers can offer at their worksites to support the English literacy and language skills of their workforce. The program begins with Turning Pages, which provides literacy education resources and practice for low-income English-language learner families with children 0-5 years of age. The next component connects employees with representatives of their local school district and informs them about the educational resources available to their children. The final component is a series of after-hours English classes offered to employees at their workplace.
Contact: Kelly Bass, (707) 545-1414, ext. 16, or kellyb@santarosachamber.com