AS NEW SCHOOL YEAR BEGINS, NAPA VALLEY VINTNERS AWARDS $2.5 MILLION TO CHILDREN’S EDUCATION IN NAPA COUNTY

St. Helena, CA—The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) trade association today announced $2.5 million in grant funding for children’s education in Napa County. The funds are made possible by proceeds from the NVV’s annual community fundraiser Auction Napa Valley.

Helping children enter kindergarten ready to learn, supporting students in achieving academic goals and assisting young people in developing healthy behaviors are just a few of the ways in which this round of donations from the NVV will help Napa County youth thrive in school and in life.

In addition to the $2.5 million awarded in this grant cycle, the NVV has donated $4 million in capital expenditures toward the building of two new Boys & Girls Clubs facilities, one in American Canyon, the other in Calistoga, both of which opened this last year.

The expanded services at the two new clubhouses allows the Boys & Girls Clubs in Napa County to:

• Serve 5,000 youth annually.
• Increase the number of youth enrolled daily in Boys & Girls Clubs in Napa County.
• The new Clubhouse in American Canyon has a science and technology lab, allowing students to continue their academic work in a fun, social setting.
• The new Clubhouse in Calistoga has an academics area, an arts classroom and a full commercial kitchen for culinary and nutrition education.

The quality of after-school programs and the safe environment provided by Boys & Girls Clubs have far-reaching and long-term positive impacts for a community, including:

• Three out of four parents say that after-school care helps them keep their jobs.
• The return on investment for each child at risk is $10 for every $1 spent, calculated through long-term health savings, increased lifetime earnings and savings to taxpayers in juvenile crime-related costs.

“The number of youth on probation in Napa County has been decreasing for the past 10 years, in part due to the influence of nonprofits funded through grants from the NVV,” said Mary Butler, Chief Probation Officer for Napa County. “The prevention and educational programs that happen at Boys & Girls Clubs help give our youth options for learning and other activities that help them stay on a positive path.”

Another major arena funded in the children’s education category is early childhood development. More than 13,000 Napa County children and their families benefit from programs associated with nonprofits funded by the NVV providing services in this area. These services ripple out into the community because:

• Early childhood development drives success in school and in life.
• When children are exposed to effective early childhood programs they are in better health, have higher high school graduation rates and are less involved with crime-related activities.
• Pre-school English language learners who participated in the Napa Valley Early Learning Initiative (NVELI) pilot program, funded by the NVV, proved to be three times more ready to enter kindergarten than English learning pre-school children in Napa County who did not participate.

The organizations receiving funding under children’s education this year include:

Aim High ($80,000)

Keeping students engaged in enrichment programs over the summer can ease the transition to adolescence and make the difference in school success.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the North Bay ($60,000)

Creating strong, successful matches between Bigs and Littles changes lives for the better, forever.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Napa Valley ($350,000)

Offer young people what they need and want most: adults who respect and listen to them, a safe environment where they can be themselves and have fun while participating in interesting and constructive activities.

Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Helena and Calistoga ($200,000)

Help children reach their full potential through programs that promote academic success, good character, citizenship and healthy lifestyles.

Child Start, Inc. ($200,000)

By providing high quality, comprehensive and family-focused early childhood services, Child Start supports the educational, social and emotional development of children.

Community Resources for Children ($200,000)

Provides programming and support to promote quality early learning environments and experiences for children at home, in childcare, in preschool and throughout the community.

Napa CASA ($60,000)

CASA volunteers are often the only consistent person in the child's life throughout the entire time the child is in foster care, providing advocacy, support and mentorship.

NapaLearns ($500,000)

Encourages the success of every student by providing resources, funding and thought leadership to help school district staff adopt innovations focused on the demands of the future.

On the Move ($350,000)

Co-creates culturally relevant programs with children, youth and adults that meaningfully contribute to the issues that meet their most pressing needs, including VOICES, Youth Leadership Academies, Parent University and LGBTQ Connection.

Summer Search ($150,000)

Through a combination of mentoring, experiential opportunities, college advising, and support, Summer Search students strengthen the skills they need to thrive in school and in life.

Napa Valley Early Learning Initiative Pilot Program ($310,000)

A multi-faceted and interdisciplinary pilot program designed to ensure every child enters kindergarten ready to learn.

About the Napa Valley Vintners 
The Napa Valley Vintners nonprofit trade association has been cultivating excellence since 1944 by inspiring its 550 members to consistently produce wines of the highest quality, to provide environmental leadership and to care for the extraordinary place they call home. Learn more at napavintners.com.

About Auction Napa Valley 
Since 1981, Auction Napa Valley, the Napa Valley Vintners’ (NVV) annual community fundraiser, has utilized the worldwide reputation of Napa Valley wines and the scenic beauty of the region to enhance the health and wellbeing of the Napa County community. To date, the NVV has invested $180 million from Auction Napa Valley proceeds in local nonprofit organizations. Learn more at auctionnapavalley.org.