NCOE Foundation

Building the Foundation for Bright Futures

The mission of the NCOE Foundation is to build strong and healthy children, families, and communities. The NCOE Foundation is raising funds to support the programs of the Napa County Office of Education that provide direct support and services to students.

In Napa County, children and youth whose learning needs cannot be met in traditional school settings are thriving in programs of the Napa County Office of Education (NCOE). From toddlers to teenagers, NCOE provides targeted services to address the needs of the most underserved young people across the county.

The NCOE Foundation federal tax ID number is 83-1137940. All donations are tax-deductible.

Programs Supported by the NCOE Foundation

The Foundation’s Funding Goal

The NCOE Foundation goal is to create a replenishable fund of $100,000. Increased support will allow the Foundation to build a larger base and to expand current services, support new ideas, and maintain nimble and flexible responses. The Foundation invests only in programs with proven track records; all are tracked and evaluated annually.

With no paid staff, the Foundation has minimal administrative costs allowing for donations to directly support students and families in need. Donors may choose the cause or designate their gift to be used wherever the need is greatest.

What Your Investment Does

Your investment helps the Foundation create leaders, enhance the future workforce, support families in crisis, help children make academic progress, and support student well-being by addressing social-emotional needs. When children and youth are safe, healthy, and engaged in learning, communities are stronger, and everyone benefits. The NCOE Foundation is poised and ready to continue building bright futures in Napa County. Please join us by investing in those futures.

Ready to Read – Early Childhood
Addressing the need for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers to have increased exposure to books in the critical early years, this program will provide books and support materials, significantly expand the number of families regularly reading with their young children.

Outcome: To be able to provide a robust library so that all children enrolled in our program have access to a rotation of high quality, bilingual early learning materials. Funds would also be used for a stipend to support staff time to manage the library and create corresponding literacy activities that can be done at home with parents that are targeted to the developmental ages of students served.

FUNDING GOAL: $15,000

Expanding Horizons Program – Community Programs
Designed to provide opportunities to have new experiences, the STEM focused learning program will engage students with enriching guest presenters and field trip experiences throughout the year, including trips to the coast and redwoods, Science Fridays, and performance arts.

Outcome: 4,000 students across 18 schools, will engage in enrichment activities during the after school hours, including field trips presenters, and STEM focused project learning. Learn more about NCOE afterschool program needs.

FUNDING GOAL: $20,000

Career Advantage Scholarships – College & Career Readiness
An application process will provide support and resources to students who want to pursue an industry certification or higher education, through direct financial scholarships and mentoring.

Outcome: Providing $1,000 scholarships to 30 graduating seniors in career technical education classes to build a qualified workforce for Napa County.

FUNDING GOAL: $30,000

Field of Dreams Fund – Camille Creek
This fund will establish a playing field for the middle and high school students attending its alternative school facility.

Outcome: Currently, students only have access to a basketball court but no playing field or grass area. Students will have a playing field to engage in essential/healthy activities of exercise, play and sports.

FUNDING GOAL: $100,000

AmeriCorps Scholarship Fund
Provides additional support for our amazing AmeriCorps National Service members in both the EXL and VIP programs through provision of funds for 1) special projects members want to bring to their service sites, and 2) emergency funds to assist members with unexpected financial hardships experienced during their service year. All donations collected in support of the Presidential Service Award nomination program directly support this scholarship fund.

FUNDING GOAL: $5,000

Application for interested AmeriCorps members (external website, new window)

Maripositas Ballet Folklorico – Community Programs
Fund the use of traditional Mexican dance, Ballet Folklorico, and music as a healthy way for Latinx youth to meet mental health needs, while also gaining important insights on balancing two cultures and embracing diversity. During the pandemic, students disclosed struggling with anxiety and depression and expressed having difficulty in approaching their parents about their experiences due to generational differences.

Outcome: This program will provide a space for 25 high school students to build confidence, provide opportunities to embrace their culture through art, and connect with parents to break mental health stigma among the Latinx community. The program desires to expand its reach by supporting students who transition to adulthood by engaging them in Maripositas; a braided mentorship program that will partner high school and graduating students with approximately 25 elementary students to develop the new generation of Mariposas! By extending this program to elementary youth, NCOE hopes to support their self-identity and positive self-image.

FUNDING GOAL: $20,000

Superintendent’s Fund – Superintendent
Join the County Superintendent and her committee in responding rapidly to meet the needs of families in crisis so they can access educational opportunities and thrive.

FUNDING GOAL: $5,000

Your Gift Has Impact

You can partner with the NCOE Foundation in its mission to provide support to students who might otherwise be left behind. Some examples of how your gift has direct impact:

Infants and Toddlers icon Preschoolers: As very young children came to school in 2021, preschool teachers found many were entering with below average language development and pre-literacy skills due to limited exposure as a result of the pandemic. While there was no budget to expand the highly effective “Footsteps to Brilliance” program to engage these youngest learners, the Foundation was able to step up with a grant of $6000 to train 24 preschool teachers to support the reading development of 374 preschool students.  The Foundation is currently seeking funding to purchase thousands of books for the Ready to Read program, to significantly expand the number of families regularly reading with their preschoolers.

Elementary/Middle School icon Elementary/Middle school children: Investments in after school programs provide safe and vibrant environments for students, giving them access to enrichment opportunities and academic support. Through gifts provided from the community, the Foundation was able to provide much needed STEM supplies and sports equipment to expand the enrichment available to 3,000 Napa County students after school. The Foundation is currently seeking support for its Expanded Horizons program which engages students in enriching field trip experiences throughout the year.

High School icon High School students: Thousands of struggling high school students find motivation to continue their studies through career technical classes, and the Foundation has supported this all-important hands-on learning providing funding for students to travel to and compete in robotics competitions. The NCOE Foundation is currently raising money for Career Advantage Scholarships to support students who want to pursue an industry certification or higher education. Additionally, because a school curricula which includes physical activity strengthens not only students’ health and fitness but executive functioning and academic growth, NCOE is raising funds to establish a Field of Dreams the middle and high school students attending its alternative school facility.

Families icon Families: The Foundation’s small but thoughtful family-focused investments through the Superintendent’s Fund have been life-changing: replacing lost eyeglasses for a child whose family had no options, providing gas and grocery cards for an out-of-work family’s weekly drive from Calistoga to Oakland for the many chemotherapy appointments needed for their 6-year olds kidney cancer, or buying specialized infant car seats for a family of special-needs triplets when the family is already suffering from wildfire devastation. The Superintendent’s Fund continues to respond rapidly to meet the needs of families in crisis so they can participate and thrive in their educational opportunities.

The options for giving are many. The impact is significant.

A Growing Need

Not all student needs can be met with limited public resources. To go the extra mile to build strong, resilient children, families, and communities, the NCOE Foundation seeks support to enhance opportunities for all students to learn and thrive. With the generous contributions of individuals and organizations, we can realize this vision.

The need for these services has only grown in recent years, making the Foundation’s work in directly supporting children and youth and assisting the dedicated teachers and volunteers who bring these programs to life even more essential. In 2021, the percentage of children living in poverty in Napa County was 12.9% of those under 6 and 10.2% of children ages 6 – 11. It is a striking level of need in a community known for its wealth and speaks to the discrepancies that exist between those who prosper and thrive here and those who struggle to survive. The pandemic further exacerbated already-existing wealth disparities in Napa County. Families lost jobs and loved ones, creating social-emotional and mental health issues at an alarming level among school-age children and teenagers. The picture is complex, involving academic, social/emotional and basic needs, and the NCOE Foundation has the flexibility to address these emerging needs across ages and programs.

Board Members and Bylaws

NCOE Foundation Board

NCOE Foundation Bylaws – PDF (new window)

Tax ID#: 83-1137940

Board Agendas, Minutes, and Documents

2023-2024 School Year Meeting Agendas

NCOE Foundation virtual-only public meeting is Wednesday, October 25, 2023 at 3:00 p.m.
Login for 10.25.23 meeting: https://napacoe.zoom.us/j/83421784129?from=addon

October 25, 2023 – PDF

October 25, 2023 Board Packet – PDF