Launched in 2010
Supported by: The Gang Violence Suppression Grant – Napa County District Attorney’s Office. Tobacco Use Prevention Education funding.
For over a decade, the Napa County Office of Education has offered to local students the Mariposa and Bridging Brothers Programs. Located at 10 middle and high schools in Napa and American Canyon the programs annually serve 150 + youth, a majority of whom are Latinx. Participants also include students of color and those that identify as LGBTQ+. The program features include evidence-based curricula, supportive relationships and inspiring leadership opportunities. Students learn about and develop tools to navigate sensitive issues such as body image, relationships and substance use. Mariposa and Bridging Brothers meet the needs of Napa’s youth by providing vital social-emotional support in a safe space to support growth and self-actualization.
PROGRAM GOALS
- Foster positive youth development
- Build protective factors in high-need youth leading to increased healthy choices
- Increase leadership skills and school engagement
STUDENT NEEDS
A disproportionate number of youth in Napa County middle and high schools lack the protective factors crucial to future success. (2019-20 CA Healthy Kids Survey)
RESULTS
- Since 2010, Mariposa has served 1,400 middle and high school students, with several schools requesting expansion.
- Bridging Brothers has served 120 students since its inception in 2015 at five schools , and is also poised to launch additional programming.
- Both programs are highly valued by all partners, with results showing positive benefits to youth.
