About Us

Our mission is to inspire Napa Valley public school students to broaden horizons, deepen knowledge and develop skills to become confident, healthy and successful individuals in the community.
The Napa Valley Education Foundation fosters community support and private funding for public school programs that create excellence in College & Career Readiness, Music Education, Youth Wellness, and Classroom Innovation. Through collaborative community partnerships, NVEF programs increase student performance, inspire teacher innovation and build community engagement. At NVEF, we believe an investment in education is an investment in our future.NVEF serves all 20,000 students and 1,000 educators in Napa County’s public school system. This includes Napa Valley Unified School District, St. Helena Unified School District, Calistoga Joint Unified School District, Howell Mountain Elementary School District, Pope Valley Union Elementary School District, and Napa County Office of Education.

How we help

Collaborate

NVEF and its community partners create programs that give our students opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise access:

• NVEF is the lead organization in the Napa Wellness Collaborative — committed to building and sustaining Wellness Centers at all NVUSD campuses.
• NVEF is the coordinating agency for the Napa Student Wellness Center Crisis Response Project, which provides care for thousands of K–12 students and their families during disasters.
• NVEF conducts a strategic planning session with NVUSD leaders each year to assess the challenges and needs of local schools. Their input helps the Foundation develop programs that address the priorities and needs of teachers and students.

Connect

NVEF gives students experiences beyond the classroom, improving academic, social and emotional growth:

• Mentor and Internship Programs enable more than 1,500 8th–12th graders to explore careers at 300 local businesses.
• School Wellness Centers improve behavior and social/emotional functioning for 4,200 students while reducing suspensions by 61%.
• More than 6,000 4th–12th graders participate in Music Connection camps, workshops and after-school programs throughout the school year.
• 50% of high school students who participate in the eight-week Summer Mentor Program are hired at the end of their internship

Inspire

NVEF bolsters programs that inspire creativity, innovative lessons, and transformative experiences for students and teachers:

• 900 musical instruments are rented to students each year; 71% of which are provided at no/low cost.
• More than $1.3 million has been awarded to 1st–12th grade teachers at 18 schools for lessons that motivate students and provide real-world experiences.
• Monthly Music Festival Days bring elementary, middle and high school choral, strings and band students and teachers together for a day of lessons, peer-to-peer mentorship and performance.

Who we help

Together we can change tomorrow

Elementary Schools

Alta Heights Elementary
Bel Aire Park Elementary
Browns Valley Elementary
Calistoga Elementary
Canyon Oaks Elementary
Donaldson Way Elementary
Howell Mountain Elementary
McPherson Elementary
Napa Junction Elementary
Napa Valley Language Academy
Northwood Elementary
Phillips Elementary
Pope Valley Elementary
Pueblo Vista Elementary
Saint Helena Elementary
Saint Helena Primary
Shearer Elementary
Snow Elementary
Stone Bridge
Vichy Elementary
West Park Elementary
Willow Elementary

Middle Schools

American Canyon Middle
Harvest Middle
Redwood Middle
River Middle
Robert Louis Stevenson Intermediate
Silverado Middle

High Schools

American Canyon High
Calistoga Junior/Senior High
Camille Creek (NCOE)
Napa High
Napa Valley Independent Studies
New Technology High
Palisades High (Continuation)
Saint Helena High
Valley Oak High
Vintage High

Our Accomplishments

In August, 2014, the Foundation jumped to respond to the immediate needs of NVUSD teachers by collecting community donations and distributing earthquake grants to teachers within two weeks of the disaster. The Foundation distributed more than $20,000 in grants directly to classrooms to replace school supplies and classroom equipment damaged by the earthquake.
In 2015, the Foundation was awarded the certification of Service Enterprise. Staff members completed a two-month training to certify the Foundation through the Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership. Service Enterprise organizations are trained to engage volunteers in all aspects of their work. Research shows that a $1 investment in volunteer capacity can deliver up to $6 in return.