Noah Zamora and Suleika Carrillo practice the art of the handshake as part of a job readiness program in the Empowerment Academy (Photo: Sonoma Valley Educational Foundation)
By Anna Pier
Teenagers yearn for somewhere to belong – and Sonoma Valley high school students now have a place to call home, thanks to Empowerment Academy, an innovative program spearheaded by the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation (SVEF). Empowerment Academy provides free after-school enrichment and a safe gathering space for teens twice a week on the Sonoma Valley High School campus.
Launched last spring, the Academy is growing rapidly, and is on track to meet the goal of serving twenty percent of the students from both Sonoma Valley High and Creekside High this 2024-’25 school year. A focus group helped Empowerment Academy staff figure out what students want to learn in this after-school opportunity, and the total involvement includes the peer tutoring program.
SVEF has partnered with Teen Services, a program of Boys and Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley, to offer a variety of classes. Money Matters, for financial literacy, includes real life scenarios and addresses things important to students such as car loans and student loans.
Ready to Work, a program offered for years at Teen Services, is available now at the high school location. Noah Zamora and Suleika Carrillo hadn’t known about the job readiness program until it was offered at SVHS. The program provides the opportunity to brush up resumes, practice handshakes and interview skills, and even meet with local employers right on campus. “Having companies come here is super helpful, because as students we’re sometimes scared to reach out on our own to local businesses,” Carrillo said.
Driver’s Ed, no longer offered as a course at the high school, is another popular class offered for fifteen students three times a year at the Academy. Students receive an online certification.
There is a volunteerism component through Keystone, the Boys and Girls Club leadership program. Students volunteer in the community at events such as the Flowery Fiesta, that school’s major fundraiser, and Game Night at Sonoma Hills retirement community.
The Entrepreneurship program brings real-life business people to the campus, giving participants the practical life skills they need to become independent. Recently, the participants met and talked with the entrepreneur owners of three local businesses, Perlé, Iron built Fitness and Sonoma Auto Spa.
Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance, an SVEF partner, operates a drop-in space, dubbed Study Jam, where teens can socialize, sample free snacks, play board games and pool, and study. The space is located in the Mentoring Alliance’s Mentor Center on campus, and Teen Services student volunteers are available to help with classwork. “When I come here right after getting out of class, I’m in that school mindset – it’s super easy to just start focusing and get locked in,” said sophomore Mariana Aguirre, an Empowerment Academy participant. “Whereas, if I go home, it’s across town, I usually get distracted and just am not looking forward to doing my homework.” In the works is an expanded Study Jam to be held in the high school library near finals.
There are no fees to pay or logistics to figure out. A main goal of the Academy was to eliminate the barriers of cost and transportation that many families face. High schoolers can simply drop in after their last class of the day and sign out if they have sports practice or their parents pick them up. At 5 P.M. a free shuttle ride is available to the Teen Services facility in Boyes Hot Springs, where students can stay for another two hours before heading home.
Programming is offered at the Boyes Hot Springs location, but more students are discovering the classes now that they’re offered on the high school campus. Nearly half of Empowerment Academy participants – 46 percent – were not previously enrolled in Teen Services programs.
Many of the Teen Services staff members who lead classes are recent SVHS alumni themselves, and can relate to the students informally. “The sense of community is vital to participants’ growth and well-being, helping them connect with both adults and peers while building lasting relationships,” said Sarah Carroll, Executive Director of SVEF. Carroll emphasized that the Empowerment Academy is filling a critical gap in two ways; by providing free after-school options specifically for teens, and by offering programming that equips them for the future. The program is funded entirely by SVEF donors.
“With Empowerment Academy, we’re leveling the playing field and opening access to opportunities for families who don’t have the time, money or transportation to source their own enrichment activities,” said Carroll. “We’re literally meeting students where they are, helping them to thrive and empowering them to build strong futures.”
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