October featured a red-ribbon week for substance-abuse awareness.
October was marked by Red Ribbon Week and National Substance Use Prevention Month, a time when schools and communities across the country raise awareness around substance use and prevention support to empower young people with tools and knowledge to make safe choices during a time that may feel like it is anything but.
These efforts, not only in October, but year-round, bring forth the concept that we cannot talk about prevention and the mental health crisis in our county without also talking about the fentanyl crisis. Each issue inextricably informs the other, as tightly braided as my tween’s pigtails. In my advocacy work I have also learned that in order to make strides against the real dangers which are confronting our teens and young adults, we need to remain vigilant about reducing stigma, offering safe coping strategies, and providing teens with accessible mental health support and safe spaces that invite people in—instead of pushing them away with fear and judgment.
For all of these reasons, I was encouraged to learn that the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) remains steadfast in its commitment and contributions to support mental wellness. Most recently, the org offered an additional $2 million toward wellness in the county, through its Youth Wellness Initiative, which funds programs that serve children and teens across Napa Valley and supports more than 8,000 local youth during last year alone.
“At the heart of our Youth Wellness Initiative is the belief that every young person deserves to thrive,” said Claire Stull, NVV grants review committee chair. “We’re grateful to be able to support programs that are there for kids during critical points in their development and when they need it most. Through the work of our incredible nonprofit partners, we’re meeting them where they are—whether that’s in school, at home or out in the community.”
Award recipients included Mentis, which received a $650,000 grant to further its work such as Teen Wellness Cafes, which reach as many as 2,000 middle and high school students annually to foster mental health discussions, coping tools and therapy. Over the course of the 27-year partnership, NVV has awarded $7.2 million to Mentis.
The Napa Valley Education Foundation (NVEF) received a $400,000 grant to support many initiatives including providing mental health screenings for 16,000 students. This fall the foundation hosted an open house for its newly reimagined creative learning hub, the Discovery Campus, in downtown Napa.
The campus, which was once home to the Oxbow School, sits along the banks of the Napa River and offers a community learning space dedicated to the arts, wellness and career exploration through its applied approach to learning that integrates science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). My daughter and I attended the event—and to watch her eyes pop over something that didn’t involve tablet time or makeup was a gift that only IRL learning opportunities in unique settings can afford. The event showcased the space with engaging activities for all, which included drumming circles in the music studio and STEM projects in the Maker studio. The Discovery Campus also serves as an extension of Nimbus Arts’s St. Helena studio offering an array of eclectic classes and events, including the seasonal “Gingerneering, which blends holiday fun with hands-on STEM learning.
“We are excited to show the community our beautiful, new campus,” said Jennifer Stewart, executive director of the Napa Valley Education Foundation. “We’ve been busy completing necessary maintenance, hosting summer camps and developing long-term plans to create a space that reflects the needs and dreams of Napa’s students.”
Other NVV grant recipients include Aldea, Up Valley Family Centers and On the Move, which are all part of SHINE Napa Valley (Student Health Improvement through Nonprofit Excellence), a collaborative of nonprofits and county leaders working to address youth wellness through a coordinated, countywide approach that aims to address the growing concern that one-in-four Napa County youth report struggling with mental health.
As a parent of a child who grapples with mental health challenges, it is heartening to know that our county remains not only rooted in the wine biz but also in supporting youth wellness.
Ribbon cuttings and wine
In other education-related news, this fall brought the ribbon cutting ceremony for the grand opening of the Wine Spectator Wine Education Center. The state-of-the-art facility will expand education, training and career development opportunities in the wine industry. The event drew everyone from students and faculty to industry leaders and the community at large. The center more than doubles classroom and training space for the college’s Viticulture and Winery Technology program and supports certificates and degrees in viticulture, winemaking, marketing, vineyard management and wine lab tech.
The event also marked the official onset of the Phase II/Hospitality Training Center, which is poised to address the industry need for hospitality professionals who are skilled in all aspects of the industry including tourism, direct-to-consumer sales, wine club management and culinary hospitality. My suggested Phase III for the project—uncork a roadmap to make the Napa Valley a more economically viable place for graduates and hospitality professionals to live.
