OUR INVESTMENTS
Aligning with local industry
Since 2012, we have tested and launched several initiatives that bring education and community together. As a result, we have helped shape how Sonoma County teaches career technical education today. This is a history of program we have invested and partnered in - labeled as either Active or Completed.
For more information about active initiatives such as Path to Purpose, the North Bay Health Pathways Alliance, or the STEM Kit Lending Library, please visit the corresponding pages.
Jump to: Active Programs | Inactive/Completed Programs
North Bay Construction Corps
STATUS: ACTIVE, NOW LED BY NORTH COAST BUILDERS EXCHANGE
Even before the devastating fires in 2017 that changed Sonoma County forever, our regional construction industry had identified an overwhelming need for a skilled and motivated workforce; for every five construction professionals retiring from the industry, just one new worker was entering the workforce to replace them.
In response to this crisis, CTE Foundation alongside partners North Coast Builders Exchange, the Santa Rosa Junior College and Sonoma County Office of Education, designed the North Bay Construction Corps to address the growing need for new construction workers in the region.
A five-month career exploration and training program, the North Bay Construction Corps (NBCC) introduces high school seniors to careers in construction and the trades and an opportunity to earn college credit. The program culminates in an intensive two-week boot camp that allows participants to practice their skills and experience first-hand day-to-day work life in the industry while earning a trade scholarship.
The NBCC is now led by the North Coast Builders Exchange and you can learn more about the program application cycle and program impact here.
Produced in Partnership with:
Switch EV Lab
STATUS: ACTIVE, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SONOMA CLEAN POWER AND SWITCH ELECTRIC VEHICLES
In a longstanding partnership with Sonoma Clean Power and Switch Electric Vehicles, CTE Foundation facilitates implementation of the Switch Electric Vehicle (EV) Lab in schools.
The Switch EV Lab is designed to teach the fundamentals of electric vehicle design, manufacturing and maintenance while also exposing students to concepts in electricity, alternative fuels, automotive technology and clean energy generation. Students work together to assemble a road-ready electric vehicle kit paired with curriculum that utilizes advanced math, science and team-building exercises that build awareness of careers in green technology and provide opportunities for students to learn from failure – a critical skill recognized as a keystone of innovation that is not often taught in academic settings.
Produced in Partnership with:
Program Funded By:
Tinker Academy
STATUS: ACTIVE, NOW LED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION NORTH BAY 4-H YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Founded in 2018 as the Girls Tinker Academy, Tinker Academy was designed to engage middle school students who are historically underrepresented in STEM fields, in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Hands-on maker activities built technical, mathematical and artistic skills - and the confidence that came with them. It later opened to all students entering 6th-9th grade, including gender-expansive youth.
From 2018-2024, it was offered at no cost to families thanks to gifts from individuals and businesses. Tinker Academy 2026 is coordinated by the University of California Cooperative Extension North Bay 4-H Youth Development Program.
Implementation Partners:
New School Model (NSM)
STATUS: ACTIVE IN CURRENT WORK
New School Model (NSM) launched in 2020 as a whole-school transformation effort, bringing together three high school districts, Sonoma State University, Santa Rosa Junior College, and the Sonoma County Office of Education. The work started with a hard problem: Sonoma County students reported high anxiety about their futures and ranked in the lowest quartile for engagement and college and career readiness.
CTE Foundation led the effort through a Community of Practice, where school leaders came together to redesign their schools around integrated college and career pathways. By 2024, students at partner schools reported double-digit gains in engagement and belonging. Schools built new leadership and improvement systems focused on equity, instruction, and culture. Partner districts secured over $3.9 million in state investment, and the work seeded tools like the Health Science Blueprint and the Path to Purpose internship program, both of which are scaling countywide today.
Community WISE / Women in STEM
STATUS: NO LONGER ACTIVE
Community WISE (Women Investing in STEM Equity) was a coalition of local employers, education institutions, students and community leaders working to inspire and prepare more girls to pursue STEM majors and careers.
Its investments included Tinker Academy; SWENext clubs, brought to Sonoma County high schools with the Society of Women Engineers Golden Gate Section and funding support from Keysight Technologies Foundation; the STEMspiration Speaker Series; and $20,000 for a "Women in Engineering" course at Rancho Cotate High School in 2018-2019. Demand was strong enough that a second section was added for 64 students, and the course continued on district funding. A companion Women In STEM video library collected panels and career interviews with women working across the North Bay.
Innovate Ag Education
STATUS: COMPLETED
To increase student awareness of the diverse high-skill careers available in agriculture and to build a workforce pipeline for Sonoma County’s agriculture industry, CTE Foundation partnered with the Sonoma County Fair Foundation and Sonoma County Office of Education to facilitate the Innovate Ag Education Fellowship.
The fellowship is a paid opportunity for teacher teams representing diverse disciplines – such as agriculture science and engineering – to research and develop new integrated curriculum that focuses on the use of technology in support of sustainable agriculture practices through a Sonoma County lens. Courses developed under this program are required to meet A-G credit certification standards (college preparatory) as well as standards for Agriculture-Natural Sciences and/or Engineering CTE Pathways. Once completed, courses are eligible to receive up to three-years of grant funding through CTE Foundation to launch implementation.
The focus on “technology in agriculture” is an important one for a number of reasons, including the growth of tech-based solutions to manage resource inputs, harvesting and crop yields and, perhaps most importantly, tech’s power to attract a new generation of students who are interested in engineering, computer science and other technology-based fields to consider opportunities in the agriculture industry.
Virtual Career-Connected Learning
STATUS: COMPLETED
When the 2020 pandemic closed campuses, career exploration went online. CTE Foundation built a library of virtual career-connected learning experiences with local businesses - facility tours, career panels, demonstrations, and personal stories - so students could keep exploring from home. It grew to nearly 100 videos across advanced manufacturing, agriculture, construction, energy and environment, food and beverage, healthcare, hospitality and tourism, and more.
Click the link to access our full video library - where you can take a tour of a facility, discover careers, and learn from personal stories.
Sponsored by:
Career Readiness Workshops
STATUS: COMPLETED
Also known as CareerFest, the Career Readiness Workshops were companion series to the virtual library, these workshops helped students discover their interests, unlock their talents, and learn the career skills they needed next. Sessions covered résumés and job basics in English and Spanish with 10,000 Degrees, budgeting and credit with Redwood Credit Union, job searching with Sonoma County JobLink and Social Advocates for Youth, and career planning with Santa Rosa Junior College. Most came with a fillable worksheet students could keep.
CareerFest was an annual event that helped students explore local careers and build career-readiness skills through discussions and workshops with local business and community representatives. Panels were hosted in person by Sonoma County high schools and streamed live around the county - a collaboration between CTE Foundation, SCOE and local high schools, with branding designed by media students at Rancho Cotate High School. Across 2021, 2022 and 2023 it produced dozens of recorded sessions, including a special guest interview with Guy Fieri.
in Partnership with:
STEMspiration Speaker Series
STATUS: COMPLETED
In 2021, Community WISE hosted a virtual speaker series to educate, engage and inspire. Each speaker shared her expertise, her career path, and the skills she believed were necessary for success.
The series featured Alissa Eckert, the CDC medical illustrator behind the visualization of the SARS-CoV-2 virus seen around the world; Carmen Medina, a former CIA director and co-author of Rebels at Work; Katie Henry of the Micro:bit Educational Foundation; Dr. Daphne Miller; shark researcher Amani Webber-Schultz; and engineer Himali Rodrigo.
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Your partnership opens doors to career-connected learning, internships, and hands-on experiences that prepare students for success after high school. Get involved today!