Image courtesy of Erin Malone/Lightspeed Films
Dream.Work.Napa. - Inspiring the Journey of Future Wine Professionals
Welcome to Dream.Work.Napa. This platform is the passion project of the second cohort of the Napa Valley Vintners Leadership Program. Our mission is to improve the accessibility and social sustainability of Napa Valley through supported educational and resource programs to attract, retain and inspire the next generation, and benefit the community as a whole.
Dream.Work.Napa. aims to connect people with a range of resources available, including internships, housing opportunities, education and mentorship programs, scholarships, employment opportunities and healthcare.
We hope to inspire and support the journey of future wine industry professionals kick starting their careers in Napa and support the greater wine community. It is important to us that the wide range of existing valuable Napa Valley resources are visible and accessible to all who are interested.
Featured Resources
With listings for positions in Napa Valley and all over the world, WineJobs is the wine industry's leading online job posting site.
The Roots Fund focuses on our three pillars: scholarship, mentorship and career development. Our program offers educational support for all certification, and college programs. Each scholar is assigned a mentor to provide guidance and professional insight throughout their wine journey. All of our scholars have access to internships, to prepare scholars for future employment in the industry by fostering real life experiences, and career opportunities for candidates transitioning into the industry.
The UNCF has established a scholarship program in partnership with the Napa Valley Vintners, a California nonprofit corporation, to provide scholarships to eligible applicants who are pursuing a degree related to the wine industry. The new scholarship program was created to encourage people of color to pursue college degrees and careers in the wine industry in subjects ranging from grape growing, winemaking, marketing, business and more at a college or university that has an established wine-related program of study.
OLE Health builds stronger communities by ensuring high quality, comprehensive and personalized care for everyone who lives and works in the places we call home.
Additional Resources
10,000 Degrees® is the leading, equity-focused scholarship provider and college success nonprofit in California. We provide support to, through and beyond college. Our programs include, College Pathways Awareness & Preparation, College & Financial Aid Advising and Navigation, Scholarships & Financial Aid Management, College Success Support, Community College Transfer Support, Career & Graduate School Readiness and Alumni Success.
Aim High is a five-week summer enrichment program for rising 6th-9th grade students navigating system barriers in California. Offered at no cost to students and their families for up to four summers, Aim High helps middle schoolers build academic confidence, discover a love of learning, and develop the skills they need to thrive in school and in life.
Our mission is to improve lives and create bright futures for people we serve by providing professional mental health, child welfare and support services in a manner that respects the dignity and individuality of each person. Our vision is that all people we serve will achieve emotional wellness and become engaged members of the community, despite past abuse or emotional challenges.
Bâtonnage is the brainchild of all those who identify as women working in all the different facets of the wine industry... even (especially) those who have traditionally been overlooked or spoken over. We strive to educate wine professionals as well as wine industry supporters on the unique challenges and opportunities that women in the field--winemakers, vineyard workers, writers and marketers, salespeople, sommeliers, collectors, and drinkers--have faced both historically and present-day. We simultaneously seek to propose pragmatic solutions for charting a positive, inclusive course forward.
Founded by Julia Coney, Black Wine Professionals is a resource for wine industry employers and gatekeepers, professionals, and the food and beverage community. Our goal is to lift up the multifaceted Black professionals in the world of wine.
The mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Napa Valley is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Offering After-School, School Year Day Camp and Summer Camp programs.
We believe that the next generation of leaders will emerge from everywhere. We empower promising college students with the skills, confidence, experiences, and networks necessary to transition from college to strong first jobs, which lead to meaningful careers and lives of impact.
CAEP brings young adults together from all over the world to share and learn ideas, beliefs, and agricultural practices through international paid agriculture exchange programs. Our vision is to interconnect our world peacefully through our paid agriculture exchange programs in order for our exchange visitors to identify themselves as world citizens transcending from any geographical, cultural or political borders.
Whatever you are learning, we believe you learn it best when you do it for yourself. At Cal Poly, you’ll put knowledge into action. You’ll come together with people from different backgrounds to pursue better solutions across disciplines and boundaries. And you’ll ready yourself to take on whatever comes next – from everyday challenges to the world’s most pressing problems. Learn by Doing means that we don’t see a difference between the education we provide and the “real world.” Here, experiences are part of the curriculum. That’s because knowledge is inextricably linked to the world around us. To learn is to do. To do is to learn. At Cal Poly, each fuels the other.
Child Start has developed a Child Care Partnership (CCP) program designed to strengthen the quality and impact of licensed child care centers and family child care homes throughout Napa and Solano Counties. Utilizing the Early Head Start model, Child Start works with partners to increase their capacity to provide infant and toddler care in high-quality environments; strengthen support of working parents by increasing access to a broad range of integrated services; and enhance coordination of service delivery among agencies and organizations serving children and families. The partnership ensures that comprehensive services for children and families are provided based on their individual needs.
Culinary Connect is your source to search for jobs posted to The Culinary Institute of America. If you used eRecruiting, then you already have an account with Culinary Connect.
The Community Health Initiative reaches out to families in communities who need information and assistance in enrolling in affordable health insurance plans. Just as importantly, our team follows up with families to ensure they are using their coverage and staying enrolled.
Cope Family Center is a family resource center located in Napa. Their mission is to empower parents, nurture children and strengthen communities. They provide parents with the education, resources and support they need to raise children who thrive. Cope Family Center provides a variety of parent education and family support services to help parents and caregivers provide a secure, loving and healthy home for their children. All programs and services are free of charge, made possible by government and community support. Programs are available in English and Spanish.
Fair Housing Napa Valley provides free, objective, and confidential services to both tenants and landlords to help them understand their rights and responsibilities under state and local laws and ordinances that affect the rental relationship.
Our Brand: A bold promise. Fresno State’s mission is to boldly educate and empower students for success. Everything we do is tied to students. We implement bold, focused strategies designed to maximize success. By collaborating with community, we provide a transformative educational experience that prepares them to serve and lead in the Central Valley, the state and beyond while improving the overall graduation rate.
Every year, If Given a Chance selects juniors from all Napa County high schools to participate in the program. Students apply in the spring of junior year and participate in workshops and one-on-one coaching throughout their senior year to help them prepare for and enter college or professional/technical school.
At MAST International, we bring young people from around the world to the U.S. to learn, travel, and grow. Our participants come to the U.S. on a J-1 visa and train for 3-18 months in greenhouses, farms, research labs, and wineries, where they learn new skills, improve their English, and experience American life. Our trainees and interns also have the unique opportunity to study for a semester at the University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences.
Mentis was founded in 1948 just after World War II to help families to readjust to civilian life. Napa County’s mental health needs have grown over the decades becoming more complex due to the added stressors of the last several years, especially in areas prone to wildfires. Today we are working further upstream offering services from prevention to treatment to avoid mental health challenges before they become insurmountable.
MESA sponsors the Sustainable Agriculture & Global Exchange (SAGE) program. SAGE is a J-1 visa-designated training opportunity for beginning and established international farmers (Stewards) to train with U.S.-based farmers or ag. related organizations (Hosts) for an entire season.
The Napa County Library enriches lives with books and information. Use this online resource to view the upcoming public events at the Napa County Library.
The Land Trust works cooperatively with landowners and our community to protect agricultural land, water resources, wildlife and wildlife corridors, scenic open space, forests, ranches, wildflower meadows and native biodiversity throughout Napa County. We permanently protect land through the use of conservation easements that limit future development, or through direct land acquisition. By carefully prioritizing our activities the Land Trust has made significant progress toward creating a network of conservation lands that will continue to provide clean water, wildlife habitat and corridors, thriving agricultural lands, and access to nature for all those who live in and visit the Napa Valley.
Napa Valley Adult Education serves our community by educating and supporting adult learners to advance in their education and careers. The Mission of the Napa Valley Unified School District is to transform lives by instilling and inspiring lifelong learning in every student.
We connect, inspire, and empower neighbors by making it easy to take positive action as volunteers and to learn about our community. All of CanDo’s efforts are designed to strengthen and enrich the lives of Napa Valley residents. We create and implement dynamic projects when we recognize unmet community needs, and we collaborate with other local service organizations to further our mutual goals.
In the world-famous Napa Valley, you can train for a career in the wine industry at Napa Valley College (NVC). Courses prepare students for entry-level positions and help current industry employees to advance in their careers. Based on a core of viticulture and wine-making classes, the program offers a variety of options for careers in the industry. Students learn to apply viticulture and winemaking theory for decision-making in actual production situations. College facilities include classroom and laboratory buildings, vineyards, and a teaching winery. All program instructors are experienced wine industry professionals.
The Napa Valley College Teaching Winery was the first bonded winery in the California Community College System, and we released our inaugural 2008 vintage in the spring of 2009. Through the support of the college, and the local business community, VWT has built a state-of-the-art program where students can explore all aspects of the industry.
The mission of Napa Valley Community Housing is to develop, preserve and manage affordable homes and, through our Resident Services Program, teach successful life and leadership skills.
The Mission of the Napa Valley Education Foundation 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.
Napa Valley Forward is a road safety and improvement program. It also aims to provide workers in Napa Valley with better, faster and more affordable ways to get to work, including alternatives to driving alone.
The Napa Valley Vintners nonprofit trade association has been cultivating excellence since 1944 by inspiring its 539 members to consistently produce wines of the highest quality, to provide environmental leadership and to care for the extraordinary place they call home.
Our Mission
To promote, protect and enhance Napa Valley
Our Vision
Napa Valley is the leading wine region, preserved for future generations
Our Values
Excellence, leadership, stewardship, innovation, diversity, inclusivity, collaboration, camaraderie
At Napa Valley Wine Academy, we’re passionate about our community and expert instructors they are the reason we exist. Partners in wine education, Christian Oggenfuss, Catherine Bugue, and Jurg Oggenfuss have a combined 70+ years of experience in the wine business and came together in 2012 to found Napa Valley Wine Academy. Their goal then was as crystal clear as it is today: to create a professional learning environment where the student comes first, and excellence in education includes the entire experience: from pre-class correspondence to engaging classes with top instructors. They have always been agents of change and this new endeavor was no different.
NEWS is committed to supporting victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse, especially during this time of unprecedented transitions and health concerns. Out of deep respect for our employees and their families, for the time being, we will be pausing the ability to take walk-ins or appointments at our administrative office, and will be serving clients by phone, video calls, and virtual meetings. In no way will our commitment to providing safety, hope, healing and empowerment for survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse be minimized. The NEWS Emergency Shelter programs remain operational 24-hours a day, and we continue to provide safe housing, emergency counseling, and emergency needs to victims escaping violence.
The mission of NG:The Next Generation in Wine is to unify the next generation of Napa Valley’s family wineries and vineyards through collaborative marketing, education and fun.
OLE Health builds stronger communities by ensuring high quality, comprehensive and personalized care for everyone who lives and works in the places we call home.
ParentsCAN helps families raise children with disibilities: Every child's journey is different. They partner with and guide parents when challenges arise in their child's education, health, behavior or development, so children can reach their full potential.
Puertas Abierta in Napa has been operating since 2005. We provide a variety of health, social service, and education services that have a significant impact on family interaction, financial stability, civic involvement, and educational success. Their staff is bilingual/bicultural and trusted by our Spanish speaking community to provide accurate information.
The Roots Fund focuses on our three pillars: scholarship, mentorship and career development. Our program offers educational support for all certification, and college programs. Each scholar is assigned a mentor to provide guidance and professional insight throughout their wine journey. All of our scholars have access to internships, to prepare scholars for future employment in the industry by fostering real life experiences, and career opportunities for candidates transitioning into the industry.
Santa Rosa Junior College transforms the lives of our culturally rich student body, employees, and community by cultivating a welcoming and antiracist environment, centered on social responsibility and cultural awareness. We offer exceptional teaching and learning in support of associate degree, certificate, transfer preparation, workforce preparation and community education programs, integrated with comprehensive student support services.
Santa Rosa Junior College commits to setting the standard in cultivating an accessible, open, barrier-free, sustainable environment for students, employees, and the community. The college envisions equitable, impactful, transformative, enriching, and holistic learning opportunities that inspire our students to thrive.
Sonoma State University is a small, welcoming campus dedicated to the liberal arts and sciences. Students enjoy a high-quality, interdisciplinary education that features close interactions with faculty, research, innovation, and internship opportunities with a focus on inclusivity, integrity, and respect. SSU strives to graduate students who are ready to pursue fulfilling careers in our changing world and who are prepared to make informed decisions based on the pillars of our core values: diversity, social justice, sustainability, environmental inquiry, global awareness, and citizenship.
From farmers to fry cooks, servers to sommeliers, Southern Smoke takes care of our own by putting dollars directly into the pockets of food and beverage workers when it’s needed most. Whether there are mental health needs or unforeseen hardships, our funds and resources help those who put food on the table. No ask is too big or too small.
In partnership with Southern Smoke Foundation, The Roots Fund presents STEP (Study, Taste, Educate, Prosper). The program, which is co-owned by Southern Smoke and The Roots Fund, grants annual scholarship funding to support individuals of the BIPOC community seeking high-quality education as they prepare for certifications in all aspects of wine. Scholarships are awarded via the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET). We’re proud to share that the Southern Smoke Foundation has granted The Roots Fund $80,000 to support this effort in 2021.
Working to create a more equitable wine industry through greater access to wine education, wine certifications, mentoring, and networking for BIPOC.
The leading Facebook community for professionals in the wine industry seeking harvest and production experiences across the world.
The UNCF has established a scholarship program in partnership with the Napa Valley Vintners, a California nonprofit corporation, to provide scholarships to eligible applicants who are pursuing a degree related to the wine industry. The new scholarship program was created to encourage people of color to pursue college degrees and careers in the wine industry in subjects ranging from grape growing, winemaking, marketing, business and more at a college or university that has an established wine-related program of study.
"UC Davis was founded in 1908 to serve the state of California. We do and we always will. And today, the seed that was planted those years ago has grown into one of the world’s top universities. UC Davis is a tier one research university. Several of our programs are among the best in the country and have been for decades. We hope you will help us continue this legacy and solve some of the world’s greatest challenges.
UC Davis is a diverse community comprised of individuals having many perspectives and identities. We come from a multitude of backgrounds and experiences, with distinct needs and goals. We recognize that to create an inclusive and intellectually vibrant community, we must understand and value both our individual differences and our common ground. The UC Davis Principles of Community is an aspirational statement that embodies this commitment, and reflects the ideals we seek to uphold.
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UpValley Family Centers provides guidance, support and resources in the community, in the home and for the individual, so that everyone can achieve a better life.
The Napa Valley Vine Trail Coalition is a grass-roots nonprofit with a vision to build a walking/biking trail system to connect the entire Napa Valley--physically, artistically, and culturally. We are working to design, fund, construct, and maintain 47 safe and scenic miles of level, paved, family-friendly, pet-friendly, free-access Class I trail, stretching from the Vallejo Ferry to Calistoga.
With listings for positions in Napa Valley and all over the world, WineJobs is the wine industry's leading online job posting site.
Wine Unify was founded on the belief that education is the cornerstone to progress in any field. Yet many ethnic and racial minorities experience significant barriers to entry - be it financial, mentorship, or a general feeling of exclusion. We seek to change that by fostering wine education for underrepresented minority groups, and amplifying the voices of the people of color who are already thriving within the wine industry. We do this by way of outreach, awards, and education, as well as various other elements within our initiatives.
Worldwide Farmers Exchange (WFE) sponsors year-long practical general agriculture education programs, as well as a separate Viticulture and Enology Program. The steps from application to visa and travel may take two weeks to six months and possibly longer. Placements are very competitive.
For more information, or to submit a new resource, please contact Nancy Menzel or call 707.968.4213
Striving to ensure every Napa County child enters kindergarten ready to learn.
More than two dozen Napa County organizations working to make a difference.
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