In early 2009, the Sonoma Valley Fund established a Youth Initiative Committee to explore challenges facing Sonoma Valley’s youth in light of the late October 2008 murder of a Hispanic youth in Maxwell Park, the perceived low numbers of local students going on to college or meaningful jobs directly from high school, continuing reports of significant drug and alcohol problems among Valley youth, and for some observers, disappointing levels of student academic performance versus comparable schools around the state. In short, many knowledgeable people feel we need to do much better. In their view, unless significant improvements are made, the outlook for the long term health of our community in coming generations is bleak.

Read the full report

This report is divided into five sections.

• The first describes what we did
• The second, what we heard and learned
• The third, what we recommend
• The fourth, who we interviewed and spoke with
• The fifth, Exhibits and our sources for individual statements of fact or opinion