The Made in Santa Rosa Education Foundation, which works in partnership with the Santa Rosa City Schools District, raised $86,000 for two literacy programs at its fourth annual fall luncheon, held Sept. 12 at Iron & Vine restaurant at the Bennett Valley Golf Course in Santa Rosa.
The event drew 125 attendees, with Herman G. Hernandez, a founding board member, serving as auctioneer, said Lisa Alexander, the foundation’s executive director.
“The funds will support two literacy initiatives for the 2025–26 school year: our ELITE (Early Literacy Enrichment) Program and our Book Vending Machine Program,” she said.
The ELITE program is an after-school reading initiative designed to strengthen early literacy skills, with a particular focus on BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) students and multilingual learners. The curriculum emphasizes listening comprehension, vocabulary development, critical thinking and fostering independent reading.
“For multi-language learners, books that reflect their cultural identity and experiences lead to faster and deeper engagement with reading, stronger comprehension and vocabulary growth, greater confidence and motivation to read, leading to more successful literacy development overall,” Alexander explained.
The Book Vending Machine Program allows students to earn tokens, which they can use to select and keep books that spark their interest.
“Research shows that book ownership significantly enhances reading engagement, comprehension skills and overall academic success,” Alexander added.
The guest of honor at the luncheon was Dr. Diann Kitamura, an emeritus board member who cofounded the Made in Santa Rosa Education Foundation and codeveloped the ELITE program.