Welcome to the SUN Initiative -  A Collaboration of City, County, State and Schools in Portland/Multnomah County, Oregon

What if.....? There was a way to help all kids succeed? There was a way to have all families involved in their child's education? There was a way that all members of the community felt connected to their local school? There was a way that schools were open from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm and year 'round'? Schools Uniting Neighborhoods Mission & Goals The SUN Initiative was founded by the City of Portland, OR and Multnomah County, OR in 1999 as a partnership of city, county, state, and schools. SUN's Mission is to improve the lives of children, their families and the community through partnering with local school communities to extend the school day and develop schools as "community centers" in their neighborhoods. SUN Schools strive to be a community "hub". They link with other community institutions, such as the libraries, parks and community centers, neighborhood health clinics and area churches and businesses. Back to the Top SUN Initiative Goals Improve student achievement, attendance, behavior and other skills for healthy development and academic success through increased capacity of the local schools to provide a safe, supervised and positive environment for expanded experiences. Increase family involvement in the schools and school-based programs. Increase community and business involvement in the schools and school-based programs. Improve the system of collaboration among school districts, government, community-based agencies, families, citizens and business/corporate leaders. Improve use of public facilities and services by locating services in the community-based neighborhood schools. How do SUN SCHOOLS Work? SUN Schools select a non- profit lead agency to act as managing partner for the SUN effort. Jointly they hire SUN Site Managers to help build and bring networks of services, classes and volunteers together to benefit youth and the community. SUN Managers coordinate these services and make sure they link to the academic school day. SUN Schools tailor their events, classes, services and activities to what the local community wants, through the use of an Advisory Committee. SUN Schools build upon positive assets already in communities and link those with the activities offered in the school. SUN Schools bring together schools, community leaders and agency professionals to plan the best ways to support youth - in education, family involvement, the community, providing services and utilizing community buildings. SUN Schools use an evaluation team to measure impact, celebrate success and continuously improve SUN School programs and their impact in the community. Back to the Top Size & Location Our initial eight schools were chosen to be SUN schools in 1999. In the 2000-01 school year, five additional schools became SUN schools, one through SUN (City & County) funding and four others through partnership with federally funded grants awarded to local districts (21st Century Learning Centers and SafeSchools). In 2001-02, two additional schools are joining the Initiative, bringing the total number to 15. Currently all 15 SUN schools are either elementary or middle schools. SUN schools serve a wide age group - from preschoolers to seniors. In the spring of 2001, SUN schools saw the following results on average: 312 children being served at each school (2810 overall) 174 families served at each school (1564 overall) 29 extended-day activities offered per school (265 overall)  Primary Activities Though there is a broad range of activities at the SUN schools,  SUN's primary activities are considered to be: Before and After-school academic and enrichment programs that are linked with the school day Family Involvement and strengthening programs Health and Social Services for the students, families and community Community events Adult Education Back to the Top Governance The SUN model is for governance to be site-based with the following structure: Operating Team: principal, site coordinator and lead agency Site Partners Team: representing all the entities in the school that work with the students Site Advisory Committee: a combination of both customers and providers in the SUN system This structure is in an evolutionary stage and it is expected that it will be tailored at the school level to best ensure that the critical roles are fulfilled. Multi-jurisdictional Collaboration The SUN Initiative is a collaborative effort of public and private entities. The following partners have contributed to the development and success of these efforts: Annie E. Casey Foundation Oregon State Department of Human Services Bank of America City of Portland City of Gresham Multnomah County: Health Dept., Juvenile Justice, & Community & Family Services Portland Public Schools Gresham-Barlow School District Multnomah Education Service District Centennial School District Caring Communities of Mult. Co. Portland Community College Portland Schools Alliance Casey Family Programs David Douglas School District Reynolds School District Legacy Health Systems Back to the Top SUN Initiative |  Multnomah County Home Page |  Department Of Community And Family Services | Community Building Initiative/Caring Communities This site is maintained by the Department of Community and Family Services Please read our disclaimer about this site