Creating Safe Schools for All
The Schools Unified in Neurodiversity (SUN) Project, partners directly with school districts to make schools more inclusive and safe for neurodivergent children. The idea of our SUN Project came directly from our PAARCC group – who told us that we need to start with changing schools if we want to reduce the alarming suicide rates in neurodivergent people.
Our team of teachers, principals, counselors, superintendents, and community members has worked together to create the SUN program. Everyone on the SUN team is either neurodivergent themselves or has a child or family member that is neurodivergent. The SUN program teaches educators a series of tools to design classrooms and instruction in ways that eliminate unnecessary barriers and set neurodivergent children up for success at school. Our goal is to expand the SUN Program so that it is implemented in schools all over the country.
See some of our educational videos on our REAACT YouTube page.
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Partnerships for Implementation:
YourMomCares
With our Research Brilliance Award, we will implement SUN in several schools and test its impact on mental health of children in those schools.
The Education Partnership
The Education Partnership provides school supplies for more than 70,000 students and their teachers in under-resourced schools in Southwestern Pennsylvania. This year TEP will provide more than $11MM worth of classroom resources, as well as professional development, partnership, and expertise to ensure a motivated, supported, and respected educator workforce.
Our Collaborative partnered with a local organization, The Education Partnership, to offer 2 modules of the SUN training. 30 Pittsburgh-area completed the 2-module training and received neurodivergent-affirming school supplies from The Education Partnership as part of the training.
Upper St. Clair School District
Our full SUN Collaborative team implemented the 6-hour SUN training to educators in the Upper St. Clair School District. Approximately 220 educators (e.g. teachers, support staff, counselors, and administrators) completed the training. Educators knowledge and confidence in supporting neurodivergent children significantly improved after the SUN program.
SXSW EDU
Members of the SUN Collaborative will lead a workshop at the SXSW EDU conference held annually in Austin, Texas.
If you’re interested in learning more about SUN, please contact Kelly Beck (kellybeck@pitt.edu)!
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