Purpose

The Sunshine Angels Project is to recognize and promote the value and acceptance of children and adults with disabilities. Integration of disabled children into the community is preferable to isolating them in restricted institutions, separated from leading a normal life. To address this isolation and offer more options, the Sunshine Angels Project brings warmth, learning and laughter to these children with disabilities who live in residential care centers through their visits and the learning activities they plan.

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Good Health and Well Being; Education – All people are valued and their lives matter. It is important to provide health, well-being, and education to all children.

Project Actions

The Sunshine Angels Project was begun in the first year of the World Academy in 2009 and has been operating for thirteen years at a residential special education school for intellectually impaired and deaf children ages 8 -15 in Xinzheng. The Project team goes weekly to the school to better integrate these students with society and the community. Growth profiles are created for some students to track their behaviors, interests, and hobbies. The team provides activities and supplements the school curriculum with training and engagement that widens the learning options for these children. The children and project team members build relationships that foster acceptance and friendships through their involvement. The team members gain a greater understanding for what a child with a disability can achieve when they are given individual encouragement and training. This opens possibilities for greater normalization of disabled children in the future. During the Covid Pandemic the teams could not go to the school. They created another project and went out on the street outside Sias campus at 4:30AM to provide breakfast and warmth to the sanitation workers and taxi drivers. Recognizing that these people work when no one is around to notice the contributions they make, the team members met the workers, acknowledged the impact their work made to the community, and showed their respect and appreciation to them by providing them food and friendship.

This Project needs more books and materials to use in teaching the children. More volunteers are invited to join the project. More schools and disabled children are being sought to enlarge the project.