Sunshine Academy is Dedicated to Educate Chinese Orphans Lives Since 2007

2007  After adopting two children, Emily Yang Bauer has the vision to provide education for orphans living in Chinese Social Welfare Centers. Together with enthusiastic and supportive volunteers Judene Irvine and Sabine Li, they form Sunshine Academy. Then they began teaching two days a week in Bao’An and Shenzhen Centers with a group of volunteers. Sabine Li becomes the first Executive Director of Sunshine Academy.

2008  Sunshine Academy officially forms our first Sunshine professional team lead by Heidi Olson and Samantha Sun providing a full-time education system in the Bao’an Social Welfare Center. In the same year, the inaugural Sunshine Academy Annual Benefit Fair is held by dedicated families from California Kids Club wanting to make a difference in orphan’s lives.

2009  Sunshine Academy expands as Samantha Sun trains staff at the Longgang Social Welfare Center. The number projects from Sunshine Academy increases.

2010  Sunshine Academy partners with the Zhuhai Social Welfare Center to open Sunshine Academy with Sunshine Academy Project Manager Melody Liu and a dedicated and enthusiastic team of volunteers. Sunshine Academy’s “Sunset Hours” program is developed in Bao’an to enrich the students' after-school life.

2011  Supported by Bao’an Civil Affairs Bureau and Bao’an Social Welfare Center director Tao, Sunshine Academy registers officially as a Chinese NGO, (“Shenzhen Bao’an Sunshine Children Care Center.”)

2012  Sunshine Academy begins Primary and Secondary School classes at the Boa’an Social Welfare Center under the leadership of Sunshine Academy Project Manager Tyler Chambers. In the same year, project Manager Samantha Sun goes to Dongguan to begin our partnership with the Dongguan Social Welfare Center and leads the project in Dongguan. Heidi Olson becomes the Executive Director, overseeing all projects.

2013  Led by Project Manager Amanda Hinzmann, Sunshine Academy focuses on older students helping them to develop skills for greater independence.

2014  Project Manager Kyle Lee trains staff at the Foshan Social Welfare Center.

2016  Sunshine Academy opens two new schools led by Project Manager Samantha Sun in Chengdu and Project Manager Effie Ren in Zhengzhou. Zhengzhou becomes our largest Sunshine Academy school focusing on 7-18 year old students in primary and secondary special education classes, providing continuous and comprehensive training for teacher teams, and further research and practice special education teaching methods with over 100 students.

2017  Project Manager Janet Qin begins our school in Xuchang. “Bring Me Sunshine” Summer Camp is developed by Lance and Helen Bauer giving Sunshine students a fun-filled summer. Sunshine Academy in Dongguan becomes independent, being led by local leaders trained by Sunshine Academy.

2018  Sunshine Academy updates our implementation model and sends Project Managers Effie Ren and Janet Qin to Luohe to start a school in just 5 months. Chengdu Center invites Sunshine Academy to begin a school in their Dayi Village Center. Lauren Luo becomes Sunshine Academy’s first Director of Development focusing on expanding projects to new Centers. Tina Fang joins the team as the Administrative Assistant.

2019  Project Managers Janet Qin and Carina Qian begin our school in Nanyang and Sunshine’s Special Education Specialist Rachel Gilmour develops our Special Education program offering our first national trainings in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Jordan Tasker and Carina Qiao join the team as Project Managers with a focus on practicing Special Education. Sunshine Academy’s program focuses more than ever on meeting needs in Special Education. At the end of 2019, Sunshine Academy schools in Zhengzhou, Chengdu and Dayi become independent, being led by local leaders trained by Sunshine Academy.

2020  Sunshine Academy begins a new training initiative called “New Light” to bring training to Centers who want to know more about Special Education.

We have much gratitude for the hundreds of donors, volunteers, staff and friends who have worked with us shoulder-to-shoulder as we have pursued our joint dream to love and educate Chinese orphans一 instilling dignity and life skills to enable an independent life.