SUNSHINE BAKERY 

ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND
 

Since July 2010, Sunshine Bakery has graduated 116 culturally diverse students from the Pastry Arts Program. Our overall graduation rate from the program has been over 90%. Over 70% of our Pastry Arts program graduates are securing gainful employment within one year after leaving Sunshine To date, Sunshine has served 460+ young adults and teens and 60+ area employers have hired one or more of our graduates. 

 

Now in its 12th year, Sunshine Bakery is responding to the growing and urgent need for skilled employment training and job opportunities for young adults with learning differences in the Metro DC area. To fill the continued increase in demand for our employment training programs, we have added an afternoon class cohort to our existing Pastry Arts Program, hiring additional program staff as needed, and we have formalized our Hospitality Program which we piloted last year. We have also initiated a job coaching component for this program, wherein we hire coaches to support students in their preparation for employment and work with graduates at job sites. Eligible Pastry Arts graduates who have not secured jobs may be hired for employment and additional training at Sunshine for up to one year. Enrollment for our employment training programs has increased by over 35%. Several of these students needed financial aid to pay their program's tuition.  The FCIDD grant for $20,000, submitted by the Sunshine Bakery and sponsored by the Silver Spring Civitan Club, helped to fund those students.  

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Funds were requested to help fund scholarships for students with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities in our Pastry Art Arts and Hospitality Training Programs.  Almost 100% of the young adults served in our employment training programs are not financially independent and fall below the county's median income level.  The grant project funding of $20,000 was utilized to help cover the scholarship fees for 4 students. 

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This Expectations Matter video provides an important overview of Sunshine Bakery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGqEaBL6EEg

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