Rising Sun Center For Opportunity

RISING SUN'S MISSION IS BUILDING CAREER PATHWAYS FOR ECONOMIC EQUITY AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE.

CLIMATE CAREERS - IN 2021, OUR SUMMER PROGRAM OPERATED PRIMARILY REMOTELY. DESPITE OUR EXPANDED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CURRICULUM, IT BECAME INCREASINGLY APPARENT THAT YOUTH NEEDED OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT THE THEORETICAL SKILLS THEY WERE LEARNING WITH THE REAL WORLD OF WORK. MORE ROBUST CAREER EXPLORATION WAS CALLED FORAND IT NEEDED TO BE PAID, GIVING YOUTH TIME TO DISCOVER WHAT INSPIRED THEM WHILE INCREASING THEIR TRANSFERABLE SKILLS, PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR PROFESSIONAL ABILITIES, AND BUILDING THEIR RESUMES. IN AUGUST, 19 YOUNG CLIMATE CAREERS ALUMNI TRANSITIONED FROM THE SUMMER PROGRAM INTO OUR INAUGURAL SERIES OF FALL-TERM EXTERNSHIPS WITH LOCAL NONPROFITS, GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS, AND COMPANIES, ALL AIMED AT BUILDING GENUINE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO FORGE SUSTAINABLE FUTURES FOR THEMSELVES AND OUR PLANET

OPPORTUNITY BUILD - OUR FIRST IN-PERSON COHORT SINCE MARCH 2020 OVERCAME CHALLENGING CONDITIONS TO GRADUATE IN AUGUST 2021. TRAINING IS NEVER EASYBUT TRAINING OUTSIDE, NEXT TO A HIGHWAY, WEARING MASKS, CAN BE BRUTAL. MORE THAN ANYTHING, THIS COHORT FELT LIKE FAMILY. THEY LEFT US IN AWE OF THEIR DRIVE, COLLECTIVELY ACHIEVING NOT ONLY ONE OF OUR HIGHEST GRADUATION RATES TO DATE, BUT ALSO A NEW PERFECT ATTENDANCE RECORD. NOT TO BE OUTDONE, OUR FALL COHORT HIT A NEW MILESTONE: THE PROGRAMS FIRST-EVER 100% GRADUATION RATE. FOR THE FIRST TIME, BOTH COHORTS BUILT PERMANENT STRUCTURES: PLAYHOUSES TO SERVE LOCAL COMMUNITIES. IN THEIR STRENGTH AND INGENUITY, THEY PUSHED US TO EVOLVE. WE DEVELOPED AND NURTURED THE RELATIONSHIPS NECESSARY TO OFFER NEW OPPORTUNITIES, INCLUDING: A GREEN CONSTRUCTION MODULE, A GOOGLE SUITE WORKSHOP WITH MANAGEMENT CONSULTING FIRM AND LONG-TIME PARTNER ACCENTURE, AND A THREE-DAY COURSE ON ARCHITECTURAL PAINTING DONATED AND TAUGHT BY DUNN-EDWARDS PAINTS.

HIGH ROAD TRAINING PARTNERSHIPS (HRTP) - RISING SUN IS FIRST AND FOREMOST A DIRECT SERVICE ORGANIZATION SUPPORTING PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIESAND THAT INCLUDES ADDRESSING THE SYSTEMS OF INEQUITY THAT MAKE OUR WORK NECESSARY. OUR POLICY EFFORTS DRIVE POSITIVE CHANGE AT THE INTERSECTION OF EQUITY, CLIMATE, AND JOBS. IN 2021, THAT MEANT CONVENING A HIGH ROAD TRAINING PARTNERSHIP (HRTP) TO ESTABLISH LABOR STANDARDS AND POLICY LEVERS FOR THE BAY AREAS NASCENT RESIDENTIAL BUILDING DECARBONIZATION INDUSTRY. MOST HOUSING IN THE BAY AREA RELIES ON NATURAL GAS FOR COOKING, WATER HEATING, AND SPACE HEATING. REDUCING RESIDENTIAL CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS WILL INVOLVE BOTH ALL-ELECTRIC NEW CONSTRUCTION AND SIGNIFICANT RETROFITTING OF EXTANT HOUSING STOCK. EARLY REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP IS KEY TO ENSURING THAT CALIFORNIAS CLIMATE INVESTMENTS LEAD TO QUALITY EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES OFFERING FAMILY-SUPPORTING WAGES, BENEFITS, WORKER REPRESENTATION, AND CAREER ADVANCEMENT POTENTIALAND RISING SUN IS UNIQUELY SITUATED TO BRING THE RELEVANT PARTIES TOGETHER, WITH LABOR LEADING THE CONVERSATION. WE EXIST AT THE INTERSECTION OF WHAT THE HRTP MODEL IS TRYING TO ACHIEVE, AND OUR INTERSECTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS MAKE US THE PERFECT CONTAINER TO SUPPORT THOSE DRIVING THE RESEARCH AND AGENDA.