Welcoming Morgyn Yates - Sunrise’s New Director of SDP Programming

Please join us in welcoming Morgyn Yates to her new role as Sunrise’s Director of School District Programming! In her new position, Morgyn will oversee the operations of Sunrsie’s new SDP supported programs at Cassidy and Lamberton School!

Morgyn is a West Philadelphia native with close to a decade of experience working with

youth in Philadelphia. For the last 5 years, Morgyn has served as Site Director at Kirkbride School where she managed staff, mentored students, and cultivated relationships with school district and community partners from across the city!

Check out our quick Q+A below and get to know the newest addition to Sunrise’s West Philadelphia community!

Can you give us some background about you and your history with Sunrise?

• I grew up in West Philly. I attended my neighborhood school Andrew Hamilton Elementary from kindergarten to 8th grade; As a youth I spent my after school and summer days attending enrichment programs at Sayre Recreation Center. I went on to attend Central High School where I discovered my love of Science, which led me to attend Chestnut Hill College where I earned my BA in Biology and a Masters in Human Service Management. In 2019 I had the pleasure of joining the Sunrise team as a Lead teacher developing STEM based curriculum and quickly became a Site Director at Eliza B. Kirkbride School where i was able to establish a strong culture of community engagement and exposing our students to many unique opportunities including Krate, Coding classes, community gardening and much more!

What can parents expect from Sunrise’s new programs at Lamberton and Cassidy?

• The parents at both schools will find that Sunrise programs will be educational, enriching and feature a focus on STEM based activities and curriculum. Our students will use not only what they have learned in school, but also their own individuality and creativity to complete tasks that are given all while enjoying themselves in the process.

What kind of enrichment activities can we expect to see? Is there anything specific you're excited for?

• I'm excited to bring a diverse schedule of enrichment activities to programming this year! I think I'm most excited for our enrichment sessions on topics like theater, music, technology, photography, arts + crafts and especially STEM! Im also excited to expand Sunrise's partnerships with the community organizations we already work with like The Clay Studio, Rock to the Future and Mural Arts Philadelphia.
  

What's your favorite thing about Sunrise afterschool programs - what makes them so special?

• Sunrise is special because as an organization and program our main focus is to honor and be authentic to the community we serve. We strive to be a safe space where we can provide opportunities for the children to expand their knowledge of the various options available to them and to make sure that parents have all the resources they need to succeed! I think our commitment to our communities really shines through and I'm excited to get to know the Cassidy and Lamberton family!

Get in touch with Morgyn!

myates@sunriseofphila.org