Sunshine works together with families, school and agencies to prevention or reduce substance use/abuse and violence.
Though life may seem dark and cloudy, all we need is a little hope because… “One Day the Sun Will Shine Again!”
- Resource tables
- Prevention Professionals are available for panels or to speak on various topics
- Staff Development Topics
- Educational Workshops
- Friends from Sunshine Center Puppets present prevention-focused lessons
New Outreach Programs added 2024-2026
Puppetry Production Crew
Dr. Carter, Prevention Professional and Curriculum Developer works with fifth-grade students from Boyle Road School. The students are learning important prevention-focused lessons through puppetry! As they explore social emotional topics like friendship, dealing with bullying, conflict resolution, and self-awareness, they use puppets to bring these lessons to life. The students are divided into groups and focus on specific job skills, including: puppeteers, storytellers/readers, set and prop design, sound and tech support, audience. After mastering the concepts, they will step into leadership roles by presenting engaging puppet shows to third graders. This unique peer-teaching experience not only reinforces valuable life skills but also builds confidence, creativity, and a sense of responsibility in our young leaders. By learning from their older peers, third graders gain relatable, fun, and meaningful lessons that will help them navigate their own social-emotional journeys.
Alternative Program – Student Leadership Training
High school students are stepping into leadership roles by designing and leading engaging creative workshops for fifth graders! The Sunshine Staff work with students in our alternative education program to design fun activities for 5th grade students from Boyle Road Elementary. Students participate in a variety of engaging activities, including learning about different holidays, juggling, pet therapy, art projects, cookie decorating, enjoying snacks, and exploring seasonal activities.
By sharing their talents and passions, high schoolers not only spark creativity in younger students but also build meaningful connections and serve as positive role models. These workshops provide fifth graders with exciting opportunities to explore new interests, express themselves, and develop important problem-solving and teamwork skills—all while having fun in a supportive learning environment!
Sunshine’s New Light Program at the Yaphank Correctional Facility
Empowering incarcerated youth through creativity, connection and personal growth
As part of our ongoing commitment to youth development and prevention, Sunshine has begun running a structured, prevention-focused workshop for incarcerated youth at the Yaphank Correctional Facility. Thank you to Captain Kevin Hunt who reached out to Sunshine and asked us to bring a program to the youth.
This initiative utilizes our evidence-informed PEACE curriculum (Prevention Education And Cultural Enrichment), which is designed to build critical life and social skills that support long-term positive outcomes. Through a series of creative, interactive, and hands-on activities, the program emphasizes key areas such as teamwork, effective communication, emotional intelligence, and conflict resolution. By engaging youth in experiential learning, the workshop aims to foster self-awareness, strengthen resilience, and promote a clearer understanding of healthy peer relationships. Sunshine New Light Team (includes Dr. Carter, Amber Ayala, Nancy Forestiero and Kurt Hall) is dedicated to cultivating a supportive and inclusive environment that encourages personal growth, nurtures positive relationships, and equips youth with practical tools for constructive decision-making and successful reintegration into their communities.
Testimonials
Dear Dr. Carol Carter, I am writing on behalf of the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office to extend our sincere gratitude to the Sunshine Prevention Center for Youth & Families for your recent support and partnership. Your organization’s willingness to provide educational and behavior-modification services to the incarcerated adolescent offenders in our custody has been invaluable, and the program has already proven to be a success. Our students consistently express how much they look forward to your team’s visits and the engaging materials you provide. They have been especially enthusiastic about the art-based activities, including painting, which have offered them both a creative outlet and a constructive way to build new skills. The dedication and professionalism of your staff have contributed to cognitive skill development and have supported our ongoing efforts in youth behavior management. We are particularly appreciative of the anger-management programming you deliver, as it plays a vital role in promoting safety and stability within the facility. In closing, your partnership has meaningfully enhanced our ability to foster emotional growth, stability, and positive behavioral change among the adolescents in our care. Your contributions help to increase each young person’s potential for success—both during their time in our facility and upon their return to the community. Thank you once again for your commitment and service.
You did a fine job incorporating social skills, role play and puppetry to discuss the topic. I am confident that our students are better prepared to respond to and deal with the issue of bullying & teasing in the future.
The hands-on program to our Jr. High youth council was the highlight of our workshop. The information you shared and the enthusiasm you brought to it were invaluable.
The puppets were so colorful and life-like. The children and parents loved the presentation.
The Appreciation of Diversity lesson addressed many family issues that are important. The children learned acceptance, being different is okay, and everyone is unique.
The workshops that you conducted on bullying and violence prevention for my middle school classes really had an impact on my students. They couldn’t stop talking about it for days. i can see a difference in the way they are already acting.
The lesson on bullying was extremely effective. The puppet show was fabulous.
The students really loved the program, especially the puppets. It gives kids choices they can reflect on in certain situations, instead of just a quiet reaction.
Based on surveys completed by our students, the speaker’s presentation was received in a positive manner. They learned a lot about the topic of respect. We would like to contact you in the future to return to our school.
Thank You for the wonderful job you did facilitating our annual staff development day. your enthusiasm and sensitivity for the goals of the day really “shined.” Your well-planned and executed activities helped us fully achieve our mission for the day. as you can see from the survey results, your program received 100% satisfaction from all 36 staff members. Incredible testament of your effectiveness.
The information presented was highly relevant to our program’s goals, and was presented in a clear, concise manner. Over and over again our students tell us at the end of the training weekend that the best part was the speakers, particularly the Sunshine Prevention Center’s presentation on Suicide and Depression.
Thank you so much for inviting the Longwood Elementary School Counselors to your center. We really enjoyed the six styles of anger. This activity not only allowed us to gain insight about ourselves but others as well.