Project Shine, USA

ESL & Citizenship

College students from diverse disciplines and backgrounds tutor older immigrants in English, U.S. history and civics at community centers, religious institutions, adult education classes, and senior residences to help them acquire citizenship and become more actively engaged in their communities. Students participate in SHINE through service learning courses, as volunteers and as interns, and can often receive credits.

Workforce Development

With support from the PA Department of Education, SHINE is collaborating with Temple University’s Center for Social Policy and Community Development and the Institute for Schools in Society on a new initiative that aims at aiding Immigrants and Refugees in gaining useful life skills through workforce training. This program is currently run by the national office of Project SHINE and is operating at the Intergenerational Center at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA.

Health Literacy

With support from the Corporation for National and Community Service and The MetLife Foundation, Project SHINE has launched an AmeriCorps Health Literacy program that engages volunteers of all ages and cultures in activities designed to enhance the health of older immigrants and refugees. The program is run by the national office of Project SHINE and is operating at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, The University of Texas El Paso, in El Paso, TX, and The University of North Carolina Greensboro, in Greensboro, NC.

Civic Engagement

Project SHINE operates a Civic Engagement initiative in partnership with immigrant-serving organizations to develop and expand opportunities for older immigrants (50+) to connect and contribute to their communities. Since 2008, SHINE has partnered with immigrant-serving organizations in Philadelphia, Atlanta, Fullerton, CA and New York to increase the awareness, knowledge and capacity of these organizations to engage older immigrants/refugees in meaningful civic roles that benefit immigrant and mainstream communities as well as immigrants themselves.