The SHINE Model | Project SHINE

The Center's Mission

Project SHINE was founded at The Intergenerational Center at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Intergenerational Center at Temple University is dedicated to strengthening communities by bringing generations together to meet the needs of individuals and families throughout the life cycle. Established in 1979, the Center for Intergenerational Learning is a national resource for intergenerational programming.

Project SHINE's Goals

Promote intercultural and intergenerational understanding within diverse communities
Improve the ability of older immigrants to access healthcare, exercise their rights, and perform their responsibilities as family and community members
Increase the academic knowledge, personal growth and civic engagement of college students
Enhance the ability of faculty members to create stronger links between community service and academic coursework
Build the capacity of community colleges and universities to develop sustainable, mutually beneficial partnerships with immigrant communitiesP

Project SHINE's Program Structure

Project SHINE is a national service-learning initiative that builds partnerships among community colleges, colleges, universities and community-based organizations to benefit older immigrants, refugees and college students. SHINE links college students with older immigrants and refugees that seek to learn English and navigate the complex path to U.S. citizenship. In community centers, temples, churches, senior housing and classrooms, students tutor elders in English, helping them become more actively engaged in their communities and teaching the U.S. history and civics needed to pass the citizenship exam. SHINE is currently being replicated at 18 institutions of higher education in 14 cities across the United States.

SHINE helps faculty members create links between classroom teaching and relevant field experience. It provides an opportunity to deepen students' theoretical understanding in a broad range of disciplines, including urban studies, anthropology, English, TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages), sociology, public policy and history. Students gain knowledge of diverse cultures and life experiences, develop skills beyond the textbook, and find a powerful way to reinforce their academic studies.

We think SHINE students can best speak about the benefits they receive. Here's what some SHINE students say about their participation:

"I gained a newfound respect and tolerance for people of different cultures... Volunteering opened up my eyes..."

"I met new people, made very strong friendships, learned more about other cultures, and learned some Spanish."

"I enjoyed learning about cultures and I decided that I would like to work with the elderly as part of my future career."

Project Shine
About SHINE The SHINE Story The Intergenerational Center SHINE Video The SHINE Model Our History Our Impact SHINE Staff The SHINE Consortium California Georgia Hawaii Minnesota New York North Carolina Pennsylvania Texas Get Involved Students Community Partners Faculty SSAB Participant Profiles Job Opportunities AmeriCorps Projects Civic Engagement for All Initiative Research National Forums Pilot Projects MetLife Health Literacy Initiative Rationale Goals First Amendment Project Rationale Summary Materials Resource Library ESL Tools Forms Newsroom Contact
The SHINE Story The Intergenerational Center SHINE Video The SHINE Model Our History Our Impact SHINE Staff The SHINE Consortium CCSF CSU Fullerton Hamilton College Hawaii Partnership Metro State University SFSU SJCC Temple University Utica College Sign up for our Email Newsletter For Email Marketing you can trust	Home » About SHINE The SHINE Model The Center's Mission Project SHINE was founded at The Intergenerational Center at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Intergenerational Center at Temple University is dedicated to strengthening communities by bringing generations together to meet the needs of individuals and families throughout the life cycle. Established in 1979, the Center for Intergenerational Learning is a national resource for intergenerational programming. Project SHINE's Goals Promote intercultural and intergenerational understanding within diverse communities Improve the ability of older immigrants to access healthcare, exercise their rights, and perform their responsibilities as family and community members Increase the academic knowledge, personal growth and civic engagement of college students Enhance the ability of faculty members to create stronger links between community service and academic coursework Build the capacity of community colleges and universities to develop sustainable, mutually beneficial partnerships with immigrant communitiesP Project SHINE's Program Structure Project SHINE is a national service-learning initiative that builds partnerships among community colleges, colleges, universities and community-based organizations to benefit older immigrants, refugees and college students. SHINE links college students with older immigrants and refugees that seek to learn English and navigate the complex path to U.S. citizenship. In community centers, temples, churches, senior housing and classrooms, students tutor elders in English, helping them become more actively engaged in their communities and teaching the U.S. history and civics needed to pass the citizenship exam. SHINE is currently being replicated at 18 institutions of higher education in 14 cities across the United States. SHINE helps faculty members create links between classroom teaching and relevant field experience. It provides an opportunity to deepen students' theoretical understanding in a broad range of disciplines, including urban studies, anthropology, English, TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages), sociology, public policy and history. Students gain knowledge of diverse cultures and life experiences, develop skills beyond the textbook, and find a powerful way to reinforce their academic studies. We think SHINE students can best speak about the benefits they receive. Here's what some SHINE students say about their participation: "I gained a newfound respect and tolerance for people of different cultures... Volunteering opened up my eyes..." "I met new people, made very strong friendships, learned more about other cultures, and learned some Spanish." "I enjoyed learning about cultures and I decided that I would like to work with the elderly as part of my future career."
Sponsored by: Project SHINE The Intergenerational Center at Temple University 1601 N. Broad Street Suite 206, Philadelphia, PA 19122 Phone (215) 204-3212 \| Fax (215) 204-3195