photo credit Project SHINE

“When I first came to America, I only knew a couple letters.  I couldn't communicate with anybody.  And I learned about this program and I started (to learn English).  I have been here for three years and now I have built a basic vocabulary that I can carry my daily life.  It basically helped me to live in America." -Project SHINE participant

In the early 1980s, Nancy Henkin, founder and director of the Intergenerational Center at Temple University, was shocked by the news that loneliness and social isolation led an elderly Asian woman to commit suicide, at a time when it was commonly assumed that older immigrants were part of tight-knit and supportive communities. Henkin realized that older immigrants often struggle with language barriers, changes in customs, and differences in social roles more than their younger counterparts, and began working to establish a program that could support them.  Project SHINE was launched in 1985, to reach out and provide aging immigrants with language and cultural resources to help them adapt in their new community. 

The SHINE program partners with Temple University’s Intergenerational Center, a relationship which provides institutional support and facilitates recruitment of students as volunteer tutors. From SHINE’s perspective, older immigrants are a community resource. One of SHINE’s priorities is to enhance the communication skills of older immigrants—who then will be better able to give back to the communities in which they live.

Since its creation 25 years ago, Project SHINE has been replicated and is currently working with 17 higher education institutions in 15 U.S. cities, providing programming for 2,500 older immigrants annually. Since 1997, SHINE has engaged 10,000 students and enriched the lives of 40,000 immigrants.[i] One of the strengths of the organization is its ability to develop partnerships and working relationships with a variety of institutions in addition to colleges and universities.  Americorps and Learn and Serve America, and over two hundred ethnic, community, and faith-based organizations have supported SHINE’s work. It has also attracted funders, including the MetLife Foundation, the Corporation for National and Community Service, and New York Life. The Migration Policy Institute honored SHINE’s groundbreaking work, in May 2010, with the prestigious E Pluribus Unum Prize.

Project SHINE helps older immigrants across the country adapt to their communities by recruiting college students to tutor older immigrants in English, work skills, and other aspects of cultural literacy. SHINE also pursues its mission to better integrate older immigrants through disseminating research and publishing reports that raise awareness and provide guidance for communities seeking to reach out to this vulnerable population.

As part of its mission to ease the integration of older immigrants into American society, Project SHINE has established the following 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; and
• Build the capacity of community colleges and universities to develop sustainable, mutually beneficial partnerships with immigrant communities.

Project SHINE pursues these goals through four programs: ESL & Citizenship, Workforce Development, Health Literacy, and Civic Engagement. Students tutor older immigrants in English and literacy skills for ESL & Citizenship and cover civics and United States history to prepare them for the citizenship exam. Workforce Development helps immigrants understand the American approach to job searches, resume preparation, and employer interviews. Through Civic Engagement, SHINE volunteers help older immigrants acquire the skills and expertise that can support their ability to participate in civic roles. 

Research on the challenges faced by older immigrants and the barriers that exist between immigrant and American-born populations has also become a central component of SHINE’s work. Through SHINE’s Health Literacy Program, for instance, immigrants whose countries of origin span the globe met with health providers to discuss the obstacles to communicating in a medical context. This dialogue generated strategies for both immigrants and hospitals to improve communication. The findings are now being incorporated into SHINE’s programs. More recently, Project SHINE found that intergenerational conflict was a significant problem in immigrant and refugee communities, and is developing strategies to promote improved relations between the generations.

SHINE continues to evolve. Through research and pilot programs, the organization identifies new directions for programming, including the provision of training and technical assistance.  Through its commitment to serving the needs of older immigrants, Project SHINE has become a national leader, enabling the organization to change perceptions of older immigrants, improve their quality of life, and help them to take an active part in their communities.  

More information on Project SHINE can be found here