This web site is no longer updated. Please go to its new location: http://shinetc.livejournal.com/.

New Web Page

I am working on a new home page for our program. It's not much different from this one, but please let me know what you think anyway.

Internships

Metropolitan State University students can intern through Project SHINE for either 3 or 4 credits (90 or 120 hours of tutoring, respectively).

1. Contact Professor Thomas O'Connell in Social Science.
   
2. Register for the social science course entitled "Social and Cultural Perspectives on Literacy: The Immigrant Experience."
3. Contact Project SHINE Coordinator at matt.walters@metrostate.edu about placement. (How many credits are you registering for? In what area of the cities do you live?)
   
4. Attend 12-hour a Minnesota Literacy Council ESL Tutor Pre-Service Training. These 12 hours will counted toward your internship.
   

SHINE in the Headlines

Carin Mangimeli has written a wonderful article about Project SHINE in The Metropolitan, Metropolitan State University's student newspaper. Carin is the managing editor of this publication.

Community Partner Listing

Our list of community partners is now available.

Welcome

Registration is closed for Spring 2006.

Thank you for your interest in Project SHINE! SHINE stands for Students Helping in the Naturalization of Elders.

Please note room change for Wednesday's orientation.

• When is the orientation?
• You only need to attend one of the following.
• Wed, Jan 25 (1:30p-5:30p) @ Metro State University (St. John's Hall, Room L7)
  
• Sat, Jan 28 (9:00a-1:00p) @ MCTC (Library, Room L.3100)
  
• How many hours do I need to tutor?
• 20 hours. Most students tutor 2 hours per week for 10 weeks.
• Where can I tutor? What time slots are available?
• Please see a presentation of our community partners.
• What is expected of me? Of my community partner?
• Please look over the expectations of tutors, community partners, instructors, and the coordinator.
• How do I sign up?
1. Choose an orientation (above).
2. Review the list of community partners and choose two that work best. (This is now password protected due to the posting of contact information.)
   
3. Review our expectations of you. (2 min)
4. Complete our Twin Cities Application (2 min) (Closed)
   
5. Complete the pre-service survey for the national site (5-10 min)
• The password for this should be on the sheet I handed out. Please contact me if you received a sheet without the password.
• There may also be some sheets floating around with the wrong password. I'm really sorry about this! Please e-mail me if your password does not work.
  

Please let me know if you have any questions! You can send me an e-mail, call, or leave a comment. There is also a National Project SHINE Web Site.

Matt Walters
AmeriCorps VISTA
Project SHINE Coordinator
Metropolitan State University (651-793-1482)
Minneapolis Community and Technical College (612-659-6135)
matt.walters@metrostate.edu

Expectations

Please read and understand these expectations. Failure to meet these expectations may result in the cancellation of your participation in SHINE. If you feel another party is not meeting their expectations, please let the Project SHINE coordinator know immediately.

When are you finished, please go back to the Project SHINE Twin Cities Home Page.

Project SHINE Tutors are expected to:

• Attend one 4-hour Project SHINE orientation where they will be trained in basic ESL tutoring techniques, working with older learners, intercultural communication, and the United States naturalization process.
• Contact their community partner within one week of the orientation.
• Complete 20 hours of service with their community partner.
• Arrive on time and be courteous, respectful, and involved for the duration of the scheduled session.
• Follow community partner policies, including notification procedures if they are unable to attend a session.
• Complete two surveys--one before beginning service and the other after service has been completed.

Project SHINE Community Partners are expected to:

• Match each Project SHINE tutor with adults, preferrably 50 years of age and older, who are preparing for the citizenship exam through English or civics study, in one-on-one, small group, or classroom settings for the duration of the tutor's 20-hour commitment.
• Assist Project SHINE with on-site supervision of tutors. This includes maintaining a record of the number of hours Project SHINE tutors have served and reporting problems immediately to the Project SHINE Coordinator.
• Provide Project SHINE tutors with an overview of their organization including mission, activities, policies, and notification procedures in case of tutor absence.
• Complete one survey at the end of the semester.
• Administer, to the best of their ability, surveys to the adult learners who have worked with a Project SHINE tutor.

Instructors incorporating Project SHINE into their curricula are expected to:

• Encourage participating students to reflect on their experiences working with older learners and relate these experiences to course material.
• Submit a copy of their syllabus to the Project SHINE coordinator before the semester is over.
• Complete one survey at the end of each semester.

The Project SHINE Coordinator is expected to:

• Work to ensure that all of the above expectations are met by Project SHINE participants.
• Coordinate training of all Project SHINE tutors before they begin service.
• Work with students to find a suitable placement and handle all issues concerning tutor attendance or behavior.
• Track progress of student service, including hours served and placement, and report this information regularly to participating instructors.
  
• Act as a liaison for information about service learning including workshops and syllabi.

Links

• Dispelling the Myths About Immigrants (Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights)