Project S.H.I.N.E. – Virtual

Background Information

In the mid-1990s, the United States tightened its immigration policies and implemented Federal Welfare Reform. This legislation increased the strain on immigrant communities throughout the country. As a direct result, Hawaii saw cutbacks in social services and provisions for its non-U.S. citizens. The Chinese Community Action Coalition (CCAC), a non-profit grassroots organization, responded. In 1996, the CCAC developed a tutorial to help immigrants pass the naturalization examination for U.S. citizenship.

The tutorial’s successes have involved student-tutors from UH-Manoa, Chaminade, KCC, HCC, HPU, and Michigan State. We truly need the help of new student-tutors each semester.

You can get involved through S.H.I.N.E. – “Students Helping in the Naturalization of Elders.” This national service-learning initiative supports the Hawaii tutorials by engaging college students in English language tutoring and intensive review of the naturalization exam civics material.

Your help is critical as our communities face huge challenges exacerbated by the pandemic, including the dramatic increase in citizenship application fees, the digital divide, and the suspension of community programs.

Course Requirements

1. Attend all training/workshop sessions on Zoom. Consult us in advance of any time conflicts.
2. Complete the program’s paperwork and your school’s Service-Learning registration (registration, waiver and contract).
3. Secure a regular shift appointment for your Zoom tutoring. Commit to that shift by tutoring for two hours each week, for the duration of the 7-week program.
4. The professor of your service-learning course will typically require you to keep journals of training and tutoring sessions.
   – Including a summary of events, thoughts/reflections about what happened, and connections to course material.
5. Complete program evaluation

Note: Requirements for courses are ultimately defined by their respective instructors

Shifts

Each tutor is required to complete a minimum of 14 tutorial hours, not including training/reflection hours, by the end of the program’s 7-week period. At S.H.I.N.E.’s Orientation & Training, you will confirm your tutorial shift, which you’ll commit to for the duration of the program (February 27-April 18, 2021).

Make-up Sessions

Any time missed (absences, tardies) must be made-up. Make-up work is scheduled by making arrangements with a tutor coordinator to attend another shift.

Each shift is two hours long, and punctuality is important. Prior to the beginning of their shift, tutors must inform their shift coordinator if they will be absent/late. Tutors should be prepared to focus on two areas: understanding and passing the INS exam and conversational English.

Training Sessions

These sessions are mandatory. Orientation covers program overview, requirements, intake protocols and shift-scheduling. Training features immigration and naturalization information, exercises on aging and cultural sensitivity, curriculum guidance and tips for developing yourself as a tutor.

**You must register for S.H.I.N.E. before attending Orientation (see instructions below). Basic S.H.I.N.E. session guidelines will be posted toward the end of the form. Be sure to click submit.

Please register for S.H.I.N.E. (see below) and indicate your shift preferences. Look for an email with the link to S.H.I.N.E.’s Zoom Orientation. Complete your campus’ Service-Learning registration paperwork and let us know if you need signatures or other documentation from S.H.I.N.E.

How Do I Sign Up?

Step 1: If you know you can commit to all of the requirements described in the sections above, register here. Registration closes on the day before Orientation. If you’ve registered in error, notify us at [email protected].

Step 2: Follow your school’s instructions for service-learning registration. Please find the appropriate link below.

For Chaminade S-L students: Go to the Service-Learning section of Chaminade’s website. Click the “GET STARTED” LINK to read instructions & register. Once you complete the online registration form, print out the waiver form. Complete this form. In lieu of a site supervisor’s signature, write “see email confirmation.” Forward your shift assignment email to [email protected] along with a photo/scan of your completed printed form.

For KCC S-L students: Please go to http://kapiolaniserve.weebly.com. Complete your registration and associated forms, and then you’ll receive access to your timesheet.

For UHM S-L students***: Please follow instructions posted here where you can also find links to the forms you need.
***If you are doing Project SHINE as a volunteer through your advisor, we ask that you still complete the registration.

Step 3: Participate in the S.H.I.N.E. Orientation & Training as described in the preceding section. BE ON TIME. Attending the sessions in full is mandatory, and no make-up sessions will be available.

For Further Information and Leadership Opportunities

• Please visit our website (in the “Find a Project” tab, you’ll see S.H.I.N.E.)
• Contact the Project S.H.I.N.E. Director, Candice Sakuda, at [email protected]
• If you’re interested in becoming a student coordinator, send an email before the end of the 1^st week of classes