SHINE teachers are unique. Teaching with SHINE is about more than just helping a student improve academically – it’s about doing “Whatever It Takes” to help a student succeed.
Making a difference
SHINE activities are designed to be hands-on and engage students in a way that ties academic instruction to application in their lives and future careers.
Teachers design engaging and dynamic lesson plans and activities that support SHINE objectives and are coordinated with students’ academic day program. SHINE’s innovative lessons incorporate multiple disciplines, introducing students to high-demand careers in a way that reflects “real life”.
When you put your heart and soul into it, relationships are established. That’s how we create a place – a SHINE family – where everyone sees success.
Audra Kufro, SHINE Lead Teacher
More than a job
SHINE teachers go above and beyond every day to ensure students are working to achieve their full potential.
SHINE teachers design innovative lesson plans that incorporate multiple disciplines and reflect real-life situations and careers. Each center creates their own lesson plans and projects, ensuring activities are relevant and of interest to those particular students.
SHINE staff are responsible for ensuring all records and files are up-to-date and coordinated with the administrative office. As part of this effort, registered students participate in pre- and post-term academic testing. SHINE teachers and staff work actively to engage parents and families in their child’s development. Each center holds a monthly Family Engagement night to build a strong line of communication between home and school.
SHINE encourages regular communication between teachers and families. Newsletters are sent home each month, detailing the exciting projects students will be working on as well as providing reminders of upcoming events. Each center has a dedicated mobile number for use in emergencies.
More than a classroom
SHINE lessons go beyond the traditional classroom. SHINE teachers incorporate school day concepts into broader, more comprehensive tutorials.
SHINE teachers utilize innovative technologies and learning strategies into every lesson plan. Activities are designed to build upon and reinforce the daytime curriculum. Emphasis is placed on experiential learning, which helps students bridge the gap between the classroom theory and real-life application.
The SHINE staff maintains close relationships with the teachers and administrators of students’ daytime schools. Through consistent communication, SHINE is able to better understand and respond to issues such as behavioral challenges and truancy. A student teacher ratio of 7:1 is maintained.
Utilizing public and private funding, SHINE has invested in several Makerspace classrooms in Carbon and Schuylkill counties. A makerspace is a collaborative work space designed for making, learning, exploring and sharing concepts using a range from high-tech tools like 3D printers and drones to no-tech tools like Legos and modeling clay.
“Working with the SHINE program has allowed me to see how children in the classroom may have struggles we aren’t fully aware of … SHINE allows me to help my students on a greater and deeper level.”
Teacher at LB Morris center
Welcome to SHINE Afterschool 