PIPview: Tutor/Mentor Connection

Lessons from Lawndale

2011-05-06T11:11:00.006-05:00

Last week my NUPIP seminar visited a free health clinic, Lawndale Christian Health Center, which serves over 119,000 patients in the Lawndale community of Chicago. Dr. Wayne Detmer, the passionate and dedicated Medical Director of Medical Operations, gave us a tour of the impressive facility and told us more about the Lawndale community.

Lawndale is a neighborhood in the working poor West Side of Chicago. As Dr. Detmer described, it is among the most dangerous and impoverished communities in the entire country, and businesses will scarcely operate in the area. Several years ago, a Starbucks opened in the community as part of a joint venture between Starbucks and Magic Johnson Enterprises. This store was part of a strategy to open urban businesses in order to bring upward mobility and business and employment opportunities in struggling areas. As this July 2008 Chicago Tribune article describes,"For communities such as Lawndale, where vacant lots alternate with graystones, Starbucks became shorthand for the promise of better days, a neighborhood on its way up." However, a short time after opening, this shop closed its doors.

The only remaining sit-down style restaurant in the community is the gourmet pizzeria, Lou Malnati's. This restaurant has lost well over $1 million since opening, however it continues to operate as part of the owner's personal dedication to providing safe places and employment opportunities in the Lawndale community.

This type of mindset and community investment on the part of a business is rare, but it is an incredible example of how a company can truly partner with a community. In an era where Departments of Corporate Social Responsibility are all but expected of major corporations, it is clear that businesses DO realize that social responsibility is in their best interest for building brand loyalty and visibility.

Although operating a business at a loss is not a feasible model for most to follow, it is worth considering how businesses might partner more intentionally within their communities. While annual employee service days may be worthwhile for the individuals involved, they are not productive in terms of a sustainable contribution. Likewise, short-term giving and sporadic monetary or product donations are certainly put to good use, but long-term investment in an organization demonstrates far greater commitment to creating change within a community. Mobilizing long-term volunteers or long-term funding requires a heightened level of commitment from a business, yet it also demonstrates a company's cohesive identity and well-thought-out corporate responsibility strategy. In fact, an entire section of Tutor/Mentor Connection's online resources is dedicated to explaining "A Case for Business Involvement" and the benefits of businesses partnering with tutoring and mentoring programs.

While empty lots and closed storefronts indicate the challenges of a neighborhood, tutor/mentor programs indicate a neighborhood's promise and a concrete investment in a community's future. As this map shows, there are fifteen known tutoring and mentoring programs in the Lawndale community making the ratio of sit-down restaurants to tutor/mentor programs in Lawndale 1 to 15. That's a whole lot of potential!

Conference Countdown: One Month Away!

2011-04-21T15:37:00.000-05:00

The past few weeks have been very busy at Tutor/Mentor Connection with the conference just a month away. Our partnership with the conference host, Victory Apostolic Church, has been an excellent experience thus far. The pastors, staff, and members of the church view the conference as a ministry to the many programs supporting youth throughout the greater Chicagoland area. Although we are a secular organization, it is energizing to work with individuals who share and value the TMC's goal to help mentor rich volunteer-based programs become more available in all high poverty areas of Chicago and its suburbs.

Registration for the conference is available online, so please visit the conference website to participate in the valuable two-day event on May 19th and May 20th. Attendees are welcome to participate for both days ($80 registration fee) or for a single day ($50 registration fee). Please contact me with any questions or for information on group and scholarship rates.

KEYNOTES:

Thursday Afternoon Keynote:
Phillip Jackson, Executive Director of The Black Star Project

Friday Afternoon Keynote:
Senior Pastor Andrew D. Singleton, Jr., Victory Apostolic Church

More keynotes coming soon!

WORKSHOPS:

"Childhood Lead Poisoning: An Urgent Problem in Greater Englewood"
Jean Carter-Hill
Executive Director, Imagine Englewood if...

"E-Mentoring: A Case Study in Innovative Recruitment and Retention"

Oliver Miller
Community Engaged Scholarship (CES) Coordinator, Community Partnerships Department, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology

"Process for Transforming Performance"

Rose Mabwa
Manager, Mercy Housing Lakefront

"Reducing Barriers to Academic Success: Motivating Students to Learn"

Ylonda M. Ware

Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor/Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor, Naelewa Counseling Services

"Sing Your Own Blues Tune for Tutors"

Bonni McKeown

Teaching Artist, Chicago School of Blues

Miss Taj

Teaching Artist, Chicago School of Blues

"Threats to Income Tax Exemption"

Jay Readey

Executive Director, Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Inc.

"Volunteer Recruitment and Retention Panel"

Christy Beighe-Byrne

Director of Mentor and Volunteer Services, Chicago Youth Centers

Joel Newman

Director of Community Partnerships, Big Brothers Big Sisters

More workshops coming soon!

Project Cabrini Green

2011-04-04T14:53:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I walked past the last standing high-rise of the Cabrini Green housing development. The demolition of this building began last Wednesday, and already the windows have been knocked out leaving each room exposed to the elements and to the view of outsiders.

As I looked inside, I saw that some rooms and hallways are tagged with graffiti; others are adorned with carefully painted colors indicating the most recent occupant’s aesthetics. I felt intrusive and strange peering into these now vacated rooms. I can’t quite imagine the violation I’d feel having a stranger stare into the exposed windows of my childhood home. I also can’t imagine how much that stranger would fail to understand the memories and stories I associate with each room and hallway.

Not surprisingly, the demolition of the Cabrini Green buildings is controversial amongst its former residents. During the demolition process, a group of art students from the Art Institute of Chicago have been working on a public art installation with young people who formerly lived in the Cabrini Green houses. This public art piece tries to capture the myriad of sentiments that youth who formerly resided in the housing project feel toward Cabrini Green, the demolition, the Chicago Housing Authority, and life in Chicago.

Students from Cabrini Connections have been involved in this art project, entitled "Project Cabrini Green," and last month Cabrini Connections hosted a two-day workshop for the project. As the Project Cabrini Green website explains: “On March 28th, two days before the beginning of the demolition, 134 self-contained, battery-powered LED modules were placed inside 134 of the building's vacated apartments. The lights will blink every day from 7pm to 1am CDT, for the four week duration of the demolition, and will be gradually erased with the building. Each blinking light has a unique pattern. These patterns are a visual translation of poems written and recorded by the youth who attended workshops developed and instructed by Tichy, Appel, and students from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.”

You can listen to the recorded poetry and spoken word of these students by going to the Project Cabrini Green website, clicking “Home” and then selecting any of the blinking lights. In addition, a live-feed video of the demolition can be viewed on this site over the next few weeks.

Project Cabrini Green is a reminder that the Cabrini Green housing development will long be remembered by its former occupants and by the community. It will be interesting to see the ongoing legacy of Cabrini Green in the years to come. Although the houses will be entirely demolished within the month, the families and former occupants still need support and services. Cabrini Connections has been an important source of support for students and families in the Cabrini area since 1993. Hopefully, the doors to the program will remain open as a positive outlet for former residents of this community in the years to come.

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Today is the last day to support a Cabrini Madness team! If you are so compelled, please visit the Cabrini Connections website to learn more about the program and how you can get involved.

Become a Speaker at the May Conference!

2011-04-01T09:07:00.007-05:00

Planning for the May 19th-20th Tutor/Mentor Leadership & Networking Conference is well underway!

We are excited to announce two of our keynotes. Our Thursday lunchtime keynote will be Phillip Jackson, Executive Director and Founder of The Black Star Project. The Black Star Project is designed to help children and students realize their educational potential through programs that connect men with their children, programs geared toward college preparation, and programs focused on parental involvement. Mr. Jackson has received national recognition for his contributions to eliminating racial and academic achievement gaps, and we are honored to have him joining us!

Another of our keynote speakers is Jordan Hestermann, founder and executive director of Becoming We The People which works toward ending poverty. Ms. Hestermann led a popular "Networking 101" session at our November 2010 conference, and we're excited that she'll be presenting another interactive all-group training on how to best maximize networking opportunities during and after the conference.

In addition to these keynotes, we also have a variety of workshops already in place. Visit the conference website for details and updates on keynotes and workshops in the weeks prior to the conference.

We are still looking for additional workshop presenters. Please see the list of suggested topics below, and contact me for more information!

Workshop suggestions:

* Program Spotlights: Do you want the stage for 10 minutes to briefly tell about what your program is doing? Become part of a workshop/panel that showcases different programs serving the Chicago region or Northern Indiana.

* Tutoring and /or Mentoring - Train the Trainer: What resources do you use to train and support volunteer tutors and mentors? Share your expertise so others can build their own capacity based on what you are doing in your own organization.

* How can volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs be part of Drop-Out Prevention strategies? Program leaders, researchers and/or workforce development leaders are invited to talk about this topic.

*Role of Faith Communities and Business in mobilizing support for volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs. These articles on the T/MC website point to the role intermediaries can take in helping tutor/mentor programs grow. Who is doing this well and will share their ideas?

* Fundraiser events: We invite tutor/mentor programs to share their experiences in organizing fund raising events.

* Funders of Tutor/Mentor Programs: Foundations that fund tutor/mentor programs are invited to attend and present information about funding guidelines. New donors are invited to attend and learn ways to add support for tutor/mentor programs.

* Empowering Volunteers as Fundraisers: How is your organization empowering volunteers to be part of on-going fund raising? The Cabrini Madness event of Cabrini Connections engages more than 100 youth, volunteers and friends. Who else would be interested in talking about their experience in this area?

* Blogging Best Practices - This link points to blogs written by many different people who share ideas related to learning, fund raising, non profit management, etc. Included are a few blogs written by tutor/mentor programs. Dan Bassill writes about blog exchanges on his blog.

* Volunteer Panel: Veteran volunteers are invited to share why they stay involved, how they advocate for their program, what they wished they knew before becoming a mentor, and how to create a meaningful volunteer experience.

* Student Retention and Recruitment Panel

* Strategies for Keeping Program Alumni Involved

* Building a Healthy and Active Board of Directors and Advisory Council

* Strategies for Measuring and Evaluating Program Success

* "Taking advantage of the summer months"- Who has a strategy for engaging tutors/mentors and youth during June-August? How can programs best prepare now for a great start in the Fall?

*See the list of additional topics that could be part of the Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference.

The First Cut: Cabrini Madness

2011-03-21T15:09:00.007-05:00

The first cut for Cabrini Madness 2011 took place last night at 11:59 pm (long after all of the NCAA games were over for the night--I guess we now know which tournament is more intense!).

Due to some confusion regarding tournament policies for matching donations, Commissioners EL Da'Sheon Nix and Bradley Troast have decided to advance 9 teams this week.

The following teams are advancing to the next round:
1. $2,161..... Cabrini Allstars
2. $2,118 ... The Dream Team
3. $1,561..... Boom Goes the Dynamite
4. $1,385 ..... The Kids Are All Bright
5. $1,338 ....... The Golden Stars
6. $1,285 ..... Team High5ive
7. $1,265 ... Change Makers
8. $1,215 ..... The Green Team
9. $1,208 ..... Cabrini Loyalty

The following teams didn't make the first cut, but still raised a combined $1,828 for Cabrini Connections:
10. $785 ... The Blue Chips
11. $600 ....... The Free Agents
12. $330 ....... Team 5Dragons
13. $113 ..... Running for Cabrini

Teams have demonstrated a lot of creativity thus far in the tournament. We've seen teams raise money through bowling nights, wii tournaments, wing eating contests (see an action shot to the left), chili cook-offs, pizza sales, and online giving campaigns. I look forward to seeing what teams do in the final few weeks of competition!

I'd like to take a moment to thank my family and friends who have supported my team, The Kids Are All Bright, and have helped us move to the second round standing strong at #4. My personal competitive side and desire to win the tournament aside, your generosity helps us keep the doors open to a really amazing program!

As many readers know, it has been a challenging financial year for Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection. However, our organization is not alone in facing ongoing financial obstacles. A study was released just today by the Nonprofit Financial Fund which indicates that 87% of nonprofits feel "the recession is not over." The study also found that while 85% of nonprofits anticipate an increased demand for their services in 2011, only 46% of organizations expect to be able to meet this need.

While this study reinforces the challenging landscape faced by nonprofits such as Cabrini Connections, Cabrini Madness is a really positive reminder that we have a lot of people willing to support the program and advocate on its behalf.

Congratulations to all teams, and good luck in the rest of the tournament. For all tournament fans, stay on top of tournament news, media updates, and standings on the official Cabrini Madness site.

Please support your favorite team before the next cut on Sunday, March 27th!

May 2011 Tutor/Mentor Leadership & Networking Conference Announced!

2011-03-18T12:35:00.007-05:00

As those familiar with Tutor/Mentor Connection know, every May and November we organize the Tutor/Mentor Leadership & Networking Conference. Each conference provides an opportunity for leaders of tutoring and mentoring programs to share best practices and collaborate toward shared goals.

Since late Spring is when tutoring and mentoring programs generally finish their sessions for the school year, the May conference celebrates each program's accomplishments while also equipping program leaders with momentum and fresh ideas to plan for the next year of programming. In addition, the May conference is intended to generate attention for tutoring and mentoring programs from outside of the nonprofit community so that organizations can recruit volunteers, donors, and investors during the summer months.

This week Tutor/Mentor Connection President, Dan Bassill, and I had a meeting to finalize the May 2011 conference date and location. The next conference will be held on Thursday, May 19th and Friday, May 20th at Victory Apostolic Church in Matteson, IL.

Victory Apostolic Church was built in 2008 and has a beautiful facility including wireless throughout, various breakout spaces with natural light, and free parking. In addition to this state-of-the-art facility, partnering with a church in Matteson helps us to reach toward the goal of connecting with more programs in the South Suburbs. Although the church is about a 45 minute drive from the loop, we hope many programs will view this as a chance to expand the collective knowledge about tutoring and mentoring throughout the Greater Chicago Area.

We are also thrilled to be partnering with a religious institution since Tutor/Mentor Connection strives to engage faith communities in supporting tutoring and mentoring programs. You can learn more about this strategy by reading: How Faith Communities Can Lead Volunteer Mobilization.

Dan and I had an energizing conference brainstorming meeting with Pastor Issac Greene (center), leader of Youth Ministries at Victory Apostolic Church, and Bernard Key (left), President of Key Link Technologies. Both Pastor Greene and Mr. Key have an excellent understanding of the organizations, leaders, and needs in Matteson and surrounding regions. They discussed a number of ideas for keynotes that would attract increased conference participation in addition to brainstorming ideas for raising awareness about the conference through a press conference.

Thanks to Pastor Greene and Mr. Key for helping with the planning process and to Victory Apostolic Church for agreeing to host us in May. Thank you also to the many individuals who helped us search for a conference location including Toinette Gunn of PEAK, Amy Schachman of EPIC Academy Charter High School, and Carl Hurdlik of Chicago Public Schools (and a Cabrini Connections mentor).

If you would like to be a speaker at the May 2011 conference or know someone else who would lead a great workshop, please refer to the Presenter Interest Form. Please contact me if you would like more information about getting involved.

Stay tuned for registration information and information on keynotes!

Spring Cleaning of Chicago Area Program Links

2011-03-07T15:12:00.013-06:00

With Spring just around the corner (according to the calendar, not necessarily the weather forecast), I have been doing some cleaning of the Chicago-Area Program Links on the Tutor/Mentor Connection website.

While the Program Locator enables visitors to search for tutoring and mentoring programs based on a variety of criteria such as zip code and age group, the Chicago-Area Program Links provides a list of website links for tutoring and mentoring programs according to their region in Chicago. This allow prospective students and volunteers to find programs in their areas. Likewise, it provides an inventory of programs that the leaders of organizations themselves can use to build awareness of programs operating in the same region.

I went through all the links during the Fall to make sure programs are still operating. I revisited every website in the past week to ensure that all links are still correct and to touch base with many of the programs.

Of the 214 programs currently listed in this links directory, the regional breakdown is as follows:

The distribution of programs doesn't necessarily align with the distribution of need. This map that Mike Trakan created (click here to see enlarged view) shows the locations of programs in relation to poverty and poorly-performing schools.

It isn't rocket science to surmise that where there are more poorly performing schools, more tutoring and mentoring programs are needed to give kids academic skills, guidance, and motivation to graduate from high school and prepare for their next steps such as college, vocational schools, or careers. For those growing up in poverty neighborhoods and with failing schools, building relationships with a mentor can give students the support they need to realize their own potential.

Each one of the dots on the map represents a story, a program, a unique vision, a group of youth, a group of volunteers, and a staff.

When I look at Mike's maps, I try not to just see "dots" where programs are located. I try to picture in my head the tutoring sessions and programs occurring on a weekly basis at that center. By putting a "human face" on these locations, I realize more fully the impact of these programs and their vital roles within each community. For a sneak-peak into a tutoring session at one of these locations (Cabrini Connections), see the latest Cabrini Madness video below.

Wednesday Night Lights from Cabrini Connections on Vimeo.

What would it take to keep these programs operating while also expanding the number of programs to reach all neighborhoods with failing schools?

Strategic City Planning through Maps

2011-03-02T14:26:00.006-06:00

For my PIP seminar this week, I had the opportunity to visit Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP). CMAP is a government organization that collects and aggregates data, then makes policy and planning recommendations for the city of Chicago based on the statistics they gather. Their goal is to use information to track quality of life changes and trends for citizens of Chicago based on a number of indicators such as health, education, transportation, and arts and culture. CMAP created a plan for the city called "Go To 2040" that provides suggestions for the city and its communities moving through the next few decades.

Much of CMAP’s work resonates with the work of Tutor/Mentor Connection. Both agencies create plans for Chicago based on maps and data that can be visualized using sophisticated technologies. CMAP even launched a new site, "MetroPulse," in November 2010 where visitors can search and view maps and charts. It reminds me of T/MC's Interactive Map.

One staff member of CMAP, a self-proclaimed "tech geek," discussed how rare it is for a nonprofit to have staff members with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) skills. He emphasized how important it is for nonprofits to be able to base their services and their strategic planning on information that can be analyzed via GIS maps that provide region-specific indicators for issues like poverty, health care, and education. As he asserted, CMAP works to fill a void in the nonprofit industry by enabling access to GIS maps and data for organizations that don't have that staff position.

While most small organizations certainly don’t have GIS staff positions, Dan Bassill values this type of thinking enough that our 6 person staff does include a part-time GIS specialist. This is something that differentiates the type of work T/MC does from most other nonprofits. T/MC uses whatever information is available to help communities make strategic plans involving tutoring and mentoring. The maps that Mike creates show where tutoring and mentoring programs exist, where there is poverty, where there is crime, and a variety of other relevant statistics and community assets that enable leaders of municipalities, organizations, churches, and organizations to recognize areas of need.

While CMAP focuses on broad issues and general statistics to create a city-wide plan for a variety of issues, T/MC focuses specifically on what we identify as relevant to tutoring and mentoring youth.

During the seminar, several other PIP fellows asked questions about how CMAP connects its GIS maps, data, and recommendations to actually impacting change. My ears perk up since this is oftentimes a question that arises surrounding the work done by T/MC. How do our maps and articles translate into change? Is there evidence that this information leads to more high-quality, well-funded programs in Chicago’s most needy neighborhoods?

From my limited experience working at T/MC, I do think that the organization fills a necessary gap within the hundreds of organizations providing tutoring or mentoring services to youth in Chicago. Countless times since I’ve been here, Dan Bassill has told me about the ways he helped new programs get started or provided consulting services to existing programs. Events like Mapping Solutions also bring visibility to the needs in our city and provide information for leaders to make strategic plans that will yield positive impacts in their community.

At CMAP, the speaker asserted that the impact of GIS mapping is tough to track. It is hard to know when people use the information or when it clicks with the right individual. But he also spoke about some pretty tangible benefits that their maps and data can provide for organizations that I think T/MC also provides. For instance, organizations can use information aggregated and mapped by CMAP or by T/MC to use in their grant proposals to demonstrate needs in their areas. They can also use this type of data to help track changes and evaluate success of their programs.

This is just one example of how maps can be of use within the nonprofit community. But in order for this to happen, someone needs to be doing this work.

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"Increasingly, job growth relies on the availability of well-educated, skilled workers for knowledge-based industries. We can gain a significant advantage by ensuring that businesses and residents here have the skills necessary to compete with other global economic centers. Providing equitable opportunities to gain those critical skills is among our region's most complicated challenges. Disparities in educational attainment, health, and other measures--often based on income levels, race, or ethnicity--put the entire region's economy at risk."

-From CMAP's "Go to 2040 Comprehensive Regional Plan"

Enjoy Watching Sports on TV?

2011-02-25T13:28:00.003-06:00

....if the answer to this question is YES, then you might recall the commercial featuring Michael Jordan called "Maybe." (For a refresher, you can watch it out at the bottom of this post).

Recently, Bradley Troast and EL Da'Sheon Nix remade this video to promote the Cabrini Madness tournament. Check it out below, and I hope it inspires you donate to your favorite team.

The Kids Are All Bright (my team), is sadly trailing in the tourney in 13th place. Help us climb the leader board before the first cut on March 20th!

Thanks for your support!

First, the MJ original:

And now the Cabrini Madness remake starring our own, EL Da'Sheon Nix:

Maybe from Cabrini Connections on Vimeo.

A Case for Collaboration: From Cochabamba to Chicago

2011-02-18T12:42:00.005-06:00

Last year for my senior thesis at Northwestern, I had the opportunity to research organizations working with street youth in Cochabamba, Bolivia. My fascination began when I studied abroad in 2008 for 4 months in Cochabamba and conducted ethnographic research with a group of youth who live and/or work on the city's streets. During that time, I also became aware of the vast number of organizations that exist offering support to these kids.

When I returned to Cochabamba a year later, I conducted interviews with the staff and directors of 8 organizations providing services to street youth. In these revealing conversations, it became apparent that many of the leaders of these organizations were unaware of what other nonprofits and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) were ALSO doing on behalf of these youth. The leader of one organization even explained to me that he viewed similar organizations as competitors, and even witnessed certain organizations arguing over the exclusive rights to photograph specific groups of kids to use in their brochures and websites to attract donors.

It became apparent that while these organizations shared similar goals, they did very little to help each other. At best, the organizations were operating in silos unaware of the work of similar organizations. At worst, organizations were wasting scarce resources by re-inventing the wheel or replicating programs that others had realized were ineffective. And it wasn't the fault of the organizations' leaders. In fact, they had really good reasons why collaboration between similar organizations wasn't practical.

In my research I identified a number of reasons why collaboration amongst non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and nonprofits is hugely challenging. I mention this now, because so much of what I learned about the environment of NGOs in Bolivia applies to what I am learning about the nonprofit atmosphere in Chicago. For issues ranging from immigration to health care to education, a variety of organizations exist with similar goals. Yet the amount that organizations are able to work together is limited.

Some of those barriers to collaboration include:

1. Lack of time/challenges in coordinating: Organizations are focused on serving the populations they work with and are too strapped for time to reach out to leaders of other organizations.

2. Competition for resources: Organizations doing similar work are competing for the same grants, funding sources, and donors. Thus just like McDonald's probably wouldn't be eager to collaborate with Burger King, organizations aren't always interested in collaborating with their "competitors" but instead see the nonprofit landscape as "survival of the fittest" organization.

3. Differing Priorities: Organizations often have different ideas about how to tackle their particular social issue. While some organizations are secular, others are religiously affiliated. While some provide handouts, others are adamantly opposed to this type of assistance. These all might be reasons why organizations don't want to associate with one another.

4. Lack of awareness: Organizations may not realize that other nonprofits doing similar work even exist or where they operate.

Tutor/Mentor Connection works as a catalyst trying to break down these barriers to collaboration for organizations focused on tutoring and mentoring (especially in the Chicago region).

Here are some of the ways we tackle each challenge and our logic for why collaboration is beneficial:

1.Lack of time/challenges in coordinating: T/MC puts in the time to coordinate between organizations, reach out to other programs, and plan ways for leaders to convene and share best practices. T/MC also builds online resources so that leaders can easily and quickly access information T/MC has compiled from various organizations.

2. Competition for resources: Perhaps what we should be asking ourselves is not: "Is there competition for resources between organizations?" (the answer will always be YES), but instead: "Is there competition for CLIENTS for our services." Let me explain. If two organizations are competing to serve the same target population, then perhaps it doesn't make sense for both organizations to exist. BUT for big social issues like "helping urban youth succeed and graduate in Chicago" or "getting kids off the streets in Cochabamba" the demand for services is unfortunately, greater than the number of organizations able to supply help. So viewing other organizations as competitors really doesn't make sense.

The nonprofit industry is different from business because when there is more demand for our services, it generally costs us money. Each student in a program like Cabrini Connections, costs about $1,500 per year. Thus the more kids we help and the greater the demand for our services, the greater our expenses. It's important to keep this in mind when realizing that the survival of other organizations actually alleviates some of the expenses off of a single organization while working toward shared goals and allowing more people to be served.

However, it's overly simplistic to think that competition for funding is not a huge factor. Thus Tutor/Mentor Connection focuses on the ways that drawing resources or attention to one organization benefits us all. When one organization gets a grant that leads to media attention, tutoring and mentoring is spotlighted as a need in this city so all programs can harness this attention to get funding for their work. In addition, TMC works to organize events throughout the year that involve organizations throughout the city. By creating a "buzz" surrounding tutoring/mentoring, we all get attention (and hopefully resources).

3. Differing Priorities: Learning about other organizations' strategies can be helpful as programs share what works and what does not. Collaborating doesn't mean all organizations have to sign on to the same mission statement, and in fact, having different focuses may help get diversified donors.

4. Lack of Awareness: T/MC has invested in creating a database of tutoring and mentoring programs in Chicago so that students, volunteers, donors, and programs are aware of what is out there. We also work to bring program leaders together via conferences, online forums, and email contact so that they are aware of the work other organizations are doing.

This type of collaborative action through a decentralized organization is not widely practiced within the non-profit sector. Not in Bolivia, and not in Chicago. Perhaps that is why we have always struggled to find the type of funding needed to operate Tutor/Mentor Connection.

But it seems that in the age of electronic collaboration, it is the direction where the nonprofit sector NEEDS to head. This infographic illustrates "the new culture of collaboration" and refers to some of the benefits of collaboration in the digital age.

A Worthwhile Experiment

2011-02-14T13:59:00.007-06:00

What began as a personal experiment by Sasha Dichter, director of business development of Acumen Fund, has launched into a campaign to reboot Valentine's Day as "Generosity Day."

The "generosity experiment" began when instead of saying "no" to someone asking for money on the street, Dichter gave the man a few dollars. He decided that for one month, he would actively say "yes" to every panhandler, request for a charitable contribution, meeting invitation, or even email he'd been avoiding in his inbox. He describes the experiment as "transformative."

Propelled by his month-long personal experience, Dichter decided to launch a campaign to make Valentine's Day about more than romantic love, but about sharing love, generosity, and kindness to all those around us. As Dichter writes on his blog: "The goal is to spend Valentine’s Day being more generous, giving more money, sharing of yourself, being of service. All acts of generosity, small and big alike, count. But you have to say YES to everything that’s asked of you, all day long! It’s about creating more generosity in the world, and becoming a more open person along the way."

Dichter offers some ideas for Generosity Day including:

Give to people on the street.
Tip outrageously.
Help a stranger.
Write a note telling someone how much you appreciate them.
Smile.
Donate (more) to a cause that means a lot to you.
Take clothes to GoodWill.
Be patient with yourself and with others.
Replace the toilet paper in the bathroom.

I hope you'll join me in celebrating Generosity Day. I think I'll start by sharing some of my Valentine's Day chocolate...that might be a little out of my comfort zone, but I think it's a worthy experiment!

If your generous spirit inspires you to SHARE with a cause you care about, please consider giving a tax deductible donation to Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection through our main donation page or support your favorite Cabrini Madness Team.
Thank you!

Cabrini Madness: Game On!

2011-02-07T16:47:00.007-06:00

The Super Bowl is now behind us, which means another tournament has begun:

Cabrini Madness 2011!

Be sure to watch the first 2011 Cabrini Madness promo video, "Training Days."

Training Days from Cabrini Connections on Vimeo.

Visit each team's page to view their roster of volunteers, staff, students, board members, and outside supporters:

The Kids Are All Bright (Shameless Plug: This is my team! Donations are much appreciated!)
Team 5Ds
The Blue Chips
Boom Goes the Dynamite
Cabrini Allstars
Cabrini Loyalty
The Change Makers
The Dream Team (defending champions)
The Free Agents
The Golden Stars
The Green Team
Running for Cabrini
Team high5ive

You can also keep track of tournament news and updates via the main Cabrini Madness page.

Even if you aren't able to donate, you can help out by promoting your favorite team (or Cabrini Madness in general) through your Facebook page, Twitter account, or (gasp) even talking to people in person. Cabrini Madness isn't just about raising money. It's about giving people an opportunity to introduce the program and the organization to those in their networks. The more people that know about us, the more supporters we will have for the kids in our program and for the work that Tutor/Mentor Connection does throughout the city of Chicago.

Cabrini Madness is a great example of how programs can use innovative, interactive, and fun strategies for fundraising. The idea for the tournament was developed last year over a dinnertime conversation between EL Da'Sheon Nix and Bradley Troast. Now, after a successful first season, the tournament is in its second year.

Cabrini Madness also exemplifies how outside events, holidays, and even sports tournaments can be leveraged in creative ways to draw attention to nonprofits. Although most small tutoring and mentoring programs do not have the budget to advertise on a grand scale if at all, using widely recognized events to pull people to programs is a great strategy for catching people's attention and interest. For an easy reference, see this article on national events that might be creatively geared toward supporting tutoring and mentoring programs.

You can read more about the "annual calendar" that Tutor/Mentor Connection has developed in Dan Bassill's recent blog article about T/MC's strategy to engage businesses throughout the year with continual investment.

Thanks for your support and good luck to all of the teams in this season of Cabrini Madness!

T/MC: A Virtual University

2011-02-02T10:45:00.005-06:00

Along with many Chicagoans, I am surviving "Snowpocalypse 2011" and "Thundersnow" by working from home today. Amazingly although I am stuck at home, I do not feel cut off from the world as I may have during a snow day of decades past. Thanks to the internet, I can still connect with my co-workers, visit T/MC websites, and correspond with people through emails.

T/MC's sites make it so that anyone from anywhere in the world can access the information--regardless of location, remoteness, and even weather conditions. This type of online, equal access learning and capacity building seems to be the wave of the future. Resources like podcasts and TED talks are great examples of how the internet makes learning available to more people in more places (and not limited to those who can afford more traditional educational opportunities).

In many ways, what Tutor/Mentor Connection has developed online is a "virtual university" for people who want to learn all there is to know about creating, implementing, and supporting tutoring and mentoring programs. Many articles and presentations have been created by Tutor/Mentor Connection, but our sites aren't limited to T/MC ideas. We also compile the articles, blogs, website links, and best practices of others from all over the world. This animated Resource Map is a good starting place to navigate the vast array of information on T/MC sites.

Dan Bassill's recent "Decade Ending" blog articles outline what it has taken to create this type of "virtual tutor/mentor university." It has taken a lot of dedication and work, without nearly the level of funding that similar tutor/mentor networks in smaller cities rely on. Tutor/Mentor Connection is constantly seeking ways to get corporate and foundation partnership so that we can continue offering online learning opportunities that lead to more high quality programs for at-risk youth reaching more neighborhoods and communities.

In his recent blog posts, Dan Bassill encourages people to spend a bit of time during their snow days to puruse the resources on T/MC sites. This is a good opportunity to see what we're all about and spread the word to others!

Stay warm and safe!

Thank Your Mentor Day!!

2011-01-24T15:00:00.007-06:00

Thank Your Mentor Day is January 25th!! Watch this video to see the 2010 Thank Your Mentor Day video from Cabrini Connections.

I hope you'll join me in expressing gratitude to personal mentors while also taking special note of the value of programs that connect caring adult mentors to youth who might not have the automatic support many of us (myself included) are blessed with at birth through loving parents, invested teachers, and supportive communities.

Thank You
to all mentors
and to all supporters of programs like Cabrini Connections.

2010 Thank Your Mentor Day from Cabrini Connections on Vimeo.

2011 Cabrini Madness Sign-Ups Starting!!

2011-01-21T09:35:00.008-06:00

The Second Annual CABRINI MADNESS Tournament is about to start! Beginning this week, teams are forming to take part in the 2011 tournament.

This is my first year participating in Cabrini Madness, and it sounds like a lot of fun. Cabrini Madness is a fund-raising team challenge that involves students, volunteers, board members, staff, and outside supporters in a competition to see who can raise the most money to support Cabrini Connections. Teams find a wide variety of creative ways to raise donations ranging from bake sales to pizza/game parties to social events. All teams on the roster are part of a bracket, and teams are gradually eliminated to the elite eight, final four, and so on until the champion is determined (sound like March Madness at all?).

Each week of the tournament, videos will be posted updating the fans of Cabrini Connections about how their favorite teams are fairing. Below, you can watch a video on the 2010 first draft pick (and be sure to stay tuned for the week of February 1st when we'll have our first video for 2011).

Cabrini Madness Episode 2 from Cabrini Connections on Vimeo.

Last year, the tournament was a huge success with 13 teams and 114 players together raising over $23,000!!! We hope 2011 will bring in even more support. This is a really unique and dynamic fund-raiser because it involves so many different people within our program. Everyone from board members to students to community members are encouraged to get involved in this friendly (but from what I understand, also quite heated) competition.

How to create a team: Teams are made up of 5-10 members. Each team must include at least (1) current or former student, (1) current or former volunteer, (1) current or former staff member, volunteer coordinator, club leader, or board member, and (1) person that is not a current member of the program such as a close friend, spouse, or co-worker. Each team must also create an online fund-raising page using platforms such as GiveForward, Razoo, or FirstGiving.

If you're interested in joining the tournament, I can help place you on a team! I will be working with team captains to fill their rosters, so be sure to contact me if you are interested in being part of a team. This is a great way to get involved (and as you'll notice, there is a special spot on each team for those not currently involved in the program--meaning anyone can join!).

TIMELINE:

February 6 - Deadline for entry
February 6 - Deadline for fundraising page
March 20 - First cut (Top 8 advance)
March 27 - Second cut (Top 4 advance)
April 2 - Third cut (Top 2 advance)
April 4 - Final cut (Winner chosen)
April 6/7 - Awards at tutoring

You can read a full recap of the 2010 tournament on Cabriniblog here.

"'What are you doing for others?'" -MLK, Jr.

2011-01-14T09:28:00.012-06:00

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

As we pay tribute to the life and leadership of Martin Luther King, Jr. this weekend, the recent shooting in Arizona is undoubtedly also on our minds. Sadly, this tragedy is a reminder that while our country has certainly progressed in many ways since MLK Jr.'s era, we are still far from the nation of nonviolent equality that this hero envisioned.

In addition to calling for nonviolent resistance and ending segregation, Martin Luther King, Jr. also fought strongly for economic equality. As he said: "The curse of poverty has no justification in our age. It is socially as cruel and blind as the practice of cannibalism at the dawn of civilization, when men ate each other because they had not yet learned to take food from the soil or to consume the abundant animal life around them. The time has come for us to civilize ourselves by the total, direct and immediate abolition of poverty."

I think it's fitting that National Mentoring Month coincides with the date when we celebrate MLK Jr's life and leadership. Mentoring relationships often break down barriers of culture, generation and socioeconomic status while challenging assumptions and stereotypes. Through building intentional relationships, both mentors and mentees have an opportunity to build a new understanding of those from of different backgrounds, life experience, and/or takes on the world.

As we enjoy the long weekend, I hope we also take the time to reflect upon these words spoken by MLK Jr, taking them as a lifelong challenge: “Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'”

If the answer to this question leads you to want to explore tutoring or mentoring programs: find a program in Chicago, in another cit y, learn more about tutor/mentor programs and how they could use your help (no matter what your skills) through Tutor/Mentor Institute, or contact me so I can help you find what you need!

A Brief Snapshot of National Mentoring Month

2011-01-07T12:20:00.005-06:00

"Across our Nation, mentors steer our youth through challenging times and support their journey into adulthood. During National Mentoring Month, we honor these important individuals who unlock the potential and nurture the talent of our country, and we encourage more Americans to reach out and mentor young people in their community."

-President Barack Obama, Presidential Proclamation, Dec. 21, 2010

It's the 10th Anniversary of National Mentoring Month, so let's take a look at what it's all about!

The History and Theory behind National Mentoring Month:

National Mentoring Month was launched in 2002 by Harvard School of Public Health and MENTOR, the National Mentoring Partnership. Since its inception, these collaborating organizations have worked in conjunction with leaders and organizations throughout the country to create a public awareness campaign that helps more caring adults become involved in mentoring programs. As it says on the NMM website, "By focusing national attention on the need for mentors, as well as how each of us—individuals, businesses, government agencies, schools, faith communities and nonprofits—can work together to increase the number of mentors, we assure brighter futures for our young people. "

Prominent Leaders Who Have Participated in National Mentoring Month:

Maya Angelou
Former President Bill Clinton
Clint Eastwood, Academy Award Winner
Senator John McCain
General Colin L. Powell
Bill Russell, five-time NBA Most Valuable Player
Usher, Grammy-award winning R&B artist
Oprah Winfrey
The U.S. President and Congress (each year since NMM's inception in 2002)

How Can You Get Involved:

Reflect upon the people who have been mentors in your life and the impact they've had on you.Thank them personally and/or contact me with your note of gratitude to any of your mentors, and I'll post it here on my blog (Thank Your Mentor Day is January 25th!).
Learn more about mentoring and its impact. See the Tutor/Mentor Institute for a wide range of articles on the importance of mentoring, mentoring best practice, and how entire communities can get involved in supporting local programs.
Find programs in the neighborhoods where you work, live, or care about. Explore their individual website to learn about what these organizations are doing in your community. (see Program Locator for Chicago area programs, or search here for programs throughout the nation).
Partner with organizations in whatever way you can. If you find a program you think is doing important work in your community and you feel compelled, become a volunteer mentor. Or perhaps you can make a financial commitment to providing ongoing support to a particular program now and throughout the coming months.
Think strategically. How can you help more volunteers and donors reach programs in your neighborhoods? What can be done to get more businesses and those with means involved in mentoring programs? Join the brainstorm discussion through the TMC-hosted online forum on its NING page.

New Year's Resolution: Make 2011 a Year of Serving Others

2011-01-03T14:03:00.009-06:00

Happy New Year!! 2011 has officially started as has National Mentoring Month!

Among the most common New Year's Resolutions in the U.S. is to volunteer to help others, which is obviously a laudable goal. It is wonderful that many many people are making the resolution this year to help those in their community--in the form of both time and dollars to programs and organizations they find valuable.

Yet as we all know, sometimes our intentions to make big changes in our lives drop off a few weeks into a new year. I was reminded of this fact yesterday when meeting a friend for coffee. The usually packed Starbucks I went to was nearly empty. When I commented on this fact to the barista, he noted: "Yeah, people always make New Years Resolutions against their coffee addictions. We'll get busy again around March."

It is ironic that the patterns at at a nonprofit like T/MC are kind of the reverse of Starbucks. People tend to give to us more around the holiday season and near the first of the year when they are focused on what is "good for them and good for the community," and then the donations let up in the months after. Similarly, while we start out each year with the best of intentions for positive changes, we often fall back into old patterns after a few weeks. I hope those of us who resolve to volunteer and invest in our communities in 2011 will stand by these goals for the entire year.

As you can see from this calendar of events made by T/MC, tutoring and mentoring programs operate based around a similar annual calendar of events throughout the year. Programs need ongoing support all year round to keep operating. You can see an a nimated version of this calendar on the Tutor/Mentor Institute site.

To kick off 2011, I've created a calendar of international, national, and local events that might serve as reminders and reasons to support your community tutoring/mentoring programs throughout the year. Add these events to your calendar as reminders of opportunities to join with others across the country and world to volunteer your time, give a monetary donation, or show your support for tutoring and mentoring programs in your community. I hope keeping these dates in mind will enable us all to have a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2011.

ALSO: For those who have New Year's Resolutions related to bettering your health, read this report on the Health Benefits of Volunteering.

Resolve to Do Good in 2011:

January:
National Mentoring Month: Find a program in your neighborhood (click here if outside of the greater Chicago area), then visit the program's website. After you learn more or find a program you can see is doing good, commit to becoming a volunteer or give a donation!
January 17: MLK, JR. Day of Service: Join with thousands of other Americans in a day of community service.
January 25: Thank A Mentor Day: Post a message of gratitude to your personal mentors!

February:
African American History Month: The 2011 theme is 'African Americans and the Civil War.'
February 14: Valentine's Day: Read about 14 Charitable Ways to Celebrate Valentine's Day.
February 21: President's Day: Learn about those recognized by the President's Volunteer Service Award and keep track of your personal volunteer hours.

March:
Women's History Month: See how mentors are giving girls a model for success in Chicago.
March Madness: Get in the spirit of the Big Dance while supporting Cabrini Connections with Cabrini Madness!
March 2: Read Across America Day: The National Education Association calls for every child to be reading in the company of a caring adult today--a great reason to become a mentor!!!

April:
National Child Abuse Prevention Month: Support mentoring organizations that work to provide nurturing adults role models in the lives of kids.
April 10-16: National Volunteer Week 2011: Volunteer!!!
April 18: Tax Day: Admittedly, this day is not usually cause for celebration. But be sure to make tax exempt donations to 501 (c) 3 non-profits (Shameless plug: Our tax ID is 36-3893431 and donations are greatly appreciated!)

May:
National Foster Care Month: Find opportunities to mentor youth in foster care
Older Americans Month: Read about the Benefits of Community Service for Senior Citizens
Spring Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference: Help us make sure that this event on our calendar comes to fruition in 2011. Join the online conference planning forum and become a conference sponsor!
May 8: Mother's Day: Give a donation to help kids in honor of your mom!
May 30: Memorial Day: Honor lost loved ones through a life of service, and learn about how returning veterans are engaging as community service leaders in their communities.
May 31: World No Tobacco Day: Read the abstract of this study to learn how substance abuse goes down amongst lower income adolescents who are in a mentoring relationship with an older adult.

June:
Tutor/Mentor Programs Ending for the 2010-2011 Year: Celebrate along with programs for their work with kids during the 2010-2011 school year. Be sure to look out for Cabrini Connection's Year End Dinner as well as similar celebration ceremonies throughout the country.
School's Out for Summer!: Find opportunities to help in programs mentoring youth and keeping kids engaged and learning during the summer months (check out Camp of Dreams for one such program!)
June 19: Father's Day: Honor your dad through a donation or through your service to a tutoring/mentoring program.

July:
July 4: Independence Day: Celebrate our country by investing in its future! Visit Volunteering in America to learn about civic engagement in the U.S. and let it inspire you to volunteer in your community.
Jimmy Bigg's Memorial Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection Golf Benefit: (date TBA): Don't miss this fun opportunity to tee up and support our work with Chicago's youth!

August:
Tutor/Mentor Volunteer Recruitment Campaign: In preparation for the start of their 2011-2012 season, tutoring and mentoring programs all over the country are recruiting volunteers. It's the perfect time to find a program and become a volunteer tutor or mentor! Also look out for fun ways to support programs while drawing visibility to these organizations through events like Tutor/Mentor Jam.
August 12: International Youth Day This day recognizes the efforts of youth in improving global society while encouraging youth to become increasing involved in service work. Invest in the futures of youth by becoming a mentor role model, an academic tutor, or giving generously to a program serving these kids.

September:
School Begins and Tutor/Mentor Programs Begin!: Find a program and get involved as a volunteer, donor, or business supporter.
September 11: National Day of Service and Remembrance: Make a difference on 9/11 by exploring charitable causes that need your help.
September 15-October 15: National Hispanic Heritage Month: Explore tutoring and mentoring programs that focus on Latino youth in Chicago or other cities like Casa Central.

October:
October 2: International Day of Nonviolence: In honor of Gandhi's birthday, this day calls for nonviolence in all communities. Read Dan Bassill's articles on stopping youth violence through mentoring programs for at-risk youth.
Martini Madness: (date TBD): Raise your glass to the work of Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection at this annual fundraiser event!

November:
Fall 2011 Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference: Help us make sure that this event on our calendar comes to fruition in 2011. Join the online conference planning forum and become a conference sponsor!
November 6-12: Tutor/Mentor Week in Chicago: In 1994, then Mayor Richard M. Daley officially proclaimed this as Tutor/Mentor Week as a means to call attention to the good work tutor/mentor programs are doing. Learn about the history of this campaign and become involved!
November 16: GIS Day: Support Mapping Solutions and the use of innovative mapping technologies to connect adults and ideas to inner-city kids.
November 24: Thanksgiving: Give a thanksgiving gift to a program helping youth!

December:
Year End Holiday Giving Drives: During this season, programs all over the city are calling upon the generosity of their donors. Please give what you can!!

Happy Holidays: Looking Back and Looking Ahead

2010-12-21T09:43:00.014-06:00

Season's Greetings from Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection!

2010 Holiday Sessions from Cabrini Connections on Vimeo.

I am excited to report some great news that we received last week: For the second year in a row, Cabrini Connections was recognized as the #1 Mentoring program across all 6 regions of Chicago!! Congratulations to EL Da' Sheon Nix, Administrative Coordinator and Bradley Troast, Assistant Program Coordinator, along with all volunteers, students, staff, and donors for this huge accomplishment!

Cabrini Connections is a GREAT program that is clearly being recognized for its positive impact on the youth involved. Yet while Cabrini Connections is able to invest in 70-80 teens per year, there are an estimated 200,000 students in Chicago that would benefit from mentoring-to-careers programs. While there are over 200 programs in our Program Locator that operate within Chicago, these programs only reach a fraction of those 200,000 youth and many of those programs continually struggle for funding.

While supporting programs may seem a financial burden upfront, the number of youth not currently being reached by such programs could translate into staggering financial costs to society. As Dan Bassill writes in his recent blog, a study conducted by by Mark Cohen and Alex Piquiero from Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management asserted: “We estimate the present value of saving a 14-year-old high risk juvenile from a life of crime to range from $2.6 to $5.3 million.” If you look at the budget for a program like Cabrini Connections, the cost per student is close to $2,500 per year. That means that every $1 spent on a tutor/mentor program could save over $350 of societal costs later on! A program like Cabrini Connections is an investment in the positive futures of youth that may result in kids staying in school, staying out of trouble, and having opportunities to pursue the careers of their choosing.

When Tutor/Mentor Connection was founded, Dan Bassill realized that one great program in a city as large as Chicago is not enough. He also realized that there needs to be a strategic plan for helping tutor/mentor programs get started and for helping businesses and leaders realize the importance of supporting programs in their regions. T/MC collects and shares research on the best practices of starting and operating tutor/mentor programs as a one-stop knowledge center for those building strategies to help youth from poverty to careers.

As this presentation states "No General Would Go to War Without A Map" and the war on poverty should be no different. We strive to create a "tipping point" that sets the actions in place to help every child (not just those reached by Cabrini Connections) graduate from high school and start college and careers by age 25. I encourage you to check out these links to build your own understanding of T/MC's strategy.

Thank you to the many people who have donated to our Holiday Fund. We are at almost half of our goal, and we hope that the generosity of our supporters will continue in the next few weeks. If you believe in our work and our mission, please show your support so we can continue to operate effectively in 2011! Thank you for all of your help!!!

Alarming Stastics that Call for Real Solutions

2010-12-15T14:36:00.011-06:00

Today I came across a study by The Schott Foundation for Public Education entitled Yes We Can: The Schott 50 State Report on Public Education and Black Males . Looking at this report for the state of Illinois, the statistics are highly alarming:

In the state of Illinois:

47% of African American males graduate from high school (versus 83% for white males in Illinois)
52% of African American males are below basic reading level in 8^th grade (versus 19% of white male 8^th grade students)
53% of African American males are below basic math level in 8^th grade (versus 50% of white male 8^th graders)

18% of the state’s population of male African American students were put on out of school suspension during the 2006-07 school year (versus 5% of the state’s white male student population)
Over 6 times as many white male students were placed in Advanced Placement Mathematics and Advanced Placement Science classes as compared to African American male students (given their respective shares in the student population)

Needless to say, this paints a pretty bleak picture for the educational prospects of African American males in this state. In an era and in an economy when a college degree does not even guarantee a person's employment, less than half of African American males in this state are earning their high school diplomas. And realistically, the picture is not terribly bright for white male students either: 17% not graduating high school and 50% below basic math level is definitely disturbing.

Studies such as this highlight the urgency for programs that offer students one-on-one attention. Based on the data, students obviously need extra academic help they are not currently receiving in the classroom. But in addition to one-on-one tutoring, they also need people to offer them support, to model career opportunities they might not otherwise know about, and to believe in them as both a student and as a person. This blend of academic support and life coaching is what makes a one-on-one tutor/mentor relationship an ideal way to tackle the above statistics on the individual student level.

One of the interesting statistic to me is the difference between African American and white males in their likelihood of being placed in Advanced Placement (AP) math and science classrooms. The other statistics like differences between reading levels amongst white and African American males, can certainly explain at least a portion of this disparity. However, I think it is also an issue of access. Even Evanston Township High School District 202, located in an affluent and mostly white part of the Chicago suburb, Evanston, recently voted to eliminate its honors humanities courses for freshman. How much less access do kids from low income neighborhoods have to opportunities to be in these types of advanced classrooms where high expectations and high success rates are the standard?

The issues of unequal access are certainly relevant to tutor/mentor programs, too. The opportunity for students to receive this extra help is often limited by location, transportation issues, and even the ability to travel within safe neighborhoods. I have spoken to parents before who don’t want to send their kids to tutoring/mentoring programs in their own neighborhoods, because they simply worry about the safety of their sons or daughters.

These problems are tied up in range of complex societal issues such as inequality, poverty, and segregation. But we can’t afford to merely feel defeated at these statistics. On an individual level, there are ways to become involved in tutoring/mentoring programs as a volunteer, donor, or advocate. On a broader level, we as citizens need to hold our politicians and leaders accountable to getting more resources and programs—like tutoring and mentoring programs—in all parts of Chicago.

As the Schott Foundation says regarding their maps displaying this information: “This new, interactive tool is designed to provide compelling graphic information that can be used to spark action and hold policymakers accountable for implementing the systemic changes needed to provide Black male students the opportunity to learn and succeed.”

Just as the Schott Foundation has made interactive maps to help educate people and “spark action,” Tutor/Mentor Connection is dedicated to using maps as a resource to guide the decisions of leaders and the voting public.

Read the Mapping for Justice blog article to see Mike Trakan's explanation of how maps can help point politicians to places in the city where tutor/mentor programs are needed and also to assets like churches and businesses within those communities that have a vested interest in helping youth in that neighborhood succeed.

Global Collaboration Toward Global Impact

2010-12-13T16:31:00.009-06:00

I wrote an entry last week explaining how former PIP fellow Chris Warren is still an important part of Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection--in the form of his enduring connections to people here, the time he continues to volunteer toward the organization, and also the ongoing value that his past blogs and online contributions still offer anyone accessing T/MC operated sites.

As this last point demonstrates, one of the major benefits of an online information hub is that it is not confined by its location. While tutor/mentor programs are specific to the places where they hold programs and the populations they serve, an online learning network has a global reach that has the potential to coach any leaders from tutor/mentor programs, the nonprofit sector more broadly, and also leaders in business, politics, and religious institutions. The T/MC online PDFs, links to other sites, and maps are relevant to individuals in each of these sectors. (visit Tutor/Mentor Institute and Tutor/Mentor Connection to see for yourself!).

Since we collect information and share it online (and free!), people can access it from anywhere. A look at analytics that track visits to our websites emphasize that people do visit T/MC sites from many parts of Chicago, the US, and other parts of the world. In fact, T/MC websites receive 9,000 monthly visits and 150,000 monthly page views.

The T/MC online discussion forum, NING, even hosts groups dedicated to conversations surrounding tutoring/mentoring in many places including South America, Korea, Africa, Los Angeles, and India. I also had someone from Nigeria comment on my blog expressing interest in the Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference.

In addition to connecting people from all around the world to each other, ideas, and best practices, we also have people reach out to us from a wide variety of locations about how they might contribute to the organization.

Last week, for instance, a woman from Toronto expressed interest in being part of the next conference as a speaker. She was extremely enthusiastic about T/MC and what it does and excited to look into traveling to Chicago for this event (read about the state of the conference s—we still need funding for them to happen!).

Another individual, Nicola Avery, has been helping us from the UK. Last week, she created a video illustrating the use of OHATS, a technology developed by T/MC to track organizational progress. As Dan Bassill writes in this blog post, this video demonstrates that people from all over the world can borrow ideas from T/MC and can also contribute their time and skills to the organization and its mission.

Closer to home, Katie Anderson, a graduate student at Dominican University, completed a case study of Tutor/Mentor Connection and its impact. The case study is very informative in giving a history of the organization and expressing the impact, successes, and challenges T/MC faces. You can read the Chicago Case Study here.

Each of these examples demonstrate how T/MC is actively working to make positive change in the lives of youth and adults on a global level. Likewise, the number of people contributing to the organization from near and far shows that T/MC is a unique leader in connecting people, ideas, and passion and funneling that toward helping youth to careers via tutoring and mentoring programs.

Blast from the Past: '08-'09 PIP Fellow Chris Warren at T/MC

2010-12-10T13:31:00.014-06:00

For the past week, the Tutor/Mentor Connection office has been extra busy! Chris Warren has been coming in each day helping T/MC with networking to Northwestern University student leaders, finding funding, and writing grant proposals.

Chris with CC student, Summer 2008.

Chris was the 2008-2009 Northwestern Public Interest Program Fellow (NUPIP) at Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection in the Assistant Program Coordinator role. He currently lives in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala where he works as Development Officer at a school for pre-K through 12th graders. He also teaches English at this school.

Chris networking to potential NU supporters, December 2010.

Chris is proof of CC student Amari Roby's assertion that "here at Cabrini Connections we're like a family." Although he's out of the country, Chris continues to show great support for T/MC and his work this past week demonstrates his ongoing commitment to the T/MC's work toward "collective action."

I continually learn from Chris even though we are rarely able to connect in person. I frequently visit his blog. His entries--while they may be from a few years ago--continue to offer me insights into my role at T/MC by showing me what has been done in the past and highlighting effective ways to implement the organization's strategy. This is an example of how internet learning can create an organizational history to help train new staff and retain important knowledge and best practices.

It has been great to have Chris with us this week during his holiday visit from Guatemala! Be sure to check out his recent blog post encouraging NU Wildcats to support CC, T/MC efforts!

Thanks to Chris for all of his time and dedication over the past few years! Safe travels!

FUN SIDE NOTE: Chris and my brother were college (and even post-college) roommates! I first met Chris while visiting my big brother at Northwestern as a junior in high school. I will spare you photos of their college dorm room...but I wouldn't dream of excluding this photo:

What is a Beard Worth?

2010-12-08T16:02:00.017-06:00

The answer to this question is A LOT if you're part of Beards for Kids, a fundraiser launched by Gabe Chapman, a Cabrini Connections mentor. This is just one example of a slew of fundraisers that have been started by volunteers, alumni, staff members, and Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection supporters in the past few weeks to try to help us through this holiday season.

Beards For Kids "This holiday season I’m participating in the Beards For Kids 2010 Challenge. I’ll be growing a beard from now until the end of the holidays and have a goal of raising $10 per day for Cabrini Connections. Please help me reach my goal by donating here today: http://beardsforkids.org" -Gabriel Chapman

Santa's Naughty or Nice Charity Pub Crawl "HO HO HO - What better way to feel the joy of the season than to fill yourself with HOLIDAY SPIRITS and give a little something back to the community? For a donation of $10 (or more), you will get the company of some very fine individuals and a big red Santa hat (first 45 attendees)." -Elena Lugo and Melanie Munsey

Matt Golden's Fundraising Page "I have asked family and friends to help me raise $2,000 for Cabrini Connections in the month of December. I have set up a website on FirstGiving and have already raised $270! Hopefully, our contributions can help Charles Hill and other students continue to succeed at Cabrini Connections. http://www.firstgiving.com/mattgolden" -Matt Golden

One Month's Rent Campaign "Please support my cause by contributing an amount toward one month's rent for next year. We have a beautiful 4500-square foot space near downtown Chicago where all of our youth come to meet with their mentors. You can get a good sense of it here as I walk through in this video: http://vimeo.com/16755309." -Bradley Troast

Alumni Fund Page "I graduated from the program back in 1992 and I'm troubled to hear that it is in financial peril and there is the real possibility that it can close. This program was a key factor in my finally seeing what possibilities lay out there for me to be successful... They are currently doing that for so many of the Children of Cabrini and I'm not aware of many programs that do it in a grass root, no nonsense kind of a way." -Isaiah Brooms

Holiday Mapping For Justice Help Mike raise money to support the mapping project at Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection

Birthday Wish "I'll be 64 on Dec. 19th, and I hope you'll donate to help me celebrate." -Daniel Bassill

These are each excellent examples of creative, fun, and non-traditional avenues for fund-raising. The wide range of individuals involved in DESIGNING and LEADING fund-raising efforts is also a testament to the various people impacted by an organization like Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection. It is great to have so many people adding their voices, passion, and energy to the cause!

At the recent Tutor/Mentor Conference, I listened to a lot of conversations during workshops where staff and administrators of programs expressed that fund-raising wasn't necessarily their forte. A lot of energy needs to be put into fund-raising, but strapped for time and money to pay additional staff, many small nonprofits (like ours) do not have the capacity to have a paid person focusing solely on development.

It is exciting to see how the creative minds of a few individuals are turning everything from going out for drinks on a Saturday night to growing facial hair into both support for the organization's mission and a significant dollar amount to help keep the doors open.

Thanks to the exceptional individuals who are leading these efforts and to all those who are showing their support!

Say Thanks to the Mentors in Your Life!

2010-12-07T11:12:00.007-06:00

It's only a few weeks until National Mentoring Month in January! The month is a way to recognize and celebrate the mentors in our lives, consider opportunities to volunteer as mentors, and support mentor programs and their life-changing impacts on youth.

In the weeks ahead, think about the people who have been mentors and role models in your life. Be they formal mentors, teachers, professors, coaches, relatives...the list certainly goes on. I invite you to write and share brief tributes to any of these individuals discussing the impact your mentors have had on you.

You can submit these tributes using this online form, and I will post any "mentor thank yous" on my blog in the days leading up to "Thank Your Mentor Day" on January 25th.

Slideshow of Fall 2010 Tutor/Mentor Conference

2010-12-03T12:22:00.005-06:00

Thank you to all who attended or volunteered their time at the 2010 Tutor/Mentor Leadership & Networking Conference.

In order for the May 2011 Conference to happen, we need to raise $25,000 by mid-January 2011. Please read Dan Bassill's recent post on the T/MC online forum to learn more.

Thank you!

Closer Look: Conference Attendees, Evaluation & Impact

2010-12-02T11:38:00.035-06:00

It has been nearly two weeks since the November 19, 2010 Tutor/Mentor Leadership & Networking Conference, and we have continued to hear positive feedback from conference participants about how much they valued the event.

Yesterday, for instance, I received an email from Toinette Gunn, Executive Director of Partnership to Educate & Advance Kids (PEAK), who led a workshop entitled "Parental Power: Unlocking the Key to Successful Program Outcomes". As she said in her email, "I just wanted to let you know that I’ve had 4-5 people reach out to me since the presentation to ask to meet with me or get more information." As this demonstrates, the conferences helps people who wouldn't normally connect share information and collaborate on goals that cross organizations.

These graphs display results of conference evaluations we asked attendees to submit at the end of the day. Based on the positive responses (100% of those who took the survey reported that they learned new things that they can apply to their own programs!), it seems that the conference continues to be a valuable resource for organizations throughout Chicago and the Midwest.

Of course, these surveys are not able to capture what may happen as a result of the conference. With more people connected to one another and sharing ideas, it is exciting to think of how tutor/mentor programs all over the greater Chicago area might benefit. Looking through the list of conference attendees, I have to wonder how many of the programs are running into financial difficulty at the end of this year. I know from Tutor/Mentor Connection and Cabrini Connections just how challenging the recession has been on small non-profits.

My thoughts are with each program as they finish the year and move into 2011. I hope every program is able to continue their important work with Chicago-area youth.

Holiday Season Giving

2010-11-30T12:26:00.012-06:00

Thanksgiving is over which means:

1. "Frosty the Snowman" came on the radio 2 times during my 20-minute grocery shopping trip.
2. My mom will urge my dad to put up holiday lights every day from now until December 24th when he decides to get out the ladder.
3. I am craving Christmas cookies 24/7.

Until this year, these have been some of the main things I have associated with the post-Thanksgiving weeks leading up to the holidays.

After having joined the nonprofit world, however, I realize that the weeks from now through the end of the year are some of the most critical days for nonprofit organizations to raise funds.

In these weeks comprising the "holiday giving season" more people donate to nonprofits than during any other time of year, so organizations like Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection rely heavily on people's generosity to get through the end of each year.

When depending on donations, it almost goes without saying that the economy is hurting nonprofits extremely hard. In my weekly PIP seminar, many fellows express how the recession is impacting their organizations. Several of our speakers have suggested that the "nonprofit world" is about 2 years behind the "business world" within the recession, meaning we are getting hit hard now and face more tough times ahead.

For Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection, a lot is riding on the next few weeks of donations and grants. While the programs are solid (Tutor/Mentor Connection just had a successful conference, and Cabrini Connections continues to bring in a packed room of students and mentors each night of tutoring), we are financially at a point where our future and the organization's survival into 2011 and beyond is uncertain.

We face an uphill battle, but if you look at the impact the organization has made in its 17 years, it is filling a critical role in the city of Chicago and in the Cabrini community.

As it says on the homepage of the Cabrini Connections website: "Thanks to the many people who have responded, Cabrini Connections has connected more than 500 inner city teens with 800 workplace volunteers. At the same time, CC has built a library of information and a collaboration strategy that is helping more than 200 other youth serving organizations in Chicago, and countless others around the country."

While the situation is certainly grim, there are reasons to be optimistic. Today we are stuffing envelops of "Holiday Fund Raising Appeal Letters" to send out to hundreds of our supporters. We have also had a number of our students write appeals discussing what the organization has meant to them. They are definitely worth reading to get a personal glimpse at what the organization means to individual students. You can read Melissa Young's letter below and read all of the letters on our fundraising blog.

Please consider what you might do during the holiday season to help push us through this tough time and give us momentum to start next year.

You can donate now, pass this holiday letter and response form on to your rich uncle (or anyone else), and register for eScrip so that your holiday purchases support Cabrini Connections (go to this website, and enter group ID 500025364).

Thanks for your support and happy holidays!

-----------------------------------------

Letter from 11th grade Cabrini Connections student, Melissa Young:

Dear Reader,

My name is Melissa Young. I am a junior at Josephinum Academy. I started attending Cabrini Connections when I was in 7th grade. For the past four years at Cabrini Connections, it has been the best I ever had in my life. There are so many opportunities here. There is also so many people that help us achieve the dreams we have. They also teach us about the real world, such as an example, we have to be here on time, or if we are running late, or not feeling too good, they make sure we call in, and tell them our situation. There is an example of what would happen with a real job.

Cabrini Connections has so many things for us (students) to do, like clubs. We have video club, which I am in. There is also art club, tech club, and writing club. Fun stuff for all of us to do. Like I said before, I am in video club. I really enjoy it. They taught me how to use a camera, the many different shots, how to do a story board, and how to edit. I even got the chance to do some of the videos by myself.

They also take us on field trips like basketball games and college tours. Through this program I figured out what two colleges I am thinking about going to, which is Columbia College or DePaul University. As for the basketball game, I enjoy seeing girls play, instead of the boys. During or around Halloween I plan my own fundraiser. We called it the Halloween Bake Sale. Through this I learned how to fundraise events and know how to organize.

Last summer I was the lucky student to go on one of their events called the Golf Benefit. I was able to meet the chairmen of Cabrini Connections. I was also able to video tape everything and watch people play golf for the first time. You can meet so many people through this program. When I first came it was just me and my niece. Four years past, and I know mostly everyone, and they all know me.

Every Wednesday and Thursday we have tutoring night, which now I meet with my tutor Elena. She has been so great to me. She helps with homework problems or if I am ever in need of something. I am really glad that we met.

Now that I told you my story at Cabrini Connections, I really hope that in the kindness of our heart you will donate us some money so that all these wonderful things could stay open for children and teens like me. If you could I would really appreciate it. Thank you for reading my letter.

From
Melissa Young

P.S. Have a good day =)

Conference Done, Connections Just Begun!

2010-11-22T15:32:00.004-06:00

The Fall 2010 Tutor/Mentor Leadership & Networking Conference took place on Friday and was a huge success with over 100 attendees and 20 workshops. You don't have to take my word for it--here are some reflections from a few conference attendees:

"Great individuals, passionate and inspiring to be here. It reinforces why we do what we do."

"I learned so much today and will be able to apply what I learned in our community."

"I really enjoyed the conference and the networking component. It gave me ideas and resources to walk away with to share with my mentees and organization as a whole."

Watch this conference video made by Bradley Troast, to get a taste for the day's events:

As you can see from this video and the comments of those who attended, the conference was a day filled with energy, new connections, information sharing, and people thoroughly dedicated to tutoring and mentoring programs. It was inspiring to be surrounded by people so passionate about their calling to help youth reach their full potential through quality tutoring and mentoring programs. The attendees ranged from a group of people from East St. Louis who are looking to start their own program in 2011, to individuals who have attended dozens of conferences over the years and who have been in the tutoring/mentoring industry for decades. I was inspired by the expertise of the veterans and the energy and vision of those new to the field.

Although the next conference is still six months away, it won't be long before the staff at Tutor/Mentor Connection begins planning for that conference. Organizing these biannual conferences takes money for space, materials, and catering, but the far greater cost lies in the man-hours it takes to facilitate these events, maintain databases of organizations to invite, and coordinate collaborative events throughout the year. Donations that come in before December 31st will help us this fiscal year as we begin planning for the 2011 conferences. Please show your support!

A big thanks to Dan Bassill, EL Da' Sheon Nix, Toni Pullen, Mike Trakan, and Bradley Troast from the CC, T/MC staff--everyone worked hard and put in lots of extra time and energy to make this conference happen! Thanks team!

Conference Agenda!

2010-11-12T13:35:00.005-06:00

The Tutor/Mentor Leadership & Networking Conference is a week from today!

During the summer, we held a series of collaboration meetings at Tutor/Mentor Connection where staff of many programs discussed their needs. Based on feedback from those meetings, we are focusing a lot of the conference on marketing and branding for organizations, on networking, and on education reform as relevant to non-school programs.

Here is a list of workshops for the day, but be sure to check out the speaker bios and workshop descriptions for more detailed information. And don't forget to REGISTER NOW!

Welcome and Opening Address

The State of Tutoring and Mentoring in the Chicago Region

Daniel F. Bassill, President & CEO, Tutor/Mentor Connection

Group Networking Session

How to Maximize Networking at the Conference

Jordan Hestermann, Executive Director, Becoming We The People

First Morning Workshops

Imagine Mars: Exposing Kids to Careers in Math, Science & Technology

Rose Mabwa, Manager, Mercy Housing

Intro to Web Video and the Implications for Nonprofits

Brad Manilla. Director of Creative Development, let's dabble, LLC

Getting Your Student Ready for College

Alexandria Taylor, Director of College Access and Success, The Associated Colleges of Illinois

Tutor Training Tips Panel

Second Morning Workshops

Creative Marketing Solutions to Support NonProfits

Moderator: Eugene Breger, Director of Business Development, MarketSphere Consulting, LLC

Ash Blue, Founder and Main Writer, Ash Blue Design

Lynne Kurdziel, Founder and CEO, Luminate

Mark Shore, Founder, Shore Capital Management LLC

Exposure to Violence: Effects of Trauma on Students

Ylonda Ware, Clinical Therapist, Naelewa Counseling Services

Parental Power: Unlocking the Key to Successful Program Outcomes

Toinette Gunn, Executive Director, The Partnership to Educate & Advance Kids (PEAK)

Volunteer Recruitment and Retention Panel

Moderator: Scott McFarland, Resource & Information Manager, Serve Illinois Commission

Christy Beighe-Byrne, Director of Mentor & Volunteer Services, Chicago Youth Centers

Karina Kelly, City Director, Jumpstart

Joel Newman, Director of Community Partnerships, Big Brothers Big Sisters

Lunch & Networking Tables

First Afternoon Workshops

Marketing/Branding Panel

Chris Beebe, Principal, the Visionary Agency

Chris Huizenga, EPIC

Social Network Analysis of Tutor/Mentor Conferences

Kalyani Misra, SNA Volunteer, Tutor/Mentor Connection

Successful Special Events

Mary Gerace, Consultant, Mary Gerace Enterprises

Using Technology to Reduce Truancy

Ed Bates, Director of Prevention Services, PASS (Positive Alternative Student Services)
Terence Hodges, Outreach Specialist, PASS (Positive Alternative Student Services)

Second Afternoon Workshops

Creating Your Own Neighborhood Maps

Mike Trakan, GIS Map Developer, Tutor/Mentor Connection

Financing Higher Education: How to Get It, and How to Pay For It

Abel Montoya, Director of Outreach Operations, Illinois Student Assistance Commission

Update Your Status: Using Social Networking to Improve Organizational Branding

Jacquita Smith, Program Director, Camp of Dreams

University Partnerships

Closing Keynote Panel

"Waiting for Superman," Education Reform, and Non-School Programs

Moderator: Jim O'Connor, Project Director, Advance Illinois

Andrew Broy, President, Illinois Network of Charter Schools

Wendy DuBoe, COO, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago

Mark Duhon, Founder & Executive Director, HighSight

Lisa Vahey, Founder, Chicago New Teacher Center

Treat Yourself to a Shopping Spree!

2010-11-10T15:54:00.004-06:00

Do you ever shop online, book online airfare or hotels, or buy Groupon daily deals? Read on.

You can help Tutor Mentor Connection and Cabrini Connections through your regular online purchases (especially as the holiday season approaches!).

Just click this link to the Good Shop website then enter Cabrini Connections as your designated organization. From there you can search for your favorite store, be redirected to that store's website, and then the retailer will donate a small percentage of your purchase to Cabrini Connections (no extra charge to you!).

Many large online retailers and companies are eligible (including Amazon, Best Buy, Banana Republic, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Priceline, and even Groupon), so I encourage you to make your purchases through this website and urge others to do the same.

Although it may only generate a few cents through a single purchase, it could really add up if enough of us do this!

Thanks for your help and now go shop 'til you drop!

Special thanks to my mom for sharing this website with me!

Cabrini--Not Just Torn Down Buildings

2010-11-05T10:58:00.008-05:00

A few weeks ago when I was walking home from work, I noticed a large crowd gathered outside of the convenience store on my block. I saw a student from Cabrini Connections and asked him what had happened. Soon, I learned that the owner of the store, Bassam Naoum or "Ollie" as he was known, had been shot and killed over the weekend. It wasn't a robbery because nothing in the store or register had been taken.

I attended a vigil that night outside of the store along with well over a hundred people. I quickly discovered that Ollie had been a beloved part of the Cabrini community. We heard one poignant story after another of how Ollie would give neighborhood kids free snacks when they couldn't afford them, would say "pay me back later" to families needing food, and would always employ members of the community.

People at the vigil demonstrated disbelief, outrage and deep sadness about Ollie's tragic death. Several of the speakers made calls to action urging that the "violence must stop." Although I never had the privilege of knowing Ollie personally (I had only been into the store a handful of times), I was deeply moved by the strong outpouring of grief upon his death and the obvious impact Ollie clearly had on the Cabrini community.

A few days after the vigil, I found a column in the Chicago Tribune with the headline "Ollie's Death Marks Cabrini's End." While the column contains interesting information, I find the message conveyed in the headline and in sections of the article disquieting. Just because buildings are torn down doesn't mean that people disappear, unmet needs and social services are satiated, or that individuals no longer identify with the Cabrini community. On the contrary, attending the vigil along with a huge crowd of people from the area gave me a sense that Cabrini is far from gone.

As Dan Bassill's recent blog post discusses in detail, hundreds of families and school-aged students still live in the Cabrini neighborhood, and many more will be living in the area once plans for the Cabrini transformation are complete. When people think of Cabrini Green as a bunch of torn down buildings, it completely masks the urgent needs of the people living in this area. It also masks the urgent needs of programs and organizations serving these people.

Cabrini Connections has a long history of serving 7th-12th grade youth from the Cabrini area by matching them with caring adult tutors and mentors, offering assistance with high school and college applications, and giving them enrichment and learning opportunities. View the weekly "student spotlights" to learn about some of the almost 80 teens the program currently serves. Also stay tuned to CabriniBlog to keep up with what the program is doing.

The vigil for Ollie was almost three weeks ago now. Every day since, I walk by the store and there are still fresh flowers, new cards to Ollie, and candles lit in his honor. Cabrini Green doesn't seem dead to me at all.

Voting with More than a Ballot

2010-11-02T12:58:00.006-05:00

ELECTION DAY! This morning on my way to work, I dropped my completed ballot in the mailbox. Although I am a registered Washington state voter which means I must vote absentee, sometimes I wish I could go to the polls because there’s just something more momentous about waiting in line and voting in a booth.

When voting is as easy as making selections and dropping my ballot in a mailbox, I almost forget what a privilege it is to vote. Although I see voting as a critical part of civic responsibility, I also don’t think it’s enough to limit my sense of citizenship to election days. Yes, my vote matters and that’s why (however dorky this may sound) I had posters and books about women suffragists filling the walls and shelves of my bedroom growing up.

Yet I think it is of equal (or greater) importance to take daily actions that stand behind the types of votes I cast, the leaders I support, the laws I agree with, and the types of changes I would like to see in this country.

As I go to work each day or attend PIP seminars each week, I am inspired by those around me who I see taking daily actions to contribute to positive change. Although the work of politicians is admirable (at least in theory, if not always in practice), I have deep respect for those who stay out of the spotlight yet contribute to tangible changes in the lives of those around them.

I see Cabrini Connections mentors who spend hours each week with their mentees listening to stories about their days, helping them apply for high schools and colleges, taking them on special outings, and coaching them in algebra or physics. I see volunteers donating their technology skills to Tutor/Mentor Connection. I talk to program directors of other tutor/mentor programs who are busy and strained but still donate their time sharing best practices at our conferences. I see committed students in our program plan and organize fundraiser events like this past weekend's Halloween Bake Sale to help our program operate.

I admire each of these individuals for their alive since of citizenship.

Citizenship and supporting a cause takes votes, but I truly believe that making change happen also takes “behind the scenes” time, talent, and dollars. Please consider how you might “cast your vote” to support the work we do.

Have You Registered?

2010-10-27T14:33:00.014-05:00

It's just a few weeks away from the November 19th Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference and the details are falling into place!

Updates on what to look forward to at the conference:

Waiting for Superman and where Tutor/Mentor Programs Fit into the Debate on Education Reform: Our closing panel will feature Andrew Broy, President of Illinois Network of Charter Schools, Wendy DuBoe, Chief Operating Officer of United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, Lisa Vahey, Director of Chicago New Teacher Center, and others (keep checking back!).

The State of Tutoring/Mentoring in Chicago: In his welcome address, Dan Bassill, President and CEO of Tutor/Mentor Connection, will use maps that show the distribution of tutoring/mentoring programs in high poverty areas of Chicago as a planning tool for 2011 capacity building.

Leveraging Web Videos for your Organization: A workshop presented by Let's Dabble on how to make and use web videos to tell stories about your organization.

Marketing/Branding for your Organization: A panel where several professionals in the advertising and marketing world discuss how to help your program build its "brand."

Volunteer Recruitment and Retention: This panel will focus on how to bring volunteers into a program and get them to stick around! Panelists include Christy Beighe-Byrne of Chicago Youth Centers, Karina Kelly of Jumpstart, Scott McFarland of Serve Illinois Commission, and Joel Newman of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley.

Networking time and discussion tables.

Browse the conference website for bios on these speakers and ongoing updates about the conference!

Register Now! Online registration is now available. Space is limited, so be sure to register early!

Spread the word about the conference to anyone who may be interested in attending on November 19th, advertising in our conference program, or becoming an event sponsor.

Can't make the conference but want to show your support? This conference benefits programs all over the city of Chicago. As these social networking maps illustrate, the impact of the conference has been extensive in connecting organizations to one another and to ideas to help leaders improve their programs serving at-risk youth. Please consider donating today to help make this event possible.

PEAK Site Visit

2010-10-26T16:08:00.013-05:00

Today I had the opportunity to visit an impressive program located at Holy Trinity High School called The Partnership to Educate & Advance Kids (PEAK). PEAK’s mission is to provide opportunities for at-risk youth to achieve academic and personal success through quality, values based education and the guidance of caring adult mentors.

PEAK provides scholarships that enable students to attend the highly regarded Holy Trinity High School who would not otherwise be able to attend. These scholarships are made possible through “sponsors”—individuals, families, or churches—who commit to paying four years of tuition for a particular student provided that the student fulfills program expectations. Of approximately 400 students at Holy Trinity, 50 are PEAK students.

The PEAK program focuses on serving students who are low-income and/or academically average or below average. While there are a variety of scholarship opportunities for students who excel in their studies, academically average and below average students are often an under-served population when it comes to scholarships. As Tyrina Newkirk, PEAK Program Coordinator, told me when I met with her today, the program believes that struggling students can be successful and graduate given smaller classes, adult mentors, and tutoring.

Beyond just providing financial support enabling students to attend the private high school, PEAK provides each student with a mentor. Each mentor commits to being a role model and significant part of the student’s life for the duration of his or her high school career. Mentors spend at least four hours a month with their students through a variety of activities based around shared interests of the mentors and mentees. Tyrina listed a range of activities the pairs do together—getting manicures, going to museums or libraries, fishing, even visiting a haunted house (several pairs are going this weekend for Halloween!).

Mentors are also in close communication with how their students are doing inside the classroom. Each week, students must fill out evaluation forms that list their progress in each class. Mentors receive a copy of these reports as a way to check in with students and support them academically.

In addition to support through mentors, PEAK students also have after-school tutoring sessions each day (which they can opt out of if their grades are high enough). These sessions provide homework help while also training students to build study-time into their daily routines.

I was impressed with how PEAK recognizes that helping a student through school requires a variety of components: financial support for programs, quality education, adult role models, academic support, parental involvement, and student commitment. I don’t know if all of these components always receive equal attention in the ways that people discuss the drop-out crisis in America. I encourage you to read Dan Bassill's blog article and then chime in your opinion on this forum on the T/MC NING page.

It was great to learn more about PEAK today and about what the program does to help youth both succeed and thrive in high school.

Collaboration Success Story: October 9th Tutor Training Conference

2010-10-12T15:53:00.011-05:00

On Saturday, October 9th while thousands of Chicagoans loaded up on carbs in preparation for the Chicago Marathon, volunteers and staff from Cabrini Connections, Chicago Lights Tutoring, and Cabrini Green Tutoring Program had a marathon day filled with great workshops and training sessions at the Fifth Annual Tutor Training Conference.

The conference took place at Fourth Presbyterian Church, home of Chicago Lights. The day was filled with a wide variety of skill-building workshops on topics such as tutoring students in reading, teaching math skills, and helping students in the college admissions process. There were also workshops that discussed the role of mentors during difficult times in a youth’s life and workshops that offered volunteers a view inside today’s schools.

I moderated a panel called “The Changing Faces of Cabrini Green” in which a mother who is a Cabrini Green Community Activist and her son discussed the history and present situation of Cabrini Green along with the realities—positive and negative—of living in that community.

The conference was a huge success and we had more volunteers from Cabrini Connections attend than ever before (not bad for a Saturday with 80 degree weather!). EL Da’Sheon Nix and Bradley Troast from Cabrini Connections played a large roll in motivating our volunteers to attend and in planning this conference—congratulations to both of them! (read EL’s blog entry for his account of the conference).

More than just a victory for the three programs involved, however, this training conference is a great example of how tutoring and mentoring programs can benefit through collaboration. Although the three programs that teamed up for the conference operate independently of one another, the leaders of each program realized that not only do all the programs serve a similar demographic by working with students from the Cabrini Green area, but the tutors/mentors from each program also need similar sets of skills and training. Rather than holding three separate volunteer training events (read: extra planning time, more money, and additional staff), the joint conference enabled each program to share the workload and the benefits of a tutor training conference. What's more, volunteers could pick up tips and ideas from representatives of all three programs not just their own.

Tutor/Mentor Connection actively encourages tutor/mentor programs throughout the city to collaborate in shared efforts. Rather than looking at similar organizations as mere competitors, they can be viewed as potential collaborative partners. The Program Locator is one way that T/MC helps programs identify other similar organizations existing in their geographical regions that they might reach out to for collaboration.

In addition, Mike Trakan,the T/MC GIS Mapping Specialist, makes a wide variety of maps relevant to tutoring/mentoring programs in Chicago. Many of these maps show how programs along with businesses and faith communities could work together to help youth in specific neighborhoods in Chicago. I encourage you to support Mike's work at the upcoming map gallery event, "Mapping Solutions" on November 17th at Webster's Wine Bar.

Thanks to all of the volunteers who attended the October 9th Conference--I look forward to seeing the payoff of the event during tutoring and mentoring sessions this year!

November Tutor/Mentor Leadership & Networking Conference

2010-10-07T09:05:00.013-05:00

Although I am a Cubs fan and never thought I would enthusiastically blog about something related to the White Sox, I will put my team loyalties aside momentarily. I am thrilled to announce that we have a date and location set for our November 2010 Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference.

Friday, November 19th
from 9:00am-5:00pm
U.S. Cellular Field
(home of the Chicago White Sox)

The aim of the Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference is to encourage networking, information sharing, and collaboration that helps every tutoring and mentoring program build a stronger “business” of connecting youth and volunteers. Each biannual conference draws 100 to 150 leaders and supporters of volunteer-based tutoring and mentoring programs. Since the first conference in 1994, representatives from over 1,200 distinct organizations have attended as have prominent public figures such as then-Senator Barack Obama and Mayor Richard Daley.

Based on feedback from past conferences and on summer collaboration meetings with program staff and leaders, we have decided to make this conference focus on networking, learning, and collaboration as programs prepare for 2011 and beyond. Although "networking" has always been an important goal of the conferences, we are formatting this conference with a special emphasis on networking between programs.

The focus on networking is also relevant to the Social Network Analysis (SNA) that volunteer Kalyani Misra has been conducting to illustrate programs that have attended past Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conferences, their geographic distribution, and the ways that participants have contributed as speakers or panelists. These diagrams are a tool for us to illustrate the impact of the conference and to evaluate directions we hope the conference may grow (for instance, getting program leaders to attend conferences from regions of the city that have been previously underrepresented). Kalyani's work (including the diagram shown at the left) can be found on her blog.

What to look forward to at the November 19, 2010 conference:

Training session on how to maximize the conference experience to build your network

Lunchtime “Topic Tables” will offer time for people to connect for small group discussions focusing on specific topics of importance to leaders, volunteers, and youth in tutoring and/or mentoring programs

As always, the conference will offer workshops on a range of topics relevant to building strong, innovative, and high-quality volunteer-based tutoring and mentoring programs. A sampling of workshops to look forward to include: training on creative uses of social networking tools for programs, rethinking special event planning and fundraising for tough economic times, and an interactive demonstration by Mike Trakan, GIS map developer of T/MC, on how to build your own neighborhood maps.

Much more to come! We will update the online agenda in the weeks prior to the conference, so keep checking back!

Ways to get involved:

Present a workshop - Submit a workshop proposal form here.

Share your input - Whether or not you can attend this conference, please complete the Pre-Conference survey to help us in the planning process

Become a sponsor - Event sponsorships are available at a variety of levels—please contact me at 312-492-9614 for any additional information about sponsorship opportunities and benefits

Get Ready for Martini Madness!

2010-09-30T14:26:00.008-05:00

Join us tomorrow night for our 5^th annual Martini Madness fundraiser! This event celebrates the successful start of Cabrini Connections' year of tutoring and mentoring (read blog entries by EL and Bradley to learn about the "best start in years"). It also raises money for Tutor/Mentor Connection so we can continue to provide free training and support for tutor/mentor programs throughout the Greater Chicago Area.

The Details:

Martini Madness 2010

Friday, October 1^st

at The Store

2002 N. Halsted Street (map)

6:30pm – 9:30pm

$40 per person for open martini bar, appetizers, and sodas

If you do not live in Chicago or if martinis aren't your thing, you can still participate! Raffle tickets are available online or at the door for $20 each or 3 for $50. More than twenty lucky winners will receive a variety of awesome prizes such as hotel stays, dinner packages, and sporting event tickets (see a full list here). Winners need not be present to win!

I am excited for a fun night of socializing with T/MC supporters!! I hope to see you there!

Communicating the Vision and Goals of the Tutor/Mentor Connection

2010-09-23T10:53:00.010-05:00

These past few days, I have been investigating opportunities for funding and sponsorship for the Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference and other ongoing operating costs associated with the Tutor/Mentor Connection's current and expanding vision. As the T/MC President and CEO Dan Bassill discusses in his recent blog post, the landscape of agencies doing similar work to that of the T/MC has changed drastically since the organization was launched in 1994.

As I continue scouting out grant opportunities and as I begin crafting Letters of Intent to potential funding sources, I am continually attempting to focus and refine my thoughts. It is important for me to learn how to communicate the strategies, goals, and vision of the T/MC in ways that are succinct and compelling. What I have below is not particularly concise and it is still in a crude format, but it is my "working brainstorm" as I attempt to clarify how best to introduce the T/MC to potential corporate funding sources and foundations. Dan has encouraged me to share my progressing brainstorm on my blog. As always, I welcome any feedback or suggestions!
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What would happen if every at-risk teen had the support and individualized attention of an adult tutor/mentor?

That is a question we ask ourselves daily. Studies consistently demonstrate that students matched with adult mentors are more likely to stay in school, less likely to use drugs, and more likely to go on to higher-education. In addition, students matched with tutor/mentors gain valuable social skills, increased self-esteem, and improved study habits. Although the benefits of tutor/mentor programs are well-established, thousands of students across the Greater Chicago Area do not yet have access to such opportunities in their communities. Approximately 200,000 students in Chicago live in at-risk neighborhoods and would benefit from matches with a tutor or mentor. Nationwide, an astounding 15 million students need or want tutor/mentor opportunities who are not yet involved in such programs.

Our mission is to provide an organized framework that empowers and encourages adult volunteers to give their time, skills, and support in seeking life-changing solutions for youth who live in educationally disadvantaged environments. This means we connect inner-city youth to adults from various backgrounds who serve as one-on-one tutor/mentors, advocates, and role models to these teens.

The Tutor/Mentor Connection champions tutoring and mentoring throughout the Greater Chicago Area not just in one neighborhood or with one program. We seek to increase the presence of tutor/mentor programs within high-poverty communities on regional and national levels. Our strategy involves the ongoing commitment and support of businesses, political leaders, faith institutions, universities, and individuals.

What does the Tutor/Mentor Connection do?

We support the growth of new tutoring and mentoring programs: The T/MC acts as a guide and consultant to hundreds of tutor/mentor agencies that seek our advice for starting or building their own programs. Our online resources provide all the information necessary to create and maintain an effective program. In addition to sharing our own ideas online, we also link to over 1,500 other websites and articles relevant to tutor/mentor organizations. Our “Links Library” connects to a wide range of skill-building topics such as grant-writing, process improvement, and training guides.

We promote the quality and effectiveness of existing tutoring and mentoring programs: Each year since 1994, we organize two capacity-building conferences attended by over 200 leaders of tutor/mentor programs. These conferences provide training on how to effectively lead tutor/mentor programs while fostering camaraderie between program leaders. In addition to conferences, we make information, learning resources, and tools available to any program leader, volunteer, or donor through our free online Tutor/Mentor Institute.

We point potential volunteers, students, corporate partners, and individual donors to programs throughout the city of Chicago: We built and maintain the first and most extensive database of Chicago-area volunteer tutor/mentor programs. Our interactive, online Program Locator points people to existing programs in their communities and identifies “gaps” where programs are still needed.

We draw public visibility and support toward tutoring and mentoring programs: We take an active role in educating the public about the value of tutor/mentor programs and about how individuals, businesses, and institutions can become involved as volunteers or as donors. We give presentations to university groups, maintain blogs and websites that receive 9,000 monthly visits and 150,000 monthly page-views, and lead Volunteer Recruitment Campaigns to draw attention and support to programs in the Greater Chicago Area.

We facilitate collaboration between programs to share best practices and strategies: Through the biannual Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference, collaboration meetings, and online forums and conversations, we are the “connectors” in helping tutor/mentor programs learn from each other about current trends and effective practices in the field.

We use innovative technologies to illustrate and evaluate how we involve the entire community: We utilize Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping to illustrate where programs exist and what types of assets (such as businesses, banks, and churches) are “stakeholders” in those communities. We also use Social Networking Analysis (SNA) to measure the impact of the T/MC’s work and to illustrate our role in facilitating connections between programs, mentors, students, and community members.

We are in-tune with the needs of tutor/mentor programs because we operate our own: While the Tutor/Mentor Connection operates on citywide, national, and even global levels, Cabrini Connection—the second part of our two-pronged organization—works at the local community level. Since 1993, Cabrini Connections annually links 75-80 teens to nearly 100 adult volunteers through one-on-one tutor/mentor matches and other enrichment opportunities. Cabrini Connections keeps the Tutor/Mentor Connection grounded in our work and provides a place for us “model” the best practices we advocate to other programs and to develop innovative new strategies such as our online feedback system for students and mentors (SVHATS). The goal of the T/MC is to help programs like Cabrini Connections develop in every high poverty neighborhood in the Greater Chicago Area and nationwide.

What are the funding needs of the Tutor/Mentor Connection?

While the technologies and strategies described above are integrated into the T/MC’s current actions, none are fully funded. Currently, the organization depends on borrowed volunteer time to innovate and sustain these concepts.

The T/MC has grown the way most small businesses grow. It started with a vision designed to solve a problem. Since 1993, its leaders have volunteered time and talent using whatever funds could be raised to convert the vision into an action plan that is now attracting attention throughout the world.

In many other states, Mentoring Partnerships exist that do similar work to that of the T/MC, yet their annual budgets range from $300,000 to $1 million. The T/MC has never had more than $225,000 in a single year to impact the third largest city in America.

The T/MC aims to “quicken the pace of its progress” and is seeking grants and social investment of $500,000 per year for three years (totaling $1,500,000). These funds will support project management, information collection and analysis, programming, software and hardware acquisition, and will help the T/MC stretch the application of these technologies in its ongoing commitment to expanding the availability and quality of comprehensive mentoring-to-careers programs in Chicago and in other major cities.

The Tutor/Mentor Connection strives to create opportunities for all kids to flourish through caring relationships with adult role models. By expanding our efforts to connect adults to programs serving inner-city youth, we heighten kids’ opportunities to blossom to their full potential and to move from poverty into higher education, jobs, and successful careers.

Looking Around the Court

2010-09-16T15:59:00.013-05:00

In third grade, I played on a basketball team called Sasquatch (see the image on the right for a visual of our mascot). Despite our intimidating name, we won a grand total of one game the entire season (the other team didn’t show up, so we called it a win and went out for pizza). Even though our losing record rivaled that of the Cubs, my teammates and I actually did improve a lot throughout the season. My dad, an avid and talented basketball player, served as our coach, and he always offered words of encouragement and advice from the sidelines.

As third graders still learning to dribble the ball, we needed constant reminding to stay alert to what was happening all over the court so that we could pass, shoot, and move the ball more effectively. Oftentimes, my dad would have to remind us to, “Look around the court!” or "Look for help!"

I thought about my dad’s coaching today when reflecting on the goals of the biannual Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference. Among the primary goals of the Conference is to connect people leading programs, volunteers, donors, and supporters. By establishing these connections, leaders can “look around the court” and gain an awareness of what is happening in other programs or even see places for potential collaboration between organizations.

Recently, one of our volunteers, Kalyani Misra, completed a series of network maps showing organizations represented at the May 2008 Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference and the involvement of participants in the Conference. T/MC President Dan Bassill's recent blog post also comments on what these maps allow us to visualize.

As Dan and Kilyani discuss in their blogs, these diagrams illustrate how the Conference serves as a hub that connects many organizations—some from Chicago and some from other cities. Through workshops and networking, program leaders build an awareness of what is going on throughout the tutor/mentor sector—best practices, innovations, and support in addressing common challenges.

Beyond reflections on the goals of the Conference, I also thought about the value in looking beyond one’s own niche and organization when I attended yesterday's seminar for the 2010 group of Public Interest Program (PIP) fellows. We represent a wide variety of organizations in Chicago with focuses ranging from youth to refugees to policy change. Each Wednesday, we will be coming together for workshops, site visits to organizations throughout the city, and discussions on working in Chicago's public sector. Just like the Conferences put on by the T/MC, these seminars provide a space for people who might not otherwise connect to learn from each other, find ways that the missions of our diverse organizations might connect, and truly become colleagues.

Whether we are in business, non-profit, fellowship programs, or even basketball games, sometimes we need opportunities to step beyond our own tasks and become aware of what others are doing and how that might relate to our broader goals. I know I am going to keep my dad's coaching in mind when I attend PIP seminars and when I continue planning the November Tutor/Mentor Conference. I hope to constantly stay alert to opportunities, connections, and potential collaborations to work toward shared goals.

If money can't buy happiness, maybe giving it away can....

2010-09-13T10:43:00.011-05:00

The Gallup World Giving Index released a study ranking Americans fifth globally on a scale of generosity. This study, based on the charitable behavior of citizens from 153 countries (95% of the world’s population), also indicates that giving money is more strongly correlated with national levels of happiness than is a country's gross domestic product.

Please read Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection President, Dan Bassill's, recent appeal asking for continued support for our programs.

Thank you!

Makeover...T/MC Addition

2010-09-10T12:22:00.015-05:00

Yesterday, CC, T/MC got a mini-makeover.

Two groups of incoming Northwestern freshman visited us through the Freshman Urban Program (FUP). FUP exposes Northwestern freshman to communities, social issues, and organizations throughout Chicago in the weeks before these soon-to-be Wildcats officially start their undergraduate careers.

Yesterday’s groups of students worked on a wide range of projects to spiff up our center prior to Cabrini Connection’s official 2010-11 start-up next week. The “FUPers” painted artwork on several walls, went through the library and got rid of antiquated books (copies of What Is the Internet? from 1994 are probably not particularly high on the reading lists of our tech-savvy students), and cleared out paperwork from old files.

We even had one person look through pages on our websites to repair broken links and update information. He contributed to some of the work I have been focusing on these past several weeks. While our office needs ongoing cleaning and maintenance, so do our websites, resource libraries, and databases. As of the beginning of August, for instance, The Program Locator had well over a hundred missing or broken links—the majority of which have now been repaired.

Checking in with organizations in order to update their information has provided me an opportunity to learn about programs and reach out to their leaders. Some have moved locations or changed personnel. Others have started new centers. Unfortunately, still others have been forced to shut down due to insufficient funding—stark reminders of how important it is for us to build ongoing partnerships and consistent support for tutoring and mentoring programs.

The visit from FUP students was an example of one of many ways universities can play an integral role in forming those types of ongoing partnerships. In fact, part of the Tutor/Mentor Connection’s strategy is to engage university communities and form partnerships with university departments, programs, and professors. As shown in former PIP Fellow Chris Warren’s concept map of resources at Northwestern and as described in Bradley Troast’s recent blog post, universities have a tremendous wealth of resources, organizations, and student groups that could form meaningful partnerships with tutoring and mentoring programs throughout Chicago.

Thank you to the leaders and freshman from FUP for their contributions to both our physical and virtual space. A lot has happened in Chicago since I was an incoming freshman—we have welcomed a new president, we have lost the Olympic bid. I wonder what changes these students will witness to the city in their four years at Northwestern---with a new mayor in store and a gradually recovering economy, Chicago's landscape will undoubtedly shift for its residents, its businesses, and its organizations. I feel optimistic.

Happy First Day of School!

2010-09-07T11:57:00.013-05:00

For thousands of kids around the country, the day after Labor Day means the same thing: Ready or not...the First Day of School.

I always loved the first day of school. But then again, I had great teachers, my school felt safe, and my parents were able to afford fresh school supplies as I started each September. I had opportunities both inside and outside the classroom that jump-started me on a pathway toward completing high school and then college.

As CC, T/MC President, Dan Bassill, discusses in his recent blog article, improving access to opportunities for youth living in high-poverty neighborhoods takes more than improving schools themselves. Non-school tutoring/mentoring programs play a vital role in giving students networks of adult role models, enrichment activities, and quality academic opportunities catered to their individual needs.

Thus, paralleling the beginning of the school year, tutoring and mentoring programs all over the city of Chicago are starting. This week, Cabrini Connections holds orientations for both volunteers and students to prepare them for this year’s sessions. Similarly, hundreds of programs throughout the city are holding their own orientations, planning tutor/mentor training sessions, matching students and mentors, and preparing their 2010-2011 year of programming.

While schools operate in “districts” that have centralized governance, tutoring and mentoring programs work fairly independently of one another. Although these programs tend to operate along similar annual calendars, tutoring and mentoring program leaders generally plan everything on their own.

When Dan Bassill founded Tutor/Mentor Connection, he realized how much more efficiently and effectively tutoring and mentoring programs would operate were they to share best practices and collaborate in annual efforts like volunteer recruitment and mentor training. He founded Tutor/Mentor Connection in an effort to facilitate increased interaction and collaboration between programs and ultimately, to improve the availability and quality of tutor/mentor programs throughout the city of Chicago.

In the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to witness some exciting conversations take place between program leaders. Last Monday, we held a meeting in our office attended by many Executive Directors and staff of Chicago-area tutoring/mentoring programs. During this meeting, program leaders discussed issues surrounding their programs—issues as wide-ranging as finding operating dollars, wondering what background checks to use for volunteers, and questioning how to use social networking tools to market their programs. Where some program leaders had questions, others jumped in with answers.

These types of collaborations cannot easily be measured in quantifiable terms, but the benefit of sharing best practices amongst programs is readily apparent when sitting in on conversations like these.

As we prepare for the Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference in November, I am excited to watch as leaders work together to the benefit of all programs--and ultimately--to all students involved.

Celebrating a Successful Tutor/Mentor Jam!

2010-08-31T14:20:00.041-05:00

Since my mom reads this blog, I better preface this post with a disclaimer: I don’t usually spend Sundays at a bar.

This past Sunday night, however, was a noteworthy exception.

The first annual Tutor/Mentor Jam at Darkroom, a music venue in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood, took place this past Sunday. The event served not only as a benefit concert for Tutor/Mentor Connection, but also as a means for entertainers, bands, and other community members to collectively draw visibility and support to volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs in high poverty neighborhoods throughout Chicago.

The night kicked off with a delicious barbecue provided by Man B Que who grilled up mouthwatering burgers, hot dogs, and mushroom burgers.

After everyone’s appetites were satiated, Alexander Webb, a former Northwestern quarterback, played a great acoustic set keeping the audience entranced with his beautiful melodies and soulful voice. His talent and passion for the cause made me proud to be a Northwestern Wildcat!

Soon, the Unusual Suspects went on stage and got everyone on their feet dancing! With fantastic vocals and an excellent horn section, they covered various blues artists that kept people singing and dancing along (the music helped me discover that several of my friends are good swing dancers—who knew?).

Afterward, Trakan took the stage with his band and gave a rock-solid and energizing performance. It was exciting to see Mike Trakan, the T/MC GIS Coordinator and the co-producer of the concert, on stage and in his element. Mike has been working for months to organize this event and he provides a great example of using his passion—music—and his networks—entertainers, musicians, and concert-goers—to draw support and visibility to tutor/mentor programs.

After Trakan, The Black Temple 21 played a lively hip-hop set, then No Hero finished off the night strong.

One of the highlights of the evening was when Brea Adams, a mentor at Cabrini Connections, spoke about her involvement with the program and what keeps her engaged as a volunteer. I got to know Brea’s mentee, Crystal Townsend, this summer so I was excited to hear from the person who Crystal enthusiastically referred to as “SO cool!”

The first Tutor/Mentor Jam was a success—not only because of the money raised, but also (and probably even more importantly) because of the new people that connected to T/MC through the event. I was touched by how many of my friends came out to support the event, and so many staff, board members, band members, and others brought out their networks to collectively show support for tutor/mentor programs for at-risk youth.

Thank you to all the volunteers, bands, auction donors, and event sponsors for making the first T/M Jam a success, and a special thanks to all of my friends who came!

Storytelling 101: Community Media Workshop

2010-08-24T16:39:00.008-05:00

Ingredients for a good story: a main character, a compelling plot, a conflict, a climax, a resolution.

Today I had the opportunity to attend a panel workshop through Community Media Workshop called “Reframing Stories of the Great Recession,” and I was reminded of some of the lessons I learned as a kid about how to write a story.

This workshop, aimed at nonprofit leaders, included media panelists who discussed ways to approach journalists with stories that reach communities, donors, and clients during these challenging economic times.

As the panelists emphasized and as common experience demonstrates each day, the recession has hit everyone…nonprofits, businesses, the government, families, and yes…even the media. Just as nonprofits are experiencing massive limitations in resources and personnel and just as businesses are struggling to stay afloat, media agencies are cutting back drastically on staff and reporting. One nonprofit leader discussed how she recently sent press releases to a reporter from a small paper only to discover that the reporter did not have access to Microsoft Word.

Clearly, members of both nonprofit and journalism sectors are stretched thin. For nonprofits, it is important to reevaluate strategies for approaching the media during this shifting landscape.

I wanted to share a few of the major points I learned during this informative panel. I know these are important lessons for me to keep in mind when trying to approach the media surrounding our November Conference, the Tutor/Mentor Jam, and volunteer recruitment campaigns. Hopefully, these strategies can also be useful to other programs as they evaluate their approaches to drawing public attention and understanding toward the importance of tutor/mentor programs through the media and through storytelling.

Major Takeaways:

1) Understand who you are pitching a story to: Writers are approached with hundreds of stories each week. They are more likely to respond when someone has researched them and understands how their story fits the reporter’s writing niche or role. Tailor the story to the specific reporter and pose it as “You are the best reporter to cover this story for X reason."

2) Stories need a “main character”: One panelist said that he flags any email with words in the subject line including Fundraiser, Benefit, Anniversary, or Annual Event to go directly into his spam folder. He doesn't want to write about it, and people don’t want to read it. The media wants to sell papers, and that takes compelling stories that tie into larger themes and specific policies. In order to get media attention on an event or fundraiser, approach them with a specific story of an individual that illustrates an issue relevant to the event, then use the story to draw attention to your organization and the events it is holding.

3) Learn to tell ‘conventional stories’ from nontraditional perspectives: As callous as it may seem, people are growing weary of doomsday recession stories about how organizations need more funding. Everyone is hurting right now, and as the media panelist asserted, that is not news that reporters are excited to cover. Journalists will be more likely to pick up stories when they are approached with new takes like how the recession is impacting middle class neighborhoods or other less expected places.

4) “There’s no good news without bad news.” The media is often criticized for harping on bad news, and oftentimes nonprofits are hesitant to bring forward stories with any negativity. The panelists, however, agreed that in order for readers to appreciate what an organization is doing, they must also learn about the problems, needs, and issues—even if the organization hasn’t solved everything quite yet!

5) Make the reporter’s job as easy as possible: As several panelists mentioned, reporters are currently stretched so thin that they often do not have the time to do much more with a story than tweak an original press release. It might sound obvious, but the better a press release, the more likely a story—and even a particular angle you hope to express—will be published.

I hope to incorporate these strategies into my work this coming year as I aim to draw visibility toward tutor/mentor programs throughout Chicago in a manner which motivates people to action.

Chicago Youth Centers: Elliott Donnelley Youth Center

2010-08-23T15:22:00.013-05:00

Swimming lessons, field trips to the Shedd Aquarium, gym games, healthy meals….if these activities sound like summertime fun to you, then you’re not alone! Today Bradley and I visited Chicago Youth Center’s (CYC) Elliott Donnelly Youth Center in Bronzeville to see their Summer Fun Day Camp in its final week of programming for 2010 (sorry folks, I think this means summer really is almost over!!).

We were greeted upon our arrival by Marcus Davis, Mentor Coordinator at Elliott Donnelley. Marcus gave us a tour around the center and introduced us to staff in many different departments to offer a taste of the programs CYC offers to youth year-round.

Summer Fun provides recreational activities and a safe place for kids ages 5 through 12 to spend their summer months. In addition to fun activities at the center (in my glimpses into various rooms, kids were happily playing basketball, checkers, and enjoying computers), the program also takes the kids on biweekly field trips to a variety of places like water parks and the zoo.

One of the most popular parts of Summer Fun is the swimming lessons. The Elliott Donnelley Center is equipped with a pool, and kids have the opportunity to receive swimming instruction all summer long. At the end of the program, parents are invited to a poolside show to watch their kids demonstrate their newly acquired aquatics skills. The swim instructor, Ms. Arleta Williams, has been coaching swim lessons at Elliott Donnelley for twenty years and she herself learned to swim at the center! Arleta grew up participating in the program and always felt called to give back to the Bronzeville community and contribute her time and efforts to CYC.

Bradley and I also had the opportunity to chat with Mr. Caneal Rule who has led the Teen Leadership Development program for more than sixteen years. He discussed how students' behavioral issues in classrooms often stem from kids falling behind in a subject then acting out to divert attention from their lack of academic confidence. This year, he plans to have clubs for teens that focus on academic subjects and also offer one-on-one tutoring for youth who need extra help in a particular subject area.

Later, we met Ms. Larissa Adams, College and Career Specialist at Elliott Donnelley. Ms. Larissa regularly meets with over thirty students in the College and Career Readiness Center to guide them toward formulating career aspirations, help them gain entrance into Chicago’s best high schools, and prepare students for college applications. I was amazed that this process starts as early as 3rd grade. As Larissa explained, the steps toward going to college begin in elementary school as kids take tests, learn about application processes, and begin to understand what it takes to land their dream job. For kids to go to college and launch their desired careers, they need to grow up with an ingrained understanding of what it will take to fulfill these aspirations.

Clearly, CYC does so much for youth by exposing them to opportunities, tutoring kids in academic subjects, keeping youth safe, and also allowing them to enjoy just being kids (in addition to the swimming pool and gym, the playground looked pretty tempting!).

Thanks to Marcus for showing us around the center—it really was a pleasure to catch a glimpse of so many kids enjoying their final days of Summer Fun.

A Century After Ford...

2010-08-19T13:49:00.018-05:00

In 1908, Henry Ford transformed the automobile from a flashy toy for the affluent to a commodity that became relatively affordable and widely available to the Average Joe (perhaps too widely available if you ask the modern environmentalist). Ford’s magic ingredient for making this manufacturing process efficient: The Assembly Line.

We all know the story.

Ford’s famously effective strategy for constructing a car-- workers building separate components in order to create a common product--is in many ways analogous to the Tutor/Mentor Connection's mission toward addressing massively complex issues like “urban poverty” or “equal access to opportunities” or “violence in American cities.” Even more so than assembling a car, however, attacking any of these issues as an individual (or even as a single organization) is as impossible as it is daunting.

Far more efficient is dividing up the workload and specializing in different tasks. These past few weeks, I have grown increasingly aware of the range of youth programs throughout Chicago with different specialties and roles. Some tutor/mentor programs focus on working within schools, some focus on the arts, others work with youth in particular neighborhoods, and still other programs mentor youth with incarcerated parents . These are just a sampling of the hundreds of tutor/mentor programs in Chicago. Each program has its strengths, its unique sets of challenges, and its specific contribution toward a goal shared across programs—launching all of Chicago's youth into bright, opportunity-filled futures.

This past month, we have been lucky to have two volunteers from the technology center at DePaul updating our computer lab. Next week, we have two recent college graduates--one with a background in advertising and another with a background in grant writing--beginning to volunteer in roles relevant to their interests. These are just a few examples of the many ways people are plugging into programs with their skill-sets.

The need to specialize is true not only on the macro-level of cities, but also within organizations. Tutor/Mentor Connection certainly has its set of “missing links”--places where we could be running more efficiently and effectively and are constantly looking for people to plug in their specialties by bringing time, talent, ideas, networks, and willing hands.

On the Cabrini Connections website is a list of volunteer opportunities that speaks to a wide range of interests, backgrounds, and time-commitment levels. If you look at this list of volunteer opportunities, it doesn't take long to realize that other programs have similar needs. I encourage you to consider how you might plug your skills and assets into a program in Chicago or another city.

As Henry Ford taught us, a lot can be accomplished when many workers contribute a small part.

What is your specialty?

From Sand Castles to Futures: BUILD

2010-08-12T10:26:00.014-05:00

Looking at the morning newspaper is often disheartening to say the least. In the past few weeks, the Chicago-area headlines have been filled with tragic stories of violence perpetrated against the young and innocent. As much as I realize the importance of reading these articles, I fear becoming jaded or beginning to feel powerless. I never want to view violence in my city as inherent or unavoidable.

Yesterday, however, I caught an incredible glimmer of hope. Broader Urban Involvement and Leadership Development (BUILD), works with at-risk youth offering them positive alternatives to violence. The program “begins with identification of youth who may be gang affiliated, delinquent, and/or encountering risk factors,” then works to engage them in activities to “reduce risk-taking behaviors, set and reach educational and career goals, promote positive impact on peers, and encourage school retention and college/career prep.”

Bradley and I had the opportunity to visit San Lucas United Church yesterday which is home to BUILD’s summer program in the Humboldt Park community. When we arrived, the 60 kids involved in the program were finishing lunch and preparing for an exciting afternoon. Throughout the week the participants stay active by going fishing, visiting the beach, and competing in softball leagues.

During our visit Bradley and I spoke with Coco Calixto, a Prevention Specialist who has worked for BUILD for 27 years and whose roots with the organization span even further back to when Coco himself was a BUILD participant and then a volunteer. Coco is the kind of person who walks kids home from the program if their parents cannot pick them up, teaches the guys in the program how to barbecue during BUILD picnics, and has earned respect from the gangs in the surrounding area.

BUILD's summer program runs from 9:00am-5:00pm Mondays thru Thursdays and participants are broken up by three age groups: the Peewees (ages 6-8), the Juniors (ages 9-12), and the Seniors (ages 13+). The importance of involving even young kids in the program cannot be overstated. As Coco told us, gangs often start recruiting kids as young as 6 or 7 because when little kids get caught with drugs, they get a mere “slap on the wrist” whereas older youth and teens are more severely punished.

During both the summer and school year programs, students are part of BUILD’s Life Skills curriculum which teaches kids street smarts to avoid dangerous situations and to make positive choices. Coco and the other BUILD staff members and volunteers find ways to keep this program engaging and high-energy . Oftentimes, they do role-playing games asking kids to navigate a difficult scenario. They challenge kids to think of positive ways to handle conflicts and to consider the consequences of each potential course of action. BUILD also brings in ex-gang members who talk about the value in staying out of gangs and professionals from the community who discuss their steps toward a career.

The school year program also focuses on academics. In addition to volunteer tutors, BUILD encourages peer-to-peer tutoring to reinforce leadership skills for youth participants. Kids also have the opportunity to participate in cooking classes, budgeting simulation exercises, and various sports leagues.

To finish our visit to BUILD, Coco took Bradley and I to the beach where “the Peewees” were collectively building a sand castle complete with a moat and river. I smiled realizing that Coco was once a kid in the program himself…his example speaks volumes about BUILD's positive impact in the lives of kids, adults, families, and an entire community.