Conference Countdown: One Month Away!

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!

REGISTER NOW!!

Become a Speaker at the May Conference!

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.

May 2011 Tutor/Mentor Leadership & Networking Conference Announced!

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!

What is a Beard Worth?

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!

Slideshow of Fall 2010 Tutor/Mentor Conference

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

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.

Conference Done, Connections Just Begun!

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!

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

Have You Registered?

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.

November Tutor/Mentor Leadership & Networking Conference

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:

• Register - Mail in your registration now! Online registration forms will be up soon.

• 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