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.

---

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.

-----

"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!