Agenda -
The next conference will be held at Loyola University Chicago's Lakeshore campus on May 27th and 28th!
The goal of the conference is to help tutor/mentor leaders and supporters expand their networks. Below is the agenda for the Nov. 2009 conference. We seek speakers like this for the next conference.
Here are some of PDFs we've received from conference presenters:
The State of Funding for Tutoring and Mentoring Programs and Non Profits, by Jill Zimmerman, Vice-President, The Alford Group
Strengthening NonProfits White Paper, a May 2008 White Paper Commissioned by the Wallace Foundation
Summary of Literacy Roundtable meeting, PDF, Led by Jenne Myers, Working in the Schools (WITS)
How Business and Non Profits Can Work Together presentation , Tim Hogan, Partner/Creative Director, The Royal Order Experience of Design, http://www.theroyalorder.com/
Quantifying the Need: A multi-organizational collaboration to develop a
statistically valid methodology for the quantification of desired frequency
tutoring and mentoring programs - Presented by Bart Phillips, President of the
Board, Community-Building Tutors,
http://www.cbtutors.org and Meredith Wroblewski, American Statistical
Association, http://www.amstat.org
View
presentation.
Join
discussion on T/MC NING
Strategies
for Understanding and Building Thrivable Networks. Presented by Valdis Krebs, Founder and Chief Scientist,
http://orgnet.com/ and
Jean Russell, Founder, http://nurture.biz/
PDF OF Thrivable Networks Presentation
Read similar articles about Social Network Analysis. This blog article illustrates this concept. If leaders apply these ideas, we can build stronger support for tutor/mentor programs, and the youth we serve. If we teach youth these strategies, we can change their futures.
Everyone who participates in the conference volunteers their time! Thank you
all. Thank you to everyone who donated time to present a workshop, or
host a panel. Special thanks to our keynote speakers. If you can make a donation
to support the conference, and the Tutor/Mentor Connection,
click here.
Below is the schedule for the conference. PDFs of conference presentations
will be added to this agenda as they are submitted by speakers. This page
will be archived at the
Tutor/Mentor Institute site after March 2010.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Registration - 8:00 am to 9:00 am
9:00 am to 9:30 am: Keynote and welcome: The State of Funding for Tutoring and Mentoring Programs and Non-Profits - Jill Zimmerman, Vice-President, The Alford Group
The
presentation will provide the following:
* Overview of the non-profit sector
* Drivers that will influence changes in the future
* Review of 2008 Charitable giving
* Future predictions for 2010
* 12 Recommendations for 2010
View presentation: The State of Funding, by Jill Zimmerman
Strengthening NonProfits White Paper, a May 2008 White Paper Commissioned by the Wallace Foundation
First workshops: 9:40 am to 10:50 am -
Volunteer Recruitment and Retention Workshop Panel Discussion - Moderated by Nicole White, Panelists - Samantha Boddapati, CPS Educational Support for Students Living in Temporary Living Situations, Gregory Girsch, LINK Unlimited, Sarah Hardin, Chicago Youth Programs, Scott McFarland, SERVE Illinois Commission
Panel discussion led by leaders of tutoring and/or mentoring programs.
Leaders share strategies for recruiting volunteers from businesses,
universities, professional groups who serve as tutors/mentors, and as board
members, technology support, organizers, and capacity builders.
You are the Best! Strategies to Keep Mentors Happy - Presented by Xavier Salvado, Gads Hill Center
Why are mentors volunteering in your program? What makes them choose to stay
with you? What makes them leave? This workshop will explore different strategies
that you can use in your program to ensure that your mentors feel that they are
making a difference and are willing to stay longer with you!
Literacy Roundtable Quarterly Meeting - Led by Jenne Myers, Working in the Schools (WITS)
Like a collection of books, The Chicago Collection is a committed group of
local literacy non-profits whose missions all revolve around promoting literacy
in and around Chicago for adults, children and families that need it most.
With program staff and leadership committed to meeting on a quarterly basis to
discuss challenges, ideas and strategies, we hope, as a collective group, to
work collaboratively as advocates for literacy related issues and to find ways
to work smarter together. Participation will also reinforce and improve our
strengths in the not-for-profit literacy landscape.
Summary of Literacy Roundtable meeting, PDF
How
to Help Your Students Finance College.
Presented by
Annette Phillips, Outreach Liaison,
Illinois Student Assistance Commission
Yes, our students can go to college! This interactive session will introduce you to ways to pay for college, trusted sources of information, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, and frequently asked questions. At this can't miss session you will receive samples of ready-to-use printed materials and become aware of interactive tools on the Web to help families manage the cost of college.
Building
a Job Training and Career Development Program for Youth
- Presented by Alex Cornwell,
Associate Director and Stacy Jackson, Director of Chicago Lights Tutoring and Summer Day
Program at Fourth Presbyterian Church
http://www.chicagolights.org
This
workshop will explore the “how-to” of creating and managing a successful job
training and career development program for high school students. Participants
will learn about the resources needed, share ideas on building a curriculum, and
discuss the potential challenges and overall impact of a job training program
for youth.
Chicago Lights is a volunteer-based tutoring program That has operated at the Fourth Presbyterian
Church in Chicago for more than 40 years.
Second workshops: 11:00 am to 12:15 pm
Impact
Evaluation: From Basics to Best Practices,
Presented by
Susie Quern
Pratt and Jenny Ellis Richards, Pratt Richards
Group, Evanston, IL.
www.prattrichardsgroup.com
Every
nonprofit struggles with the notion of impact - how to understand, define and
measure it; good, ongoing, evaluation practice is the place to start. This
session is will provide an overview of evaluation definitions, tips and tools
useful for learning about and articulating your impact. Participants will become
better acquainted with
common evaluation terms and concepts and will leave with some new ideas for,
and approaches to, evaluation work.
This session will be interactive, and is open to all - nonprofit Executive
Directors and program staff, board members, volunteers. If you attended this
workshop in May, come again and share how you have used this information in your
own planning.
View the PDF presentation of this workshop from May 09 conference.
Building Communications Skills in the Classroom and
After-School
Presented by Elizabeth Condon, Leap Learning Systems
Participants will be introduced to two of Leap Learning Systems programs
for school-age through high school students, and youth leaders who work with
students in both classroom and after-school environments.
LASER (Leap's After School Enrichment Curriculum)
teaches educators working in the after-school setting key language and literacy
building strategies so that they can help students with poor academic
achievement in grades one through seven to improve their reading skills.
Language for Scholars teaches students effective communication skills so that
they are understood and responded to positively by their teachers, employers and
peers.
Maximize Youth Potential Through Academic Mentoring, presented by David Neils,
Executive Director, International Telementor Program,
http://www.telementor.org
Learn how a powerful academic mentoring program can put your students on the map
in the areas of academic excellence in the core as well as solid career and
education planning that is challenged and supported by the best professionals in
the world. Thousands of GEAR UP students have been served and we welcome
participation from staff representing federal and state education programs.
This workshop is for teachers, principals, administrators, government officials,
and corporate managers who are interested in substantially raising the bar on
academic performance and helping students become informed, connected and engaged
with the help of successful professionals serving as mentors.
Online Fundraising 101 for Small Non-Profits - Desiree Vargas, President and Co-Founder and Ethan Austin, Co-Founder and Second Banana, GiveForward
Long gone are the days when golf fundraisers and charity galas were the only ways to raise money. In this session you will find out why more and more small non-profits are turning towards online fundraising tools to empower their supporters to become fundraising superstars.
Read GiveForward.org Blog articles that show how they support non profits and encourage networking at this conference.
http://tinyurl.com/TMC-on-GiveForward
http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/20090
http://tinyurl.com/GiveForward-Blog
Tutoring Program Strategies - Jennifer Bricker and Devon Lovell, Family Matters, http://www.familymatters.org
Tutoring can be fun! Participants of this session will
explore several hands-on activities that they can adapt and bring back to their
tutoring programs. Easy-to-produce math games, manipulatives for teaching
reading, and general tutoring activities will be covered. Come discuss
innovative ideas that can transform tutoring sessions from school-like bookwork
to creative learning experiences, and engage a few of the experiences
yourselves!
Lunch & Networking - 12: 15 pm - 1:30 pm
12:50pm to 1:15 pm - Keynote Speaker -
How Businesses and Non-Profits can Work Together by Providing Volunteers and
their Skills - Tim Hogan, Partner/Creative Director, The Royal Order Experience
of Design, http://www.theroyalorder.com/
In this session, Tim Hogan describes experience with T/MC first as volunteer art teacher, then as digital agency partner. As an introductory project, Tim's company has taken on the task of redesigning the http://www.tutormentorconnection.org website. Small business owners with a staff of motivated volunteers and interns can dedicate skills and resources on a regular basis, when the non-profit organization is serviced as an actual client.
PDF OF Tim Hogan's presentation
First Afternoon workshops: 1:45 to 3:00pm -
Social Media Game - Twitter - How It Can Benefit Tutoring and Mentoring
Programs, presented by Lovette Ajayi of Community Media Workshop.
http://www.newstips.org
It's easy
to get overwhelmed deciding which social media tools your organization should
use. Play the Social Media Game with Community Media Workshop to think about how
to intentionally use those tools despite, or even because of, resource
challenges.
Also, if you're wondering what the hype about Twitter is and how it benefits
you, this workshop is the one for you. Join as we discuss Twitter best practices
and ways your organization can use it to further your mission.
Student Recruitment Panel Discussion. Where do programs recruit students? How do they build regular participation, parent and school involvement? Facilitated by Kathy Anderson, Wicker Park Learning Center http://www.wickerparklearningcenter.com/, Abby Kritzler, Dreams for Kids, Allison McKenna, Lifelink Foster Care and Latino Family Services
The speaker
will talk about various ways to recruit students. The most important message she
will share is that being open to the needs of the students helps a lot in
recruitment as well as keeping students and getting additional students. She
will discuss how thinking outside the box has always helped her over the years in getting
and retaining
students. Parents like to know they have options in terms of location and
days and times of tutoring. They also value communication from the tutor as
well the program leader. They need to get a sense that you care about their child and
that their child is not just one of the students that you work with. Also, being
available to talk with the parents and be a liaison between the parent and
school is also very helpful.
Model-Coach-Fade - How to Teach Anything - Presented by Joshua Fulcher, Erie Neighborhood House, Chicago, Il.
This workshop provides and teaches a structure for tutors to build a student's skill set for sustained academic improvement. It is a structure to teach virtually anything so students can work on their own. This method is used by Masters in Education programs across the nation.
Using Maps to Create Collaborative Strategies.
Presented by Daniel Bassill, President,
and Mike Trakan, GIS Map Developer, of Tutor/Mentor Connection (http://www.tutormentorconnection.org ).
Read map blog articles by Mike Trakan at http://mappingforjustice.blogspot.co
A review of the on-line Chicago Program Locator will be included
http://www.tutormentorprogramlocator.net/InteractiveMap.aspx
.
Second Afternoon workshops: 3:15:pm to
4:30pm
Creating Great Connections - The Basics of Brain Development - Presented by Deborah McNelis
-
Brain Insights
This workshop provides an overview of the basics of
brain development. Through visual demonstrations you will gain insights into
how you can have more impact on the learning brain. With this understanding,
ideas are also presented on how we can spread the word to those that can
support of the needs for all young children.
Incorporating Writing Strategies into a Tutoring Program.
Presented by Patrick Shaffner, and Kait Steele,
826 CHI
One of the largest areas of academics that students lag behind in is writing.
Find out how one program incorporated writing into their tutoring program and
has made writing fun for thousands of kids not just in Chicago - but in Boston,
Los Angeles, Michigan, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle too!
Issues of Non Profit Management - 10 Tips for Staying Ahead in this Economy Presented by Liz Livingston Howard, Northwestern University Center for Non-Profit Management, www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/research/nonprofit/index.htm
All nonprofit organizations are facing significant challenges in this economy. However this is not the time to suspend fundraising and marketing activity. This session will help leaders review critical elements of successful fundraising and marketing strategies.
This session is geared for nonprofit leaders and will help them review critical elements of fundraising and marking, think about key ways to maintain your strengths, and discuss current strategies to engage and cultivate stronger relationships.
Talking To Youth About Dating Violence - Presented by Mary Adele Revoy, Adolescent Development Specialist, Revoy Presentations, www.whoisrevoy.com
An educational seminar for mentors on the basics of adolescent brain development and the dynamics of teen dating violence. Topics include: basics of early and adolescent brain development; changes during puberty; thinking areas still developing; power of emotions; risky behaviors & passion; and the dynamics of dating violence.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Registration - 8:00 am to 9:00 am
9:00 am to 9:30 am: Keynote and welcome:
Testimonial from a former student.
Isaiah Brooms, Director of Admissions at
Westwood College - Virginia Ballston Campus
Isaiah Brooms is a long time alumni of The Cabrini Green Tutoring Program
(Currently, Cabrini Connections). Formerly a teacher in the Chicago Public
School System, he relocated from Chicago to recruit, coach and teach at a
private school in Indiana, and is currently the Director of Admissions for
Westwood College located in Arlington, VA. Isaiah spent his formative years
living in Cabrini Green. However, at the age of fourteen he was awarded an
academic scholarship to attend a private boarding school in Indiana. That
experience changed the course of his life and set him on the path to who he is
today. He attributes all his success to God and to the amazing mentors and
coaches that invested the time and energy into helping him become a healthy
child and more importantly giving him the courage to dream big.
First workshops: 9:40 am to 10:50 am -
Understanding Tutor/Mentor Program
Distribution in Chicago. Examples of student learning as a practical
application.
In this session first year students from DePaul University will discuss what
they have learned about Chicago, and what they have learned about the different
tutor/mentor programs operating in Chicago. This is the final report from
a 10 week class project that began in late September. Meet the
students and read their Explore
Chicago blog articles. Read
more about this project.
Two Part Workshop 9:40am till 12:15 pm - Building Community Engagement: A Global Model with Local Foundations, Presented by Eric Davis, Founder of the Global Citizen Experience
The Global Citizenship Experience (GCE) is an innovative
and replicable educational model designed in response to serious learning gaps
in the system. The GCE is adopted by schools and community-based organizations
which want to build a system for transforming youth into inspired learners,
engage parents in their children's education, and cultivate corporate and
non-profit partners. The workshop will be an engaging conversation how YOUR
organization can do this.
The Breakthrough Network Model - no superstars needed, Presented by Bill
Curry, Chief Operations Officer, Breakthrough Urban Ministries,
http://www.breakthrough.org
Often youth leaders feel the pressure to be everything to every student. The pressures are great, so finding ways to share the burden and the joy is important for a youth leader to last in the field. The Breakthrough Network Model suggests an innovative approach to growing mentoring relationships among a community of students and community of volunteers. This interactive workshop could be a significant breakthrough for you and the kids you serve.
Nonprofits and Social Media: Well Worth the Effort! - Presented by Heidi Massey, Networker, Non-Profit Ingenuity
Does your organization use social media? Are you afraid of
twitter? Do you utilize YouTube? This workshop will help professionals and
volunteers learn about and become more comfortable utilizing social media.
See how Heidi uses her blog to share stories
about non profits, such as the Tutor/Mentor Connection –
http://tinyurl.com/TMC-on-Nonprofit-Ingenuity
Second workshops: 11:00 am to 12:15 pm
Quantifying the Need: A multi-organizational collaboration to develop a
statistically valid methodology for the quantification of desired frequency
tutoring and mentoring programs - Presented by Bart Phillips, President of the
Board, Community-Building Tutors,
http://www.cbtutors.org and Meredith Wroblewski, American Statistical
Association, http://www.amstat.org
View
presentation.
Join
discussion on T/MC NING
Attendees will hear an overview of a project underway designed to develop
a novel approach to influencing public policy around the necessary financial
support of tutoring and mentoring programs in political districts. The project
centers around the development of an objective measurement system designed to
quantify the necessary frequency of tutoring and mentoring programs in
communities of varying socio-economic status.
Mentoring Program Strategies - Issues and Best Practices. Panel Discussion
Panel includes Joel Newman, Big Brothers, Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley, Christy Beigh-Byrne, Director of Mentor and Volunteer Services, Chicago Youth Centers, Elliott Donnelly Youth Center, Rose Mabwa, Mercy Housing Services
Mentoring programs have their own special needs and issues that differ greatly from tutoring program. Talk to a panel of mentoring program leaders on ways to make your mentoring program a success!
Engaging Athletes, Business Leaders and
Celebrities as Advocates for Volunteer Based Tutor/Mentor Programs, panel
discussion
In this panel discussion current and former college and professional athletes
will discuss ways to draw attention and support to volunteer-based tutor/mentor
programs throughout a large metropolitan area, and ways that they might work
together to build more consistent year-round support of all tutor/mentor
programs in their host city. College and professional athletes and coaches are
encouraged to attend.
This PDF illustrates how Kurt Kittner, University of Illinois and NFL quarterback, draws attention to Cabrini Connections, and other tutor/mentor programs in Chicago.
Facilitated by Steve Miller, Panel members:
Kurt Kittner, University of Illinois and NFL Quarterback, associate with Jones Lang LaSalle, Americas. Commentator with Illinois Football broadcasts on WIND (560 AM) radio.
El Da'Sheon Nix, Northwestern University Football and current Administrative Coordinator of Cabrini Connections
Megan Godfrey, former University of Illinois golfer and tutor/mentor at Oxford Learning in Arizona
Using Give Forward.org's charity fund raising platform, Kurt and El Da'Sheon are challenging alumni from Northwestern and Illinois to donate money to Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection. Come to this workshop and learn how the celebrities, volunteers and alumni of your own charity can do the same thing.
Lunch & Networking - 12: 15 pm - 1:30 pm
12:50pm to 1:15 pm - Keynote Speaker - Understanding Social Networks
Presented by Valdis Krebs, Founder and Chief Scientist, http://orgnet.com/ and Jean Russell, Founder, http://nurture.biz/
PDF OF Thrivable Networks Presentation
Together, Valdis Krebs and Jean Russell explore, explain,
and empower thrivable communities. Valdis specializes in social network mapping
and analysis. Jean specializes in weaving and thrivability. Together, we work
with both online and offline communities in both for-profit and non-profit
organizations. Valdis has worked with organizations such as IBM, CDC, Cleveland
Foundation and Barr Foundation. Jean works with organizations including
PeopleBrowsr, Community Media Workshop, and Inspired Legacies. Together, Valdis
and Jean are working with several on-line social networks to weave thrivable
communities.
Social network mapping allows us to see how communities and organizations work
together. It helps groups understand how their connections help them be more
thrivable. In thriving communities, information and resources flow smoothly
from where these assets exist to where they can be best applied. There is a
sense that the well woven community becomes greater than the sum of its parts.
Possibility and opportunity abound.
Read blog article published by Valdis Krebs, showing how he connected with
the Tutor/Mentor Connection and this conference:
http://bit.ly/4e4rPd
Friday afternoon workshops: 1:45 to 3:30pm -
Nudge the Net -- how do you mobilize your network to
accomplish your goals?, Presented by
Valdis Krebs, http://orgnet.com/
Jean Russell, http://nurture.biz/
Building a useful thrivable network is more than "networking" or it's on-line equivalent: "facebooking." We build a thrivable network not just for ourselves but for those around us. When we each improve our individual networks, we all improve our community network -- as long as we are connected and have open flows amongst us.
The old strategy in human affairs was: be between -- be the gatekeeper around what you know and what you have. Only allow select individuals or groups through the gate. Much of the world still works this way, especially hierarchies and bureaucracies -- you must pay to play. With the internet, and the transparency it allows, a new strategy is coming into play: be among -- be the connector of those around you. By developing the skill and reputation for connecting others, many will be drawn to you. Your network will grow for others will want to be connected to you -- to key individuals and groups you have access to.
Valdis Krebs and Jean Russell will walk you through this new strategy of building a thrivable network. You will learn the process, and experience the practice through workshop exercises. Valdis and Jean will explain the three, interconnected aspects of building a productive and thrivable network.
1) Know the Net -- how do you understand your network
and what it is today?
2) Knit the Net -- how do you improve your network to what it could be?
3) Nudge the Net -- how do you mobilize your network to accomplish your goals?
You will leave the workshop with actionable knowledge and simple rules you can use every day to improve your network and that of those around you.
Inspiring others to Dream Big - Sandra Garest, Executive Coach and Senior Dream Manager, Floyd Consulting, http://www.floydconsulting.com
This session provides an overview of The Dream Manager Program and ways to apply the concepts in relationships and organizations. It will engage participants in finding creative ways to lead others on their journey to finding and pursuing their passions and removing barriers keeping them from achieving their full potential. Join the Dream Manager Group on Linked In.
Discussion of Findings from Tutor/Mentor Connection Survey: What are the issues most important to you?
Panel Discussion led by Nicole White, Tutor/Mentor Connection Research and Networking
Coordinator and Mike Trakan, GIS/Mapping Coordinator - Tutor/Mentor Connection,
www.tutormentorconnection.org
Read
survey comments and add your own ideas.
IDES Career Resources Network - Presented by LaMarr Johnson, Illinois Department of Employment Security, http://ilworkinfo.com
Demonstrations of One Source/Career Resources website that contain resources essential for establishing a career plan are illustrated. Introduced are 3 steps to a successful career plan: Explore Interests, Find Careers That Match & Develop A Plan of Action. Topics included: Interest Profiler, Skills Assessment, Job Search, CIS Portfolio; Reality Check.
Workshop and Conference Planning:
The T/MC invites participants to think of the conference as a meeting place where they can bring a group who are interested in creating more tutor/mentor programs in a specific area, or in a specific focus area, such as health careers, technology, arts, etc. We encourage you to join on-line forums and help planning the conference and other T/MC actions. If you'd like to organize a single workshop, or a conference within the conference, please contact us online or call 312-492-9614
