Edition: August 2013
Issue No. 123

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Issues of the month

* Activities that could be part of tutor/mentor programs
* Next Tutor/Mentor Conference, Monday, Nov. 4
* Rethinking Philanthropy - Pallotta's TED Talk
* Create a study group
* President's Message - Amplify the Message

issue 01
What Types of Activities Can Be Part of a Volunteer-Based Tutor/Mentor Program?


Image created by Tutor/Mentor Connection

Which of these can you add to your own program?
 
While listening to speakers at the August 14 Why News Matters Summit in Chicago I said, "Why can't news literacy be part of every youth tutor/mentor program in Chicago? I wrote this article to share my thinking and to invite organizations with specialized learning to do workshops at future Tutor/Mentor Conferences to share what they do so others can find ways to duplicate these ideas in their own programs.
http://tutormentor.blogspot.com/2013/08/building-village-of-youth-support-in.html

 

Here's a list of learning activities that could be part of non-school programs in every high poverty neighborhood.
 
Think of this map of Chicago as you look at this list. What will it take to have each of these forms of learning available to youth in every high poverty neighborhood of the city and suburbs?

News Literacy - the Youth Options Unlimited Program (YOU) at Erie House created this video.
 
Financial Literacy - Wallet Wise program of 100 Black Men of Chicago

College & Career - See how Highsight helps youth succeed in private high schools

Technology - Chicago Digital Youth Network. Volunteers can make programs like this available to youth in every non-school program. While the Black Star Project coordinates the March from its Chicago headquarters, the March takes place across the country, with city coordinators overseeing the event in each participating city.

Career Mentoring - ACE Mentoring Program mentors high school students and inspires them to pursue careers in design and construction. Volunteers from different industries could be doing this type of work in many places.

Arts Mentoring - YOU Media Program at Chicago Public Libraries offers middle and high school students opportunities to collaborate and create with digital media in an innovative physical space as well as through a vibrant online community. 

Arts Enrichment - Circle Urban Ministries' LIFT program empowers and equips youth for life through the disciplines of the arts and performance.

Youth Entrepreneurship - Stitch-N-Styl program of YMEN on Chicago's West Side

Youth Leadership - Mikva Challenge programs create opportunities for youth to take real democratic action in a broad range of civic arenas.

Hive Chicago Connected Learning Network shows many learning activities that could be part of many non-school tutor/mentor programs in addition to the many organizations already in this partnership

If your organization offers extra learning such as these, why not host a workshop at the November 4 Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference to show what you do, why you do it, how you do it and how you pay for it.  Read more at http://www.tutormentorconference.org/present.asp

Find locations of youth serving organizations that you can join and support

At these times each year, non profits, intermediaries, business and media could be focusing their messages on why and where tutor/mentor programs are needed.  If links in these messages point to these search tools, everyone will have more resources to help them locate volunteer-based tutoring and/or mentoring programs in Chicago and other communities. 

* MENTOR resources and referral service - http://www.mentoring.org/program_resources  
* ServeIllinois -    http://www.serve.illinois.gov/
* VolunteerMatch - http://www.volunteermatch.org
* Additional on-line volunteer search web sites http://tinyurl.com/TMI-Volunteer-Recruitment

 

In the Chicago region, use the Map-Based Tutor/Mentor Program Locator and Links library to help locate programs in specific zip codes. Our aim is to help programs grow and thrive in all parts of the region where they are needed.

* Chicago Program Links - http://tinyurl.com/ChiTM-Program-Links
* Chicago Map-Based Tutor/Mentor Program Locator - http://www.tutormentorprogramlocator.net                                                                                                                                                         

The next Chicago Tutor/Mentor Conference will be Monday, November 4

 


 

The conference will be held at the Ralph Metcalfe Federal Building, 77 W. Jackson.
 

This will be the 40th Conference since May 1994. While we are looking for workshop presenters and will post an agenda by late September, we also seek help in funding the conference and the web library hosted by Tutor/Mentor Connection and Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC.  If you've been part of a past conference, or have benefited from being part of a tutor/mentor program, please take a look at this page and add your support. http://www.tutormentorconference.org/40th-TutorMentorConference.htm


Mapping Philanthropy
The Foundation Center has created a Philanthropy IN/Sight@ resource that uses interactive maps to show grant makers and grant recipients.  Visit their web site to learn how to use this. Click here.

 

Dave Clark, Product Manager, Philanthropy In/Sight, a project of The Foundation Center, will be a speaker at the November 4 Tutor/Mentor Conference in Chicago.  Executive Directors, Development Directors, Fund Raising Consultants and Philanthropy leaders should plan to attend and learn more about how to use this resource.


                                                                    Image created by Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC


To propose a workshop or panel discussion, visit  http://www.tutormentorconference.org/present.asp

issue 02
Rethinking Philanthropy. Have you viewed the Pallotta TED Talk?



Image created by Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC

 

This spring Dan Pallotta delivered this TED talk, and it's being discussed in many different places on the Internet.

I think this discussion needs to be divided into smaller segments, which I describe in this article.  If you're interested in facilitating this discussion within the world of youth serving organizations, or already are hosting a MOOC or other on-line discussion, please send an invitation for myself and others from my network to join with you.
 

issue 03
Create a Study Group to Expand Your Understanding and Involvement


Form a group in your faith group, company, school, etc. and build a deeper understanding of the impact of concentrated poverty on youth, families and all of us. Use this understanding to support your involvement in organizations working in your community to address these issues:

 

New Ideas from Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC

Creating Virtual Corporate Office to support tutor/mentor programs throughout a metropolitan area. Click here

Shoppers Guide. What should a donor, volunteer or parent find on a Tutor/Mentor Program Web site?  Click here.

Browse the Web Library at: http://tinyurl.com/TMC-Library     

 

Sections of interest in web library: 

* Research on education, drop out crisis, social capital -  http://tinyurl.com/TMI-ResearchLinks
* Fund Raising - Understanding Challenges -  http://tinyurl.com/TMI-Library-FundingIssues 
* Homework Help/Learning Resources - http://tinyurl.com/TMC-Homework-Resources 
* Blogs on learning, MOOCs, Fund Raising -  http://tinyurl.com/TMI-Library-Blog-list
* Collaboration, innovation, visualization, mapping -  http://tinyurl.com/TMI-ProcessImp-Collaboration
* Mentoring, tutoring beyond Chicago -   http://tinyurl.com/TMI-Library-Mentoring 
* Training resources for tutors, mentors - http://tinyurl.com/TMI-MentorTraining   

 

president's message

 
Amplify the Message. Become a Network Builder

by Daniel F. Bassill

This is a letter that was published in Crain's Chicago Business last week. It's a call to action similar to what I include in blog articles every week.  My voice alone will not mobilize enough dollars, volunteers, talent, etc. needed to make youth mentoring programs available to the thousands of young people in Chicago or other cities who might benefit. However, if you pass this on, or write your own letter, you amplify what I'm saying and we reach more people.

In last week's Why News Matters Summit a speaker from FEMA was talking about their web site and Twitter account and she said, "Who is my audience?" then answered "Everyone."  That's my answer when anyone asks who the audience is for the ideas I share. Anyone who wants to help create a world where every child has an opportunity to achieve the American dream and who understands that some children start further behind others because of where they live or where they were born.

Every week for the past 20 years I've met with other people who I've hoped would carry these ideas to people in their own network, or share ownership with me on the work of building and sustaining an information base that is needed to support the involvement of everyone else.

If you're one of those people please pass this message on. Help bring people together in on-line communities, and in the conferences I host every six months. Help create new ways of connecting people, ideas, resources and young people.
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Thank you! You read to the bottom of the page.  If you do this every month you are truly dedicated.  I'd like to hear from you. Email me at tutormentor2@earthlink.net or join one of the forums I've pointed to. 

Good luck to everyone as they launch a new school year of tutoring and mentoring. 


Daniel F. Bassill, D.H.L
President
Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC
and Tutor/Mentor Connection

Read the blogs at :
http://tutormentor.blogspot.com
http://mappingforjustice.blogspot.com

Connect in these locations:
* on Twitter - http://twitter.com/tutormentorteam
* Linked in group on volunteering - http://tinyurl.com/TMC-LinkedIn-Volunteering
* Tutor/Mentor Institute on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/TutorMentorInstitute
* Tutor/Mentor Connection forum at http://tutormentorconnection.ning.com
* On Slide Share - http://www.slideshare.net/tutormentor
* On Scribd.com - http://www.scribd.com/daniel-f-bassill-7291
* On Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/tutormentor/

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