Jan-Feb 2017 Tutor Mentor eNews

Use the ideas and resources shared monthly to help youth in your zip code have opportunities to participate in well-organized, mentor-rich, non-school programs.

January-February 2016 - Issue 154

New Year. New Challenges. Same Old Challenges. Get Informed .

I marched in the January 21 Women's March in Chicago. I wrote this follow up on Sunday. What's your plan?

The ideas shared in this monthly newsletter can be used by youth organization leaders, resource providers, political leaders, universities, volunteers and youth to help mentor-rich programs thrive in all of the neighborhoods where they are most needed.

While I try to send this only once a month, I write blog articles weekly. In the sections below I post links to a few of the articles published in the past month. Spend a little time each week reading the articles and following the links. Use in group discussions with people who are concerned about the same issues. Create a blog like this sharing your own ideas.

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Local Leadership Needed to Build and Sustain Mentor-Rich Programs in More Places

Maps of Chicago and other places can show where youth need extra help that non-school programs provide. Leaders needed at the program level, the neighborhood level, and the city level.

You can find this graphic in this Tutor/Mentor blog article.

While there is great uncertainty about what type of leadership we will have at the national level, support for mentor-rich, non-school programs has always depended on leadership at the local level. Comprehensive, mentor-rich programs are needed in many areas. Each needs a board of directors and diverse base of volunteers. However, leadership is also needed at the neighborhood level to assure there are enough programs to serve as high a percent of the K-12 youth in a zip code or community area as possible.

Such teams are also needed at the city level, so every high poverty neighborhood has a flow of talent and dollars to help great programs grow. You can follow this same thinking to the state and federal level, but in big cities like Chicago there are many people, businesses, universities and other institutions that could be working together to help needed programs grow.

Use this concept map as your leadership development worksheet

The concept map at the left shows talent and networks I seek to support my work, and that I feel are needed to support any organization. You're welcome to copy this, or create your own versions. See the map here.

Recommended reading:

* Engaging Students (and Educators) as Citizens of the Digital Age - read more

* Still Far to Go to Achieve Dr. King's Dream - read more

* Role of Intermediaries - read more

Read more articles like this on Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC blog.

Making Strong Programs Available in More Places: What's the Plan?

Every youth serving organization competes with the others for the same operating resources. Let's innovate ways to increase the pool so there's more for all the programs that are needed in big cities like Chicago.

You can find this graphic in this article where I talk about building year-round support for youth tutoring, mentoring programs.

I've been creating maps and visualizations since 1994 to show where existing non-school tutoring/mentoring programs are located in Chicago and where more are needed...and to show roles leaders can take to draw attention and needed support to programs in every high poverty neighborhood.

This is my most updated map, created in January 2016. It shows locations of non-school youth serving programs in the Chicago region. ( click here to see map and list of Chicago area non-school volunteer-based tutor, mentor and learning programs).

What tutor/mentor programs are in your zip code? Help build and maintain web directories listing local programs. Read more

Recommended Reading:

* Mapping Network Growth in Youth Development Field. This is one of many articles using concept maps. read more

* Birth to work blueprints needed - click here

* Understanding and applying social capital concepts - click here

* Reaching out to universities - click here

Nothing happens until someone reads these articles, then invites others to do the same. This is an on-going process, where many can take leadership roles.

Kids Are All Different and Constantly Changing.

Building and sustaining a well-organized mentor-rich program is a challenge. Attracting young people and keeping them involved through high school is an even greater challenge.

Thomas Edison had to do more than 1000 experiments before he invented a working light bulb. I use that image to show the constant learning and innovation that needs to take place in schools and non school programs.

See this graphic in this article.

Where do you get your ideas?

I led a tutor/mentor program from 1975-2011 and the Tutor/Mentor Connection since 1993, I've been able to do this because I'm constantly learning from people I meet locally and through the Internet.

Below is a concept map that I created to point to some of the people I connect with regularly. In each node on the map you can click into blog articles written by others. In this section of the Tutor/Mentor web library I point to even more places where I find ideas.

In addition to reading blogs and participating in on-line learning events, I've found many web sites that visualize some of the problems we face in Chicago and other places. See the map below at this link.

While addressing the root causes of poverty, inequality and racism are important, the pie chart on this graphic emphasizes that there are many other issues that are important and need people's attention. My goal is that just a few people from different sectors devote a portion of their time every week to helping mentor-rich non-school programs grow in more places.

See complete collection of Tutor/Mentor concept maps. click here.

Here are some other resources to look at .

* New documentary releasing this week "A Head Full of Doubt".

* Illinois Mentoring Partnership Breakfast, this Friday. details

* Strengthening Chicago Youth blog - click here

* Thrive Chicago events calendar - click here

* Tutor/Mentor Blog article with frequently used links - click here

Dan Bassill (that's me) is available to discuss any of these ideas with you, or others, via Skype, Google Hangouts or in person if you're in Chicago.

Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC
Merchandise Mart PO Box 3303, Chicago, Il 60654

tutormentor2@earthlink.net | http://www.tutormentorexchange.net

It only takes a small group of dedicated people to change the world. Thank you to the few people who keep sending contributions to help me keep this resource available to you and others.

Thank you to those who responded in December 2016.
Click here if you want to help.

Thanks to all who helped me celebrate my
70th Birthday on Dec. 19. Read More