Mapping for Justice

At Tutor/Mentor Connection, Mike Trakan creates maps that look at the relationship among poverty, community resources, school performance, and locations of non-school tutoring/mentoring facilities for K-12 students. The maps help community, business, and political leadership visualize these relationships when working toward strategies and partnerships that offer much-needed support for these non-profit programs. The maps are also made available to journalists or anyone who wishes to include "tutoring and mentoring" in published discussions of social problems (crime, poverty, failing schools, etc.) and the search for comprehensive solutions.

Recently, Mike has been blogging about how faith communities can support tutor/mentor programs. "I think you might conclude when looking at our maps that, while many people are already working to help bridge gaps in support structures needed for kids in impoverished neighborhoods to have a shot at meaningful careers and futures... there is a lot of work needed," says Mike. "Faith groups that are already hard at work and generous just might be perfect leaders for new multiple-congregation alliances that promote and support new and existing programs." Recognizing the sheer number of churches in Chicago, and that most share common values of charity and service, Tutor/Mentor Connection believes that faith-based volunteers and donors can play a significant role in the establishment of more tutor/mentor programs and in supporting those which already exist.

If you are interested in this topic, please head over to Mike's blog to find out more. Post a comment or send him an e-mail. I know he would love to hear from you.

P.S. Mike is also a talented singer/songwriter. He put together a free song for this holiday season to thank his fans for support over the years. He describes it as "a spirited Christmas story straight from the streets of an economically-riddled North Pole." Give it listen here.

Listening to the Stars

On Monday, I posted an interview with Dan Bassill about leadership. He talks about the need for more leaders - in all sectors - to support tutor/mentor programs. He also talks about information-sharing and collaboration between programs. Dan, along with other founders, started the Tutor/Mentor Connection in 1993 to support the growth of tutor/mentor programs throughout the Chicago region. They have followed through with that mission over the years by maintaining a database of programs and by sharing ideas and concepts related to tutoring and mentoring.

Tutor/Mentor Connection offers a plethora of resources, but how can we get more people involved? How can we get more program leaders to contribute their ideas and work together to improve their own programs, or help start new ones? Though we are all united by a desire to help youth rise out of poverty and into successful careers, we tend to work in silos. Each program raises funds, recruits volunteers, and runs day-to-day on its own. How can we come together for the better of us all?

In comes The Constellation Model of Collaborative Social Change. In 2000, a small group of Canadian NGOs were worried about the issue of children's environmental health, but no group on its own had the mandate or resources to deal with such a complex issue. In response, the 'constellation model' of partnering was developed in order to bring together groups from multiple sectors to work toward a joint outcome. I encourage you to read this 6-page article detailing the model. Authors Mark and Tonya Surman say "it is helpful for organisations that want to solve concrete problems within the context of a rapidly changing, complex ecosystem." Sounds like us! Here are more excerpts to help you better understand the idea...

Two elements are needed to create a constellation: a need or opportunity, and energetic leadership by one or more partner.

Like the stars in the sky, constellations are 'loosely coupled' together to create a rough and chaotic whole. Partners come together based on their own interests and assets, which usually ensures that the 'right' partners are at the table. This element of self-interest also makes it more likely that there are high levels of contribution and participation.

More importantly, because of reduced competition, partners are able to raise considerably more money ... together than they would have individually. ... Also, funders readily appreciated the strategic benefits of working with all of the partners together.

I think this is a great idea and I would love to see it adopted by tutor/mentor programs in Chicago. Imagine if we were all working as one - sharing ideas and resources - toward an overarching goal of keeping kids in school and preparing them for 21st century jobs and careers by the time they are adults. We could accomplish a lot. Would you join a team?

Leadership

Last week I sat down with Dan Bassill, President and CEO of Tutor/Mentor Connection, to discuss leadership, the most frequently tagged subject on his blog. I hope you enjoy listening to Dan's insights on the topic and much more. Helpful links can be found at the bottom.

Part 1 [3:59] - What does a leadership strategy for a tutor/mentor program look like? Our goal is that instead of there being one leader saying 'follow me,' there be many leaders saying follow me and that each leader is working to empower other people to take on that same role.


Part 2 [1:34] - When you're talking about so many different people and different levels, how do you get them to buy into that greater mission? 'We don't choose the lives that we're given. It's what we do with those lives that makes a difference.'


Part 3 [4:09] - What are some of the examples of the different sectors of business and life that have a stake in this? If I were the leader of a faith community, I would be every week saying to the people I'm talking to, 'Let's read a few chapters of scripture; let's talk about it; and let's think about how we live this in our lives.'


Part 4 [4:04] - What does it take to get a program started? There's a path that you can take to get better at what you do, and that path starts out with, 'Where's the information that I can learn from?'


Part 5 [4:09] - Finding a place and designing a program. It takes a core group of people who make a commitment: 'I'm going to make that place available.'


Part 6 [3:49] - Attracting donors and sharing best practices. By collecting information about who's doing good and what that means, you're providing a inspiration and a motivation, hopefully, that each resource provider is getting better at what they are doing with their resources to help tutor/mentor programs be in poor neighborhoods...


Helpful links:

• Tutor/Mentor Institute Library
• Tutor/Mentor Institute Leadership Strategies
  
• Tutor/Mentor Connection. What is it?
• Transforming Adults Involved In Volunteer-Based Tutor/Mentor Programs
• Corporate Teams using talent and time

If you have thoughts or questions of you're own, please post a comment or send me an e-mail. I would love to discuss and discover more about tutor/mentor program and nonprofit leadership.

2009 Holiday Party

Youth Leadership Council Meeting 12/4/09

The 2009-2010 Youth Leadership Council held its third meeting on Friday, December 4th. Their first order of business was to determine guidelines for the Winter Clothes Drive. The project seems simple on the surface, but a lot of details had to be discussed. For example: is it best to sort by type (hats, gloves, coats, etc.), size (small, medium, large, etc.), or gender?

After a heated debate, four categories were determined: 1) hats, gloves, scarves, and facemasks, 2) coats and jackets, 3) shirts and sweaters, and 4) jeans and pants. Other stipulations: donated items must be clean, in good condition, and neatly folded into a collection box. Also, when it comes to taking: "take what you need and be considerate of others," says Israel.

Two weeks later, we now have overflowing boxes of winter clothes in our center. Thanks, volunteers, for donating so many items! Our students truly appreciate your generosity.

Stay tuned for more news from the Youth Leadership Council in 2010, when they will begin work on a fund raiser and a lounge.

Student Spotlight: Brittany Murphy

7th grader Brittany Murphy, who just celebrated her 13th birthday on December 14th, lives in Lincoln Park and attends Oscar Mayer Magnet School. Her favorite subject is math because she likes to work with numbers and she anticipates counting a lot of money in the future. Her least favorite subject is reading, but she's starting to like it. When she doesn't understand a passage, she will look up words, re-read, or ask for help. She used to sit back and stay silent, but now she ask questions when she's confused.

Brittany is on the cheerleading team and this year they made it to the city championships. They could have gone even further, but state was canceled, so, in actuality, they made it all the way to the top! At the competition, Brittany was very impressed by the dance team from Northside College Prep. After looking it up on the Internet, she is interested in attending high school there because they have good academics.

After high school, Brittany has her sights set on International Academy of Design and Technology in Tampa, Florida, where her mom studied design and marketing. Brittany wants to be a fashion designer when she grows up. "Don't dress based on other people," she recommends. "Dress based on how you feel... You should be bright, but not too out there." Thanks for the advice!

Eventually, Brittany wants to live and work in the fashion capitals of the world, New York and Paris, but, for now, she is happy in Chicago and expects to move back here after getting noticed around the world. She likes Chicago because you're never bored. There's always something to do.

Brittany's other dream job is to be a teacher. She likes little kids. ("I'm addicted to them.") She has a few baby cousins who she loves to spend time with. "They are so energetic," she says. "They never keep you sitting around." Brittany enjoys dancing, watching TV, and playing games with her family. She's not shy at all; she's open minded; and she likes to meet new people. I think you'd make a great teacher, Brittany!

At Cabrini Connections, Brittany is a member of Video & Filmmakers Club. She wants to record her own fashion show one day. She attends tutoring sessions on Thursday nights with her mentor, Sonali Murthy. "I like her a lot," says Brittany. "It's easy to talk to her... Some mentors are strict and buckle down, but we can goof off and stay focused." Brittany and Sonali met a few times off-site this summer to get to know each other. Since then, they've opened up and are getting along well. We're happy to hear that!

This holiday season, Brittany's extended family will spend the night with her on Christmas Eve. When they all wake up the next morning, they give gifts to each other. Sounds like a great time! As a New Year's resolution, Brittany simply plans to "do the best I can in all subjects." Good luck, Brittany! Congratulations on being in the spotlight!

Volunteer Spotlight: Sonali Murthy

Sonali Murthy grew up in India before coming to the United States about 13 years ago. Her undergraduate degree is in economics and she received a Masters in Accounting and Information Systems from The University of Kansas in 1999. For most of the 2000s, Sonali worked as a consultant for Deloitte. Consultants are people who are sent out to companies around the country with problems in need of solving. Sonali helped telecomm clients with billing, customer service, and the implementation of IT systems. She would often be away from home for most of the week, flying out on a Monday and returning on a Thursday or Friday.

After awhile, Sonali got bored with work, but there was still one day that she loved. Deloitte employees have one day a year dedicated to community service, and Sonali always chose to work in a school. She is very passionate about the cause of education... so much so that she wants to be a teacher! Last year, she transitioned out of her consulting job and she is now pursuing a Masters in Education at Northwestern University and volunteering at the Academy for Urban School Leadership in her spare time. Her goal is to become a middle school math teacher in an urban school.

Sonali wants to give something back because she remembers how important her teenage years were. "In India, everyone has an 'it takes a village' mentality," she says. "You felt like you had to answer to everyone around you." She is also inspired by her grandfather who came to America on a ship and ended up going to Harvard. She realizes the importance of individual determination, but, also, the necessity of a support network. We at Cabrini Connections believe in the same necessities. We believe each youth has the ability to succeed, but 'it takes a village' to maximize his or her potential.

Sonali found out about us by Googling 'tutoring programs in the City of Chicago.' She started with her mentee, 7th grader Brittany Murphy, in August and is "absolutely loving it." She compliments our program on having great infrastructure, enthusiasm, organization, and commitment, and she says that she is very encouraged every time she comes to tutor. She and Brittany started off by talking about high school selection. Brittany identified the schools she wants to go to, all of which are challenging, and they are now focused on what needs to be done to get into them.

Away from tutoring and studying, Sonali is learning to play guitar. She will also be taking voice lessons soon. She loves jazz and the harmonica, and she also loves animals. She had a dog while in India that's 17 years old! For the holidays, Sonali is going to Florida for three weeks with her husband. Safe travels, Sonali. We look forward to your continued presence in 2010. Thanks for setting a great example!