Sept 2020 eNews

September 2020 - Issue 192

New School Year Brings New

and Old Challenges

For the past six months we've all been trying to figure out how to live our lives, help others, and earn a living within the restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

This is new to most of us so connecting with others and learning from their own experiences is more important than ever. I encourage anyone involved with a youth serving organization to make a consistent effort to share what you are learning and challenges you face.

The ideas and resources shared in this monthly newsletter can be used by anyone, in Chicago, or around the world, to help mentor-rich youth programs thrive in all of the neighborhoods where they are most needed, and to help understand and respond to these over-riding challenges.

If you are a consistent reader, consider a contribution to help fund the Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC

Visit Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC Website

Chicago Schools Re-Opening Plan

Since 1993 I've maintained a list of Chicago area non-school tutor, mentor and learning programs with two goals:

a) I can help them attract volunteers and donors;

b) I can help them learn from each other

I follow more than 100 of these organizations on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin, but few post regularly on all these platforms. The image at the left is from a Christopher House post on Facebook, where they share this link to the Chicago Public Schools Re-Opening Guide.

What are students telling us?

iMentor operates in Chicago and other cities and uses its Facebook and Twitter posts to share what it is learning from its students and volunteers during #covid19. Click here to view this post on Twitter.

Click here to view this same post on Facebook.

It's not possible in a newsletter like this to feature more than a few examples of what youth organizations are posting. Thus, you need to develop your own on-going learning habits so you can find this information, learn from it, and share it with your own program network

Share stories of alumni success

The graphic at the right is a post on Twitter by HighSight, which has operated since early 1990s. This post shows work of one of their alumni, who leads a different youth serving organization in Chicago.

Drawing attention, volunteers and donors to a non-profit youth program is difficult, but on-going work. Posting to social media is one low-cost way to tell your story. ReTweeting or Liking these posts is a virtual volunteer role that anyone can take.

I'm on Twitter @tutormentorteam. I look forward to connecting with you.

Make learning part of the culture of your organization, not just what you do to help youth.

While I host a library of websites that anyone can draw from I follow many education blogs where there is a constant stream of good ideas being shared. I point to these in my newsletters and social media. Others can do the same, drawing their own network of supporters to this information.

Here are some links to review:

# Homework help library - click here

# Educator & learning resource blogs - click here

# Digital Divide links - click here

# Understanding issues cMap - click here

Are you part of the GrowthWorks Conversation?

Last month I posted this blog article inviting Chicago area youth program leaders to be part of a consumer conversation hosted by the GrowthWorks consulting firm in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Read the blog article to learn more.

If you'd like to be interviewed, please contact GrowthWorks directly (using email in the blog article) or email Dan Bassill This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Below are resources to use to help youth in your community.

Recent Tutor/Mentor blog articles:

* Our Children Need Your Help - Volunteer Recruitment Campaign History - click here

* Constant Challenge. How Can We Do this Better? - click here

* Athletes Taking A Lead - click here

* Call Goes Out for Volunteers - click here

* Help Build Chicago Tutor/Mentor Program Knowledge Base - click here

* Building Public Will - click here

* Make Long-term tutor, mentor & learning programs available in more places - click here

* Strategy PDFs by Tutor/Mentor - click here

* Concept Map library - click here

* Mapping for Justice blog - click here

* Hashtags I follow on Twitter. Use to expand your own network - click here

* Blogs I follow using Inoreader - click here

* National Mentoring Resource Center - Covid-19 resources - click here

* MyChiMyFuture - City of Chicago - click here

* Strengthening Chicago Youth web site, click here; blog - click here

* Chicago Mentoring Collaborative - click here

* To & Through Project web site - click here

* Incarceration Reform Digital Resource Center - click here

* City of Chicago, CPS, links - click here

* Chicago Public School Locator - click here

* Healthy Chicago 2.0 - click here; Read Healthy Chicago 2025 report - click here

* Chicago Learning Exchange - click here

* ChiHackNight - remote civic technology meet-up; every Tuesday in Chicago - see agenda

*Chicago Youth Serving Organizations in Intermediary Roles-click here

Please help update this cmap and the links in the Tutor/Mentor web library. Just email me with additions or changes.

About this newsletter.

While I try to send this only once a month, I write blog articles weekly. Throughout the newsletter I post links to a few of the articles published in the past month or earlier. I encourage you to spend a little time each week reading these articles and following the links. Use the ideas and presentations in group discussions with other people who are concerned about the same issues.

Trying to understand purpose of this newsletter? Read this "What the Heck am I Trying to Do" article -click here

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