NOVEMBER 15 AND 16, 2004 TUTOR/MENTOR LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
Held at City Colleges of Chicago, 226 W. Jackson, Chicago, Il.

This is a list of people who presented workshops at the November Conference and the date they were scheduled to speak. Workshops and presenters are subject to change without notice. If you would like to do a workshop at this or future conferences, email the T/MC at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Join in planning future conferences:
One goal of the T/MC Conference is to create a community of people who learn from each other, network, and collaborate to help volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs grow in all places where they are needed. We encourage all workshop presenters, conference participants and interested supporters, including business and foundation leaders, to visit the DISCUSSION Section at http://www.tutormentorexchange.net/Partner/CC/egroups/egroups.htm where you can join one or more groups in this community.

Daniel F. Bassill, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tuesday, Nov. 16
Dr. Daniel F. Bassill is President of Cabrini Connections and the Tutor/Mentor Connection, organizer of the Leadership Conference series. Dr. Bassill. has spent more than 30 years, mostly as a volunteer, reaching out to children and youth living in Chicago's Cabrini-Green neighborhood. Bassill first became a tutor in 1973, then became the volunteer leader of the Montgomery Ward/Cabrini Green Tutoring program in 1975. More than 3,500 volunteers and 3,300 children have participated in programs Bassill has led. Some volunteers have participated for more than 10 consecutive years and some students from first grade through high school. With six other volunteers, Bassill formed Cabrini Connections in 1992. Learn more. Visit the About Cabrini Connections section of http://www.tutormentorconnection.org and read "The Tutor/Mentor Business" by Sara Caldwell. Contact Dan at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Rev. Loraine Bogan, Monday, Nov. 15
Dr. Lorraine Bogan began her ministry in 1978 implementing and directing a youth outreach ministry at Chatham Fields Lutheran Church. In the fall of 1992, The SAFE – SPORTS AFFECTING FUTURE EDUCATION – Haven was formed. Lorraine began to work in the “trenches” through sports, tutoring, mentoring, and counseling specifically for young people who display disruptive behaviors and or participated in gangs and selling of illegal drugs. Lorraine has endured many life threaten events, including eluding shootings from rebel gangs, single handling breaking up gang fights, rescuing youth and parents from stabbings and other domestic and community violence. For the past 25 years, Lorraine has personally worked and mentored over 500 “at-risk” children and youth. Lorraine was featured on Channel 7 Harry Porterfield's “Someone You Should Know” Lorraine qualifications include a doctorate in practical counseling, certifications in conflict resolution, bereavement-counseling specialist, and a license Christian minister.

Kelly Brock, Ph.D. TutorTrek, Tuesday, Nov. 16
Dr. Brock is one of the nation's foremost experts and speakers on tutoring. A noted pioneer in the field of tutoring and professional tutor training, Dr. Brock's career has advanced through the ranks -- from teacher to educational leader to entrepreneur. Dr. Brock is the creator of the original TutorTrek training program ( www.tutortrek.com ). Released in September 2004, Tutor Trek is the most comprehensive and innovative tutor training program available. It is a suite of e-learning courses designed to provide the aspiring tutoring professional with the core skills and information necessary to help students learn. TutorTrek continues Brock's long-term interests in building the nation's tutoring profession. Over the years, her expertise has helped hundreds of emerging companies succeed in combining practical business advice with solution-oriented tasks for students, parents and tutors.

In addition to her work with TutorTrek, Dr. Brock is the chief executive officer of Educational Options and NCTEA in Washington, DC. Dr. Brock's work on the business of delivering and advancing the education of children and youth has been recognized nationally. She is a member of the Leadership Board of the Education Industry Association. She also serves on the boards of Rock Creek Academy, Educational Diagnostics, TouchSmart, the American Tutoring Association, and the Montgomery County, MD Commission on Children and Youth. Dr. Brock earned a Ph.D. and a master's degree from American University and a bachelor's degree from East Texas State University. A resident of Garrett Park, MD, she is the mother of five boys ages 10-22. She can be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 202-378-1368

Elizabeth (Betsy) Clarke, President, Juvenile Justice Initiative, Monday, Nov. 15
Ms. Clarke is President of the Juvenile Justice Initiative, a statewide advocacy organization to promote rational and effective juvenile justice policies in Illinois. The privately funded Juvenile Justice Initiative began in 2000 with a mission to transform the juvenile justice system in Illinois by reducing reliance on confinement, enhancing fairness for all youth, and developing an adequate range of community-based resources throughout the state. Ms. Clarke's past positions have been a) Juvenile Justice Counsel, Office of the Cook County Public Defender (six years) where she was advisor to Public Defender about legislative and policy issues in the juvenile justice and child welfare fields; and b) Office of the State Appelate Defender (1977-1992) where she served as Legislative Liaison and as Juvenile Justice Coordinator, in addition to appellate practice as an Assistant Defender. She is Immediate past chair of the Juvenile Justice Committee of the Illinois State Bar Association, current co-chair of the Midwest Juvenile Defender Center, and past chair of the Midwest Coalition of Juvenile Justice. Contact Betsy at 47/864-1567; 847/570-0749 (fax); 847/894-4206 (cell) or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Barbara D. Cole , Maywood Youth Mentoring Program, Inc., Tuesday, Nov. 16
Barbara D. Cole is a graduate of Roosevelt University with a degree in Business Administration. She is retired from Lucent Technologies where she worked in Naperville, Illinois as a Technical Writer.

Barbara has been a board in her local United Way since 1983. She served as President for over 13 years. She has served as President of the Proviso Area United Way (1997-2000) and as President, Maywood United Way (1987-1997).

As a result of her work with the United Way, Barbara became aware of the need for more intensive youth services for Maywood. Thus, in 1992 she and another board member formed the Maywood Youth Mentoring Program, Inc. The mission they set for the program was “to mobilize and provide opportunities for parents and community residents to become more involved in serving youth.” The primary objective of the program was to provide alternatives to gang and drug related activities, to promote academic excellence and cultural enrichment

Since 1998, the primary goal of the Maywood Youth Mentoring Program has been to sponsor year-round Black History classes to students in both District 89 and District 209 schools. Under Barbara’s leadership, the Maywood Youth Mentoring Program has been successful in writing and winning State and private grants in order to offer a year-round Black History curriculum at area schools.

The Maywood Youth Mentoring Program has received many accolades for its work with youth. Of the awards that Barbara is most proud of are the Girl Scouts’, “I Care” Award (1995) and the State of Illinois’, “Peace Leader” Award (1997) from the Illinois Department of Violence Prevention.

Barbara Cole has a long record of community involvement, including: Secretary, Maywood Alliance for Better Government (2000-present); Advisor, U. of Illinois 4-H Leadership Club (2000-present); President, Proviso Area United Way (1997-2000); President, Maywood United Way (1987-1997); Board Member, Maywood United Way (1983-present); Member, Loyola Healthy Teens Project (1994-present); Member, Maywood Chamber of Commerce (1987-present).

Paul Collins, Jordan-Webb, Inc. Monday, Nov. 15
Mr. Collins, of Jordan-Webb, Chicago, Illinois, has been an independent consultant since 1981. Since 1989, his company has focused on facilitating collaborative work groups and helping clients deploy tools that support group facilitation, collaboration and decision making. Mr. Collins facilitation style would be described as empowering and leading without directing, and making sessions highly productive and fun.

Mr. Collins is active in a number of professional organizations, including the Midwest Facilitators' Network (MFN), where he is a co?founder, director and webmaster. Mr. Collin's client experience in the corporate, government, academic and not-for-profit sectors, has included: National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA), GATX Corporation, Mc Donald's Corporation, Motorola, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), BP Amoco Corporation and Graduate Business Schools at the University of Chicago, Loyola University, De Paul University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Illinois Benedictine University and the University of Wisconsin (Madison). http://jordan-webb.net

William R. Conrad, Jr, President of the Institute For Voluntary Organizations (IFVO). Tuesday, Nov. 16
Mr. Conrad founded IFVO in 1975. He has provided effective consultations and workshops throughout the United State and Canada. He has written 23 monographs on nonprofit Leadership and Management. Ohio University press has just published the 3rd edition of his popular book, "The Effective Voluntary Boards of Directors: What it is and How it works". www.ifvo.org

Linda Dean, Training and Volunteer Management Director – YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, Monday, Nov. 15
Ms. Dean has held a variety of leadership and volunteer management positions at YMCAs in Des Plaines, Chicago, Kankakee, Downers Grove, Il. and Carbondale, PA. She has certifications as a YMCA Senior Director, and in the YMCA Executive Development Program. She received a B.A. Social Work from Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa (summa cum laude). Association of Professional Directors of YMCAs of North America (APD), American Society of Training and Development (ASTD) and the Association of Volunteer Administrators. http://www.ymcachgo.org

Maryann Durland, Durland Consulting, http:www.durlandconsulting.com
Dr. Durland started her career in education in a 3rd grade classroom in West Virginia. This particular classroom, very rural, was part of an experimental program called Individually Prescribed Instruction, developed by the University of Pittsburgh. From that beginning, she has pursued one major interest, improving student learning through the application of research to instructional practice. Her central question has been, "If we know so much about teaching and learning, how can it be that our students are failing?" She is an advocate for students. Most of her work has been in the poorest of urban and rural schools.

Dr. Durland has a master's degree in reading and is certified as a reading specialist and her doctorate is in educational research methodologies. She is also licensed as a Class A Evaluator in Louisiana, one of the few states to have credentialed evaluators based on coursework, experience and knowledge and use of the evaluation standards.

Her interests center on the teaching-learning relationship, which she defines as “a conversation”. Some of these include:
q Creating and evaluating viable school reform plans
q Understanding school culture and structure as capacity for engaging in reform,
change, or improvement
q Collecting, understanding and using data for decision-making
q Classroom assessment
q Integration of technology into instructional practices
q The application of Social network analysis for measuring engagement and constructivist practices

In her evaluation practice she uses a variety of methods and integrates many different perspectives from stakeholder evaluations to utilization focused evaluations to theory based program evaluation.

Dr. Durland teaches Evaluation Research at Loyola University Chicago, Water Tower Campus. She lives outside of Chicago and has three children, who are currently in colleges in Illinois, Alabama and Kentucky. Contact Dr. Durland at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it '; document.write( '' ); document.write( addy_text98974 ); document.write( '<\/a>' ); //--> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Learn more at www.durlandconsulting.com (view Dr. Durland's presentation from May 2004 conference: SNA Overview (Power Point).

Russ Frazier, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Siouxland Workshops on Both Days
Russ Frazier, Founder and President of the Iowa Mentor Center and President of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Siouxland has worked in non-profit management and fundraising for over twelve years. Russ started the Iowa Mentor Center as a non-profit corporation to respond to the needs of mentoring programs across the state of Iowa. The IMC serves programs by offering technical assistance, volunteer strategies and program evaluation. Russ also serves as President of BBBS of Siouxland, a position he has held for more than nine years. During his tenure the agency has increased service to children by over 400% and its revenue by 500%. Contact Russ This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Audrey George, Horizons for Youth (Chicago), Monday, Nov. 15
Audrey George-Griffin is the Executive Director of Horizons for Youth, which serves children from low-income areas through education and mentoring programs during the elementary school years. Horizons for Youth offers its students comprehensive, long-term services that involve the entire family. Students begin with Horizons as early as kindergarten and continue through the eighth grade. They receive private school scholarships, academic support if needed, adult mentors, and monthly enrichment activities. Horizons for Youth boasts a 100% high school graduation rate and a 67% college attendance rate for its alumni. Prior to joining Horizons for Youth, Audrey served as the Director of Development for the “I Have a Dream” Foundation. Her experience also includes working as the Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at the Greater Chicago Food Depository, and as the Youth Director for Blessed Sacrament Youth Center. Audrey earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Notre Dame and her master’s degree in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago. Contact Audrey at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Kimberly George, YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, North Lawndale Mentoring Program, Tuesday, Nov. 16

Kevin Hogan, Manager of Grants, YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, Tuesday, Nov. 16
Mr. Hogan is a human services professional with a Masters in Public Administration and broad experience providing direct services to individuals with disabilities; writing corporate, foundation, and government grants and development communications for a major non-profit organization; designing, implementing, and evaluating individual transition programs for high school youth; and collecting and analyzing data. He was been with the YMCA since 2001 and was with the U.S. Peace Corps, Tapa, Estonia from 1998 to 2000. Mr. Hogan was Rehabilitation Services Supervisor with the Illinois Department of Human Services, Office of Rehabilitation Services, Champaign, from 1992 to 1998. Kevin is also Editor, Chicago Area Peace Corps Association’s bi-monthly newsletter and has been a Tutor with East Village Youth Program since January 2004.

Sherard Jones, Sinai Mentoring Program, Tuesday, Nov. 16
Sinai Mentoring Program (SMP) is a school-based mentoring program targeting school-aged children grades 4th - 8th in the North/South Lawndale community of Chicago. The mentoring program links professionals from Sinai Health System and other members of the Chicago community with youth from two Lawndale elementary schools, Melody Elementary School and Chalmers Specialty School. The program offers mentees opportunities to engage in organized activities that expose them to varied socio-economic and culturally diverse settings. Learn more at http://www.sinai.org/who/sci_programs/mentoring_program.asp

Thomas Keller, Ph.D., School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago, Monday, Nov. 15
Thomas E. Keller is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago and a Faculty Associate with the Chapin Hall Center for Children. His current research, funded by The Spencer Foundation and the National Institute of Mental Health, focuses on the development and influence of youth mentoring relationships in Big Brothers Big Sisters school-based and community-based programs. Prior to earning his Ph.D. in social welfare at the University of Washington, he worked for several years with a Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliate in Seattle as a case manager, supervisor, and program director. Contact Thomas Keller at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Annette Kelly, President of FOUS Consulting Service, Monday, Nov. 15
Ms. Kelly has a BA in Human Services. She is a Certified Youth Development Practitioner with over 20 years of experience in youth development programming. Her work is recognized in private community-based and faith-based arenas. Other facets of her work includes, Site Reviewer and participant of the Youth Impact Council initiated by United Way of Chicago, and Consultant and Trainer for Chicago Area Project. Annette was recognized by USA Today as a recipient of Bank of America's Leadership Excellence in Neighborhood Development (LEND) Award. In addition, she is a veteran trainer and acclaimed conference speaker. Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Kevin King, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago, Tuesday, Nov. 16
http://www.bbbschgo.org

Kenneth King II, President, New Concepts, Monday, Nov. 15
Mr. King has Extensive experience designing and administering not-for-profit mentoring programs. Track record of successful sales, marketing, and management experience. Excellent project management, interpersonal, and communication
skills. He received a Bachelor of Arts and Science from Western Illinois University, Macomb, Illinois, with a concentration in communications, public relations. He is the founder of New Concepts, which operates one-on-one, school based and e-mentoring projects. Contact Ken at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Rev. Deborah Elandus Lake, Senior Consultant, Pease Lake Associates, Tuesday, Nov. 16
Rev. Lake has dedicated her life to fighting for the rights of disenfranchised people and caring for the spiritual needs of all people. She is an ordained non-denominational minister with a passion and talent for bringing people together in healthy dialogue. Since relocating to Chicago in 2002, Rev. Lake has worked with communities such as: Rush University Medical Center, the CORE Center, Stroger Hospital, and the AIDS Pastoral Care Network. Before moving to Chicago, she was called to serve congregations in both New York and Massachusetts. Rev. Lake is currently working with The Interfaith Alliance to establish a chapter in the Chicago metro Area. She received our Master's of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York. Learn more at http://www.peaselake.com Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Diane Latiker, Kids off the Block, Tuesday, Nov. 16
Diane Latiker ia a resident of the Roseland Community in Chicago, IL, the mother of eight children ages 14 to 31, and a grandmother of ten. She is a graduate of Chicago Are Project Advancing Youth Development Program, Precinct Captain, Deputy Resgistrar, Published Songwriter, and a Published Poet. In July of 2003 Diane started an organization called "Kids Off The Block". Its mission is to give at-risk inner-city youth positive outlets to their daily environment through Music, Drama, and Sports. Kids Off The Block also offers Tutoring/Mentoring to students. Those in need of specific help receive one-on-one tutoring.
Participants range in age are 6 to 18 years old. Hours of operation are Monday thru Friday 4pm to 8pm during school months and 10am to 6pm during summer. The purpose of starting this program was to help inner-city kids who normally wouldn't be able to have these type of resources available to them. Contact Diane at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Maggie Leininger, Outreach Manager, Marwen Foundation, Tuesday, Nov. 16
Maggie Leininger is an artist, art educator and art administrator for Marwen Foundation. Marwen is a non for profit organization that works with city of Chicago youth who are in grades 6-12 and are underserved in the arts. Marwen’s nationally recognized award winning after school visual art program bases it’s success on understanding the needs of youth to be expressive, individual, and successful members of a diverse supportive community. Marwen provides students not only with a high quality art education but also provides college and career counseling for all students. Some of Marwen’s career opportunities include the Holiday Card program which provides students with the experience of designing a specific product for a client that will then result in holiday cards that are sold throughout the Chicago area. For additional information, please visit www.marwen.org.
Contact Maggie Leininger at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Katie Markuns, Program Director, East Village Youth Program, Tuesday, Nov. 16
EVYP is a college readiness organization located in Chicago's West Town area. The mission of EVYP is to encourage and prepare primarily low-income, Latino youth for a college education. EVYP further strives to support these youth as they pursue their college degrees and enter professional careers. EVYP works with a large group of tutors, mentors, and other volunteers to assist in achieving these goals. www.evyp.org

Erin McPartlin, Cabrini-GreenTutoring Program (Tuesday, Nov. 16 panel)
Erin McPartlin graduated from Marquette University in 1995 with a degree in elementary education and social sciences. She spent time teaching in and around Milwaukee for three years before moving to the Chicago area in 1998. During her six years as a fifth grade teacher, Erin became one of the key teachers for mainstreaming special education students into her regular
education classroom; spent years researching alternative math curriculums and consulting with various school districts; and led her fifth grade team of teachers. She also provided private tutoring in the evenings to elementary students.

Erin McPartlin began as Program Director with the Cabrini Green Tutoring Program, Inc. in August 2001. To CGTP she has added emphasis on the educational content and quality of the tutoring experience. Through tutor training and ongoing support as well as educational resources and supplemental programs, CGTP's 250 volunteers are able to assess and address the academic and social needs of its 200 young students. The Cabrini Green Tutoring Program, Inc. tutors students in grades 1-6 on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday evenings from 6:00-7:15pm. For more information, please visit www.cabrinigreentutoring.org. Erin McPartlin can be contacted at 312-397-9119 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .'; document.write( '' ); document.write( addy_text60273 ); document.write( '<\/a>' ); //--> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Tomas Menses, Executive Director, JHP Community Center, Tuesday, Nov. 16
Tomas Meneses is an ordained minister with the Jesus House of Prayer (JHP) a religious order that founded the JHP Community Center. He is one of the three founders of the JHPCC since its inception in May 2001 and is currently the Executive Director. He has been training in martial arts for the past seventeen years and is a JHPCC Senior Instructor and 2^nd Degree Black Belt in MODKA. Besides his administrative roles he teaches a Youth Apprenticeship program through After School Matters, oversees the After School program at Chappell Elementary, and provides instruction for JHPCC’s Advanced MODKA Leadership Classes. TOMAS MENESES This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Nathan Miller, ARC Mentoring Program, Cookeville, TN, Monday, Nov. 15
Nathan Miller is currently employed as a case management team leader at the Advocacy & Resources Center; there he supervises a case management team that provides services for disabled persons in eight rural counties in the Upper Cumberland area of Middle Tennessee. Other responsibilities there have included being a mentor, serving on the ARC Mentoring Selection and Rules Committee, as well as program development and coordinating the Advocacy & Resources local involvement with the All American Soap Box Derby. Miller also worked in a rural mental health center where he was assigned for three years to the Continuous Treatment Team, which provided mental health case management services to the severely and chronically mentally ill. He also has served on several committees for and is a member of the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University in 1996 after majoring in Criminal Justice Administration, and in 2002 received his Master’s degree in Educational Psychology from Tennessee Technological University. Nathan Miller" This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Jonathan Peters, Jefferson Awards for Public Service, Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 15 and 16
Jonathan Peters has been a National Director with the Jefferson Awards for just over two years. The Jefferson Awards was founded in 1972 by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Senator Robert Taft, Jr. and Sam Beard to to encourage and honor individuals for their achievements and contributions in public and community service. As National Director, Jonathan has worked with
TV stations, newspapers and radio stations all over the Midwest to promote volunteer recognition and attraction. Prior to working for the Jefferson Awards, Jonathan spent 15 years in management positions with two Fortune 500 companies. http://www.jeffersonawards.org/

Calvin Pearce, Executive Director, Time Dollar Institute, Monday, Nov. 15
Calvin Pearce has shown that one person’s vision can have a remarkable ripple effect across a city’s entire school system. Pulling together a broad partnership of schools, students and parents, Calvin has succeeded in getting thousands of inner-city kids to participate in an after-school program that uses students in these neighborhoods as peer tutors in core subjects such as reading and math. The tutors build up Time Dollars toward the purchase of computers. The parents of both the tutors and the students receiving instruction are required to participate by donating time at schools, or becoming involved with their local school council or community policing. The program has had multiple benefits: parents become more involved in schools, peer tutors are motivated to donate their time, and a much-needed service is provided for those being tutored. Since Pearce took over the program in 1996, it has expanded from five to forty-five schools and from 500 to over 5,000 participating students. To date 5,075 students have received refurbished computers in exchange for tutoring. Among participating students, test scores in math and reading are heading notably upward.

Calvin and the Time Dollar Tutoring project have received many awards and have been featured on TV and in books and magazines. Calvin’s background with computers and technology make him a perfect fit with the Time Dollar Tutoring program. Contact Calvin Pearce at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Julia Pryce, School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago, Monday, Nov. 15
Julia Pryce is a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration. Her dissertation, which studies mentoring in three schools located in lower-income, Chicago neighborhoods, seeks to understand the nature and process of school-based mentoring relationship development. Her professional experience includes work as director of an intergenerational mentoring program, in addition to clinical experience in inpatient adolescent psychiatry as well as residential child welfare services. Julia's interests focus on interventions that seek to support youth at risk, particularly mentoring as it is considered within urban environments as well as in the child welfare system.

Jody Reecer, ARC Mentoring Program, Cookeville, TN, Monday, Nov. 15
Jody Reecer is employed as a Team Leader at the Advocacy & Resource Corporation (ARC) in the Case Management Department. He supervises a team that provides case management services to the disabled population in the Upper Cumberland Region of Tennessee. Jody has taken on many other roles at ARC such as mentor, serving on the ARC Mentoring Selection Committee and coordinating the ARC Golf Tournament that benefits the mentoring program. He has served as Treasurer and is currently Vice President of the Upper Cumberland Council on Children and Youth. He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Tennessee Technological University (TTU), and is currently working on a Master’s Degree in Education from TTU. Contact Jody Reecer" This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Mary Reynolds, Coordinator, East Village Youth Program, Tuesday, Nov. 16
EVYP is a college readiness organization located in Chicago's West Town area. The mission of EVYP is to encourage and prepare primarily low-income, Latino youth for a college education. EVYP further strives to support these youth as they pursue their college degrees and enter professional careers. EVYP works with a large group of tutors, mentors, and other volunteers to assist in achieving these goals. www.evyp.org

Ken Rodgers, Y.A.M., Tuesday, Nov. 16
Helping young people achieve their full potential is more than a commitment to Ken Rodgers…it’s a passion. For the past 22 years, Ken has served as executive director of the Youth Action Ministry (Y.A.M.) of Chicago, IL. Y.A.M. provides leadership opportunities, spiritual guidance and support, as well as role models and mentors for youth within the community. Although the program includes a variety of activities, Ken enthusiastically explained, “Y.A.M. is more of an education program. My goal is to get as many kids as possible to go to college.”

Since its modest beginning in 1982, more than 5,000 students have gone through the program, and about 97% of those students have gone on to college…a figure that is a testament to the success of the program. Over the years, the Y.A.M. program has expanded to serve communities in Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan as well. The success of Y.A.M. has been widely recognized and has been featured on television, radio and in newspapers. Ken Rodgers’s dedication and contribution to the success of the program has also been recognized. Most recently, the Chessmen Club of the North Shore honored Ken as a 2001 Community Service honoree for his lifelong commitment of meritorious service. The City of Chicago, the State of Michigan and the NAACP have also recognized Ken’s efforts with young people.

Yet according to Ken, “The secret behind Y.A.M., why it’s so successful, is that it’s truly a youth program. It’s run by the youth. The kids are their own board of directors and make decisions about Y.A.M. programs and activities under adult guidance.” As executive director, Ken says, “I actually work for the kids.”

Mr. Rodgers is Chief Mechanical (HVAC) Designer, for Greeley and Hansen, an environmental engineering firm based in Chicago . In addition to Y.A.M, Ken participates as a teacher and mentor in Edge Up, a school-to-work initiative in Edgewater and Uptown. With Greeley and Hansen’s support of this program, Ken has helped students at the Howard Area Alternative High School learn about engineering careers by helping them design a day-care center last year. This year, he has another group of students designing homes. Ken explained, “These activities help students understand and realize available careers, including the educational requirements needed for those jobs and the skills needed to become successful.”

What’s more…Ken is an active member of the Evanston Zoning Board and the Coalition for the Improvement of Education on the South Shore. He has also served on the board of the Illinois Adoption and Foster Parents program, the Chicago Children’s Museum, the Children’s Defense Program, and as vice president of the National Society of Black Engineers. Kenneth Rodgers, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Renee Tucker, Director of College Readiness at The Associated Colleges of Illinois, Monday, Nov. 15
Renee Tucker is an Illinois Certified School Social Worker. She received a Master's of Social Work from Jane Addams School of Social Work of the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a Bachelor's of Arts in Psychology from DePaul University. Renee is the Director of College Readiness at The Associated Colleges of Illinois, where she oversees preparatory programming for high school students around the state. In previous positions, Renee worked as the Program Director for the AI Have A Dream@ Foundation of Chicago, a tutoring and mentoring program, and Program Manager for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago. Renee continues to be involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters as a member of the Program Committee of the Board of Directors. She is also responsible for establishing the first school-based mentoring program in Oak Park, Illinois, and has provided training at local conferences, health fairs and to individual organizations. Practicing what she preaches, Renee is a volunteer with High Sight scholarship program, and has mentored a a "Little Sister" since 1994. Contact Renee at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it www.acifund.org