The goal of the conference is to share ideas and brainstorm strategies that will help tutor/mentor leaders and supporters expand their networks of friends, peers, and supporters.   Thank you to everyone who volunteered time to participate.


FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2011

Below you can see descriptions of workshops offered at the November 2011 conference. As of March 14, 2012 a spring conference is not scheduled, due to lack of sponsor dollars.

 If you would like to be part of a November 2012 conference submit a workshop idea using this form. 

8:45am-9:30am

Welcome :

Linda Stewart, MENTOR, National Mentoring Partnership, Senior Director of Outreach, http://www.mentoring.org
 

Daniel F. Bassill, Founder, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net
 

9:40am-10:45am

Challenges of Non Profits - Panel Discussion of Tutor/Mentor Program Executive Directors, focusing on Fundraising in difficult times, Managing a small NPO, Emergency management of an NPO.

Below is a video recording of this panel discussion. Add your own comments in the Tutor/Mentor Connection forum.

Panel includes: 
Jen Sontag, Executive Director, East Village Youth Program,

Natasha Smith, Interim Executive Director, Working in the Schools

Phil Jackson, Executive Director, The Black Star Project

Moderated by Jordan Hestermann, Executive Director of Becoming We the People

City as Classroom: an interactive workshop, presented by Eric Davis, Founder/Director, Global Citizenship Experience High School

"City as Classroom" guides participants through the process of extending authentic learning experiences beyond classrooms and into communities. Applying GCE's Field Experience Template, the workshop explores the process of preparing students for off-campus, urban exposures that transform the learning experience of students. The workshop also describes strategies for building vital out-of-school partnerships.

Best Practices: Recruitment and Engagement, presented by Racquel Fields, Garrick Charles and Eboni Prince-Currie, Program Specialists with After School Matters
After School Matters will present a conference session on "Best Practices: Recruitment and Engagement" from out-of-school time programming that other program providers will be able to tailor towards there own programming needs

Using National Service to Expand Your Program. Hosted by Scott McFarland, Illinois Commission on Volunteering and Community Service
This session is intended for program leaders who might be interested in using National Service to support their program. The session will start with a brief overview of Learn and Serve, AmeriCorps, and Senior Corps presented by Scott McFarland. The session will then move into a panel format, facilitated by Scott McFarland, where each of the Members present will give a brief description of their program and what they do on a daily basis. The audience will then be able to ask questions of the panel.

Nurturing the Art of Self-Learning, presented by Andrius Kulikauskas, Self Learners Network
We ask ourselves 12 questions that help us grow forever (What is your deepest value? What question do you seek to answer?...) We then consider art projects that invite others to explore with us deep ideas in Math and other subjects they wish to learn. (See workshop descriptions for more detail). 

11:00am-12:00pm

Improving Your Board Of Directors, presented by Raja Baptiste, RNB Consulting Services. The workshop will focus on the creation and development of a Board of Directors which will enable an agency to grow and sustain its mission through the years.

The Right Mentoring Option for the Right Mentor, presented by Sue Sowle, Project SOAR at McGaw YMCA.   Description of four different models of mentoring developed to fit different types of volunteers. This workshop will explore the four models and their evolution as well as discuss ways to problem solve when a good mentor doesn't fit your program design.

What Results Story Can You Tell, presented by Debra Natenshon, CEO, The Center for What Works
There is a clear need to focus on outcomes for the kids we serve, yet defining success and specific targets remains elusive to many smaller tutoring and mentoring organizations. Join this hour long discussion on results. You'll leave with a clearer understanding of how to define success and set targets for your key clients.

Faith-Based Youth Mentoring & Personal Development, discussion led by Steve Braxton, Program Manager-Mentorship & Jobs at Lawndale Christian Legal Center and Mitchel Scholar, Faith-based leader, Minister and lead Coordinator for Lamp-a youth mentoring. This workshop will describe a holistic approach to mentoring youth 15-24 to help and assist them with social actions issues, and social media life challenges. Designed to help reduce crime, violence, and gang activity. 

12:50pm-1:30pm

Afternoon Keynote:

Tramaine Montel Ford, American actor, comedian, dancer, singer, songwriter, choreographer, producer, model, and voice-over artist from Chicago, IL. Alumni of tutor/mentor program in Chicago. Tramaine will show how his first taste of acting was with the Cabrini Connections tutor/mentor program in Chicago. http://www.thetramaineexperience.com/

Building Business and Professional Support for Tutor/Mentor Programs throughout an Urban Area, presented by Daniel Cotter, Chair of the Executive Committee of Layers Lend  A Hand to Youth

Mr. Cotter will talk of the way lawyers have built the Lend A Hand Program and raise more than $2.5 million for tutor/mentor program. Show that this could happen in other industries and that in a May conference we could be giving recognition for what is happening in various industries in similar ways to how LAH gives recognition to people in the legal community during their annual lunch. 
 

Collective Action-Planning Ahead. National Mentoring Month, May 2012, presented by Daniel F. Bassill, President of Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC and Tutor/Mentor Connection. Bassill's presentation will focus attention on events and actions taking place from December 2011 through May 2012 that create opportunities for tutor/mentor programs and supporters to work collectively to expand the resources available to support each volunteer-based tutoring and/or mentoring program operating in Chicago. 

1:40pm-2:50pm

Volunteer and Student Recruitment, Training, and Weekly Support, Panel Discussion.  Panel includes
Joel Newman, Director of Community Partnerships, Big Brothers Big Sister of Mississippi Valley

Sarah Bird, East Village Youth Program

Christy Beighe-Byrne, Director of Mentor and Volunteer Services, Chicago Youth Centers
Whitney Capps, Teen Program Manager at Step Up Women's Network in Chicago.

Understanding and Applying Elements of Effective Practice of MENTOR, the National Mentoring Partnership, presented by Dr. Clara Carter, former Director of Training for the Maryland Mentoring Partnership. Learn more about Dr. Carter.
Mentoring partnerships and organization across the country are united behind a common set of standards for high quality mentoring programs. These are called the Elements of Effective Practice. http://www.mentoring.org/program_resources/elements_and_toolkits

Engaging Tutors, Volunteers, Parents, and Teachers, presented by Jordan Hesterman, Executive Director of Becoming We the People
This workshop will give participants tools for better communication with tutors, volunteers and teachers. It will include a discussion of ways to engage different stakeholders, build their involvement and retain them longer.

Implementing Mentoring STEM Enrichment Programs,  presented by Bernard Key, technologist, Key Link Technologies, Winnie Davis Key, and Lt. Calvin Young of the National Guard.   This workshop will discuss how to incorporate Technology and STEM enrichment and mentoring initiatives in schools, faith based, park districts and other community organizations. Winnie Davis Key will discuss the best practice of implementing volunteer tutor mentoring programs in faith based organizations. We will discuss the volunteer tutoring after school model that we implemented at Victory Apostolic Church of God.

3:00pm-4:15pm

Second Afternoon Workshop Sessions

Public Relations for the Nonprofit Organizations, presented by Natalie Wahlberg, Director of Public Relations, Becoming We the People. This session will include a how-to guide for writing dynamic promotional material, disseminating it through social and print media, and maintaining a social media presence.

Building better data and understanding, a discussion hosted by Bart Phillips, President of CB Tutors. 
The session will focus on how we (Community Building Tutors, Tutor/Mentor Connection, and other collaborators) are working together to build a web-based data collection and reporting tool that will benefit participating tutoring/mentoring program. After a brief introduction and background, participants of the workshop will work together to define a small but meaningful set of data points that can be collected on tutoring/mentoring programs on a periodic basis. It will be important to define the data points with a mind to meaningful reporting that can lead to enhanced understanding around best practices for tutoring and mentoring programs. Workshop
participants will also discuss optimal strategies for marketing the participation in this initiative and how to incentivize participation in this data collection initiative. Lastly, the workshop attendees will layout a timeline for the rollout of this new initiative.

A Positive Approach to Mentoring Urban Youth, presented by Guillermo Gutierrez, B.U.I.L.D, Inc. Participants will have an understanding of Urban Culture. Through this understanding the group will identify individual and institutional assets allowing them to take on an asset based approach to the interaction with youth as they mentor them from the margins to the main stream.