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January 2021 Tutor/Mentor eNews

January 2021 - Issue 196

January is National Mentoring Month

This year's National Mentoring Month will be much lonelier for many due to Covid19. But for many there will be ZOOM gatherings with volunteer tutors and mentors and new ways to connect and learn. As we start a new year, youth and families living in high poverty areas will still struggle more than others due to low access to digital tools and services.

Maybe during this Mentoring Month you can spend a little time learning about digital access and remote learning issues, then spend time in 2021 helping to close these gaps.

The ideas and resources shared in this monthly newsletter point to a library of resources that 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

A Day that Will Live in Infamy .... January 6. 2021

Like most of you I was horrified watching the attack on the US Capital on January 6 and I fear what will happen to our democracy in coming months and years. I'm hopeful that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and a Democratic controlled Congress will bring healing to every zip code in America, with new laws, new policy, and a flow of needed resources. That remains to be seen.

Amidst all of this we are celebrating Mentoring this month. While there's much to distract us I feel we need to continue to focus daily on ways we can build and sustain mentor-rich support systems that create HOPE and OPPORTUNITY for those who need extra help. In many ways this is a strategy to reduce the appeal to the right wing idealism that leads to hatred, division and destruction.

Good luck to all of you as you travel this difficult journey.

What is the State of Mentoring in your city?

In December MENTOR New York shared its Report on the State of NY Mentoring which you can read at this link. The site also shares Covid19 resources.

I suspect other cities and states might report similar findings but I've not seen this type of report yet from Illinois or from others.

From January 27 to 29 MENTOR will host it's annual conference, in an all-virtual format this year. I've already registered and hope that others will do the same. Use this link.

Dig into tutor/mentor web library

* Mentoring networks - click here

* Tutor/Mentor Programs beyond Illinois - click here

* Black History studies - click here

* Homework & learning help - click here

* Poverty, racism, inequality - click here

* Impact of Covid19; What's next? - click here

* Digital divide research & articles - click here

* Resources from Afterschool Alliance - click her

* Recommended Learning Resources on YouTube - click here

Purpose of Tutor/Mentor Library

I've been building a web library since 1993 with a goal that people would use this information to innovate better ways to support k-12 youth in well-organized, and well-funded, volunteer based tutor, mentor and learning organizations.

View this PDF to see how ideas from one place can inspire work done in many other places. Few of the youth tutor/mentor programs I look at share their strategies, program design, lessons learned, etc. consistently on websites and blogs, but if more did this they would be helping others learn from them, so more kids would receive better support.

What does your planning cycle look like?

It's January and National Mentoring Month draws attention to mentoring programs throughout the country. If you're on a school-based calendar, your year starts in August as you recruit youth and volunteers. That means in January you should be starting a process of evaluating your own fall start-up activities with a goal of doing even better next fall. As you move through the spring, you should be inviting your volunteers, youth, parents and donors into your brainstorming and planning process. By June you should have a plan of operations for the coming year.
View this PDF to learn more of this process.

Understand challenges facing youth, and new President of USA

This concept map is one of many that I've created over the past 15 years to visualize some of the things we need to be thinking about in our efforts to help kids in poverty areas move through school and into adult lives.

I created another that shows many of the issues facing America and the world as Joe Biden takes over as our 46h President. View it here.

Drawing people together to read, think, discuss then form action strategies is one of the biggest challenges we face. Here's one of many articles I've focused on building a learning organization.

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

Resources from Tutor/Mentor:

* List of Chicago area youth Tutor and/or Mentor programs, plus other resources for finding youth programs - click here

* Facebook pages of Chicago area youth programs - click here

* Strategy PDFs by Tutor/Mentor - click here

* Concept Map library - click here

* Mapping for Justice blog - click here

* Blog article showing short links to resources hosted in Tutor/Mentor library and websites - click here

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

* Blogs I follow using Inoreader- click here

*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.

* Covid-19 in Illinois - Impact on Nonprofits in 2020. Forefront report. - click here

* 2021 National Mentoring Summit will be a remote conference this year. Click here for details.

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

* MyChiMyFuture - City of Chicago - visit site and find activities for youth - 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

* Chicago Learning Exchange - click here

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

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.

Since 2011 I've supported Tutor/Mentor Connection via the Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, which is not a 501-c-3. It's also not broadly funded. I've covered expenses through my own savings and the help of a few who make annual donations to me either via my December 19 birthday campaign, or my year-end fund me campaign. Below are links to each page. Please help if you can. Thank you to all who contributed in 2020.

Dan's 74th Birthday- click here

Fund Tutor/Mentor Institute- click here

Encourage friends, family, co-workers to sign up to receive this newsletter. Click here.

(If you subscribe, don't forget to respond to the confirmation email)

Thank you for reading and sharing the ideas in this newsletter.

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Feb 2021 T/M eNews

February 2021 - Issue 197

Maps. Social Capital. Birth-to-Work

In this month's newsletter I focus on maps, birth-to-work program design, social capital theory and relationships as desired outcomes.

I've provided links to pages and articles where I hope you'll explore these ideas more deeply and engage others in conversation about where and how the ideas might be applied.

If you are writing about these strategies on blogs or in program websites, please share the link with me on one of the social media platforms I point to.

Use this newsletter as a study guide.

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

Visit Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC Website

Birth to Work - 12 years and longer

While many focus on the actions of a mentor or of a tutor I focus on how these actions need to repeat for many years to help a youth living in a high poverty area move safely through school and into adult lives, with a job/career that enables her to raise her own kids free of poverty.

This Tutor/Mentor Pinterest page shows many of my #birthtowork graphics and pages where I've used them in articles.

Maps - point to ALL places where help needed

I've been using maps since 1993 to focus attention and resources to all of the high poverty areas of the Chicago region, which is where thousands of youth need expanded networks and support to help them through school and into adult lives.

By identifying existing programs in these areas we can point resource providers to them. By showing areas without programs we can help mobilize resources to fill the voids.

View map stories here, here and here.

Social Capital - Who you know. Relationships Matter.

I was able to participate in the January National Mentoring Summit and found many of the workshops and panels to be useful. I pointed to some in this blog article.

Two workshops focused on social capital and relationships as necessary goals and outcomes for youth tutor/mentor programs. The graphic at the right visualizes the goal of connecting youth to adults from many backgrounds who can model opportunities, open doors, and provide aid and coaching as youth make this journey.

Discussion of Tutor/Mentor Ideas

This Link takes you to a Tutor/Mentor Institute portal hosted in the UK. It's a place where people from the US, Europe and other places are encouraged to join with people from Chicago. The discussion is designed to create a blueprint that can be used in any city. It's a blueprint showing many actions needed in building an operating system and infrastructure that reaches youth in all high poverty neighborhoods and stays connected with age-appropriate supports for many years.

Campaign for Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC

Support Tutor/Mentor Connection - Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC

Let's create a world where all kids have greater hope and opportunity. Help more kids in high poverty areas connect in organized volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs. I started this work 25 years ago. Please contribute to help me continue.

(scroll down to bottom of page to find PayPal button)
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We want these opportunities for our own kids and grandchildren. We all want same long-term result of kids moving safely through school and into adult lives and jobs. Read this article to see how the Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC and T/MC support this goal with an extensive knowledge base.

This video shows my commitment to helping tutor/mentor programs grow in all high poverty areas.

Rather than trying to be the single leader in a huge city, the T/MC and now T/MI, have sought to provide an information platform that all leaders can use to LEARN, EDUCATE, and innovate ways to support tutor/mentor program growth in more places and to solve other complex social, political and environmental problems facing cities.

Resources supported by your contributions, sponsorship and/or partnership

Tutor/Mentor Blog and Mapping for Justice Blog
Featured Blogs from past years - click here
Tutor/Mentor Chicago Youth Program Links library

Tutor/Mentor Institute strategy library

Tutor/Mentor Institute Concept Map Library

Tutor/Mentor Connection web Library

Monthly eMail Newsletter

Tutor/Mentor Connection Forum and Social Media Network

View videos on Tutor/Mentor Institute Theater

Please help me continue to do this work.

If someone you know has become ill and needs money to pay bills, they set up a "Go Fund Me" page and ask for contributions. They are not 501-c-3 non profits. They are people needing help.

The Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC is not operating as a non profit either. However, it's also not a profit-making business. So, this is my "fund me" page. I (Daniel Bassill) have been self-funding this work since 2011, supported by a small group of continuing donors. Please add your support to help me continue in 2020 and beyond.

Please send a contribution of $25, $100, $500 or more.

Become a volunteer, advocate and/or partner and help me find sponsors, investors and partners to build this platform for future use. Read more .

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TMI Video Library

The videos on this page were created between 2005 and 2018 to help people understand the strategies and resources shared by the Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present) and Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present), which is led by Daniel F. Bassill.

Click here for more T/MC and T/MI videos. Click here to view videos created by interns. View these videos on this YouTube video list. Find more on this list, and this one.

Note. Most of these videos were created prior to 2018 and still show a PO Box mailing address. Use the contact us page to find current information.

Mentoring Kids to Careers - Strategies and Leadership Commitment needed - click here

4-Part Strategy to Help Kids Through School and Into Careers - piloted since 1993 - click here

Growth of volunteers in a long-term tutor/mentor program. Showing work by interns from the University of Michigan and Northwestern - click here

View this "volunteer growth" blog article - click here.

Volunteer involvement in on-going tutor/mentor program is a form of service-learning. This video shows work of interns from South Korea and Northwestern University - click here

This an Article 5 Image

Understanding "push-pull" as part of a tutor/mentor program strategy for helping youth through school - click here

Collective actions to support urban youth via organized, volunteer-based tutor, mentor and learning programs - click here

Visualize how resource providers and policy-makers might be more proactive in supporting on-going tutor/mentor programs. Role of Influence - click here

Read the blog article - click here

"Enough is Enough" If we want to reduce urban violence on-going investments must be made - click here

Read this article on the Tutor/Mentor Institute,LLC blog - click here

"Here to There". Visualize steps needed for building and sustaining programs that help youth through school and into careers. click here

Homework help resources for students, parents, volunteers, educators, library on this website. click here

This video was created in 2018 when the TutorMentorConnection website was hosting the library. Now the links in the concept map shown in the video point to this website. View the concept map - click here

This video shows universities throughout Chicago where Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conferences were hosted - click here

Thank you to Terry Elliott, an educator from Western Kentucky, for creating this video.

This was part of a strategy aimed at recruiting universities as long-term partners. This blog article shows a 30 year history of reaching out to universities. Click here

View this video to see how Terry Elliott shared my review of 2018 actions.

Helping tutor/mentor programs grow - see how interns have helped and how this is shared in the Tutor/Mentor blog - click here

View the blog article - click here

Take a tour of this "It takes a village" video. What's it mean for youth in high poverty areas of cities like Chicago? - click here

This video shows work done in late 2000s by graduate students from the University of Michigan.

View the graphic in this blog article - click here

Tour of Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC website (www.tutormentorexchange.net) created by Wona Chang, a 2015 intern from South Korea. click here

2025 note. The website platform has been updated, resulting in a new look for the site. However, the basic navigation remains the same as is shown in this video.

View more videos created by interns - visit this page

Introduction to T/MC OHATS (Organizational history and tracking system). Active on this site from 2002 to 2014 - click here

Visit this page and learn more about the T/MC OHATS. While this is now only available as an archive it remains a model of how groups working toward a common goal might document actions to better understand accomplishments and who is contributing.

The Tutor/Mentor Connection was created in 1993 by volunteers who had crated the site-based Cabrini Connections tutor/mentor program in late 1992.
It was the "local" Cabrini-Green focused part of a "local-global" strategy that continued until 2011.

View videos showing activities at Cabrini Connections. click here

Helping volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs grow in high poverty areas of Chicago - Dan Bassill, 2012 panel discussion - click here

Mentor role in a larger strategy of community and youth development - click here

Read more in this blog article - click here

What is poverty? Dan Bassill in 2009 panel discussion - click here

The work done by interns that is shown on this and other pages demonstrates a role that students at any college or high school could take. Imagine going to your school's website and find a collection of visualizations similar to what I show on these pages.

Thank you to Terry Elliott and others who read my blog articles, view my videos, and then create and share your own interpretation and understanding through your on media.
click here

Browse this set of articles on the Tutor/Mentor blog to see how Dan Bassill has networked and shared ideas with a network of Connected Learning (CLMOOC) educators since 2013.

Dan has ofter showed the CLMOOC interactions as a model for how people in the youth development ecosystem should be interacting.

Helping nonprofit organizations grow to be good, then great, over many years. View this 2017 reflection - click here

Visit this blog to read more about helping youth tutor, mentor organizations grow to be good, then great, and stay great, over many years.

The challenges facing leaders of nonprofit organization. Executive Director panel from 2011 Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference.
click here for part 1.

View part 2 - click here. View part 3 - click here

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