Nov. 2005 workshops

NOVEMBER 17 AND 18, 2005 TUTOR/MENTOR LEADERSHIP and  NETWORKING CONFERENCE AND SYMPOSIUM  
This conference will be held at HIGHSIGHT, 1065 N. Orleans, Chicago, Il 60610.

Symposium Focus:
The Role of Volunteer-Based, Non-School Tutor/Mentor Programs in School Reform Policy:
How do volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs impact college and career readiness? What are the challenges that keep such programs from being in more locations?

If you would like to attend just one or two panels or workshops at this week's conference, there will be no charge. Just register (using the online form) and state which workshop or panel (s) you will attend.
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If you would like to submit a one, or two-page paper, to be submitted to the Mentoring Task Force, bring it to the conference, or email it to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Please plan to participate and contribute your ideas to this forum.

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What are the primary most critical resources needed in your program?" "What are the secondary most critical resources needed in your program?" 

Tutor/Mentor Connection (T/MC) surveys (Live surveys are available at http://jordan-webb.net/tmc)  from past conference show that these are the resources most needed

Committed staff and volunteers
57.1% of those responding to the first question said "people" was most important. 42.8 said "resources" was most important need. 22.1% said "involvement" was the most important need. 

Consistent Funding
55% listed "resources" as the second most important need, and 27% said people was the most important need. Thus, for over 75% of 
programs, people and resources are the most critically important needs. 

During two days of panel discussions we hope to build a strategic framework for building public understanding of the value of volunteer-based tutoring/mentoring, and the resources needed to support good programs in multiple locations.  Panel discussions will be facilitated by volunteers from the Midwest Facilitators Network, Paul Collins and Odette Samuelson, along with workshop leaders, such as Mark Duhon and Avery Austin.

Biographies of all speakers can be found in the Speakers Link, at the Left.


Nov. 17 - Symposium Agenda

8:45 to 9:10 - Keynote speaker - Phillip Jackson, CEO, The Black Star Project
Phillip Jackson is a nationally renowned speaker on educating Black and Latino children. The Black Star Project, a 501(c)3 organization, is committed to improving the quality of life in the Black and Latino communities of Chicago by eliminating the racial academic achievement gap. The mission of The Black Star Project is to provide educational services that help pre-school through college students succeed academically with the support of their parents, families, schools and communities. Additionally, the Black Star Project helps students aspire to post-secondary educational opportunities and training as they explore careers that will be emotionally, intellectually and financially rewarding. Services are available to all students in Chicago Public Schools, particularly low-income Black and Latino students who attend low-achieving schools in disadvantaged communities. http://www.blackstarproject.org

9:30 to 11:30 - What works. Why are tutor/mentor programs important?
We already know these programs are needed. Let's talk about what works. mentoring research/evaluation strategies - what is working/where do you get information. Invite former students and volunteers to provide testimony. How do we tell this story? Who does it effectively? What can we learn from others?

Panelist: 
Alex Ciesla
, Partners in Education (4th Presbyterian Church), Chicago     www.fourthchurch.org/pie.html
Devon Lovell, Family Matters     www.familymatterschicago.org/awards.html
Larvel Watkins, currently a member of the young professional development program at Uhlich Children's Advantage Network in Chicago

Noon - 1:00 - lunch and networking

1:00 to 1:20   Keynote speaker - Avery Austin,  Vice President, National Tutoring Association
The National Tutoring Association (NTA) is a nonprofit member serving association. The NTA was formed in 1992 and currently represents over 3900 tutors and tutorial administrators across the United States and internationally. Members represent colleges, universities, high schools, middle schools, elementary schools, school districts, literacy programs, community programs, grant supported programs, and NCLB/SES providers. We welcome membership from peer, paraprofessional, professional, volunteer, and private practice tutors. The NTA is a proud member of the American Council of Developmental Education Associations (ACDEA).

1:30 - 3pm - Building Experienced Leadership - Where do you find experienced leaders and staff?
T/MC surveys from past conference show that 84% of program leaders say that recruiting and retaining responsible staff and volunteers was their greatest priority.  During this panel will discuss how programs recruit, train and retain quality staff? What works? What could be improved? Where do staff go to learn from peers? How is internet used?

Panelist: 
Mr. Avery Austin
, Vice President, National Tutoring Association (facilitator)
Alexandria Taylor, Associated Colleges of Illinois
Nathan Harris, College Bound, IUPUI
Audrey George, Horizons For Youth, Chicago

3:30 - 5pm - Volunteer Recruitment, Recognition and Retention Strategies
T/MC surveys from past conference show that 84% of program leaders say that recruiting and retaining responsible staff and volunteers was their greatest priority.  During this panel will discuss how programs recruit, train and retain quality volunteers. What works? What could be improved? Where do volunteers go to learn from peers? How is internet used? Panelist will include:

Dr. Sylvia Cobos Lieshoff, National Center for Family Literacy, representing Verizon Literacy Campus
Denis Rigdon, Executive Director, Project Hope, www.phope.net 
LaDawn Norwood
,Director of Youth Development with the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, http://www.ymcachgo.org 

Nov. 18 -  Symposium Agenda

8:45 to 9:10 - Keynote speaker - Daniel F. Bassill, President, Tutor/Mentor Connection

9:15  to 10:30 - How do we know what works? How do we tell the public, policy makers and donors what works?  While we have personal experience that tells us that the type of tutoring/mentoring programs we lead is valuable, where is the research evidence to support this? This panel will discuss evaluation strategies, challenges and opportunities. This panel will include: 

Deborah Natenshon, 
The Center for What Works, http://www.whatworks.org
Nathan Miller & Jody Reecer, Advocacy & Resource Corporation, Cookesville, TN

10:40 - Noon - Funding of Urban High Schools - Why do major foundations pour millions of dollars into  schools and only a trickle of dollars into non-school programs? T/MC surveys from past conference show that almost 98% of program leaders say funding is the first or section most critical priority for their organization. What are innovated ways to increase flexible revenue for all tutor/mentor programs? We want to build a list of good ideas, or even crazy ideas. The purpose is not to list what won't work, but to focus on the need, and to begin to find ways to increase the flow and distribution of operating dollars to everyone doing this work, including the intermediaries, like the Tutor/Mentor Connection and mentoring coalitions in other big cities. 

Discussion led by:  Mark Duhon, Highsight, http://www.highsigh.org 

Noon to 1:00 - lunch and networking

1:00 to 1:20   Speaker: Dr. Edward Gordon, Imperial Consulting Corporation. 
 Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Tutoring and School Reform -   Since the issuing of Nation at Risk in 1983, school reform has topped the public agenda. However, it took the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and its supplemental services, i.e. tutoring component, to make tutoring an essential part of school reform.

Ed Gordon's research on tutoring spans over three decades. As one of Chicago's leading practitioner experts, he discusses the vital contributions that non-school, volunteer-based tutoring/mentoring programs have made and will continue to make in the school reform movement.

Dr. Gordon will discuss the twin needs for stronger networking and collaboration between existing programs and the establishment of on-going quality training and retaining of adult and student volunteers.  He sees volunteer community-based tutoring as a potentially powerful way of reaching both parents and students to promote a culture of family literacy in the home.

1:30 - 2:45 Collaboration
How can organizations and networks work together to get more consistent attention and to lower the costs of volunteer recruitment and fund raising; how to connect tutoring/mentoring with juvenile justice, workforce development, diversity networks. How can other mentoring networks in other cities connect their conferences and public awareness events with the T/MC and each other to create a greater public response for tutor/mentor issues in every city?

Panelist:  

Avery Austin
, Vice President, National Tutoring Association
Loomis Mayfield, Consultant in Educaiton, Training and Community Development
Daniel F. Bassill, President, Tutor/Mentor Connection
Paul Collins, Jordan-Webb,  http://jordan-webb.net


3: - 4:30 PM- What can business, churches, media, universities, elected officials do to help you provide more effective tutoring/mentoring? 
During this panel we will learn about how some businesses and professional groups are supporting volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs in Chicago. What can we learn from these examples that will lead to their duplication in other business, professional and alumni networks? 

Panelist:  

Rita Planera, Corboy & Demetrio; Member of Executive Board, Abraham Lincoln Marovitz Lend A Hand Program, http://www.lend-a-hand.net

Joan M. Klaus, Vice President and Philanthropy Manager, JP Morgan Chase
Joan M. Klaus is responsible for coordinating education grants and initiatives for JP Morgan Chase, the nation's third largest bank holding company..  In this capacity she oversees the Chase community schools, coordinates special projects, leverages grants with major institutions and other nonprofits.  She was formerly the Vice President and Foundation Director for the First National Bank of Chicago and American National Bank, a legacy company.  She was responsible for coordinating the American National Bank’s corporate contributions, and all of the parent bank, First Chicago, education grants and partnerships.  In this capacity, she formerly directed the Hire the Future Program, founded the Saturday Scholars program, and guided partnerships with four Chicago Public Elementary Schools. 

There is still time to register. If you only plan to attend one panel, there is no charge, but  you do need to register. To join the on-line discussion in the T/MC Discussion Portal, go to http://msg.uc.iupui.edu/TMC/html/index.php ). Questions? Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

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WORKSHOP SCHEDULE 

Conference participants will be able to choose to attend the symposium, or one of three workshops that will be offered in each time slot on Nov. 17 and 18.  See below for eConference workshops.
 
Nov. 17 Workshops

9:15 am to 10:30 -

Recruiting and Retaining Effective Volunteers  - Presented by Dr. Sylvia Cobos Lieshoff, Training Specialist, National Center for Family Literacy, representing the Verizon Literacy Campus.
Dr. Lieshoff will briefly explain the session's starting assumptions related to current trends in volunteerism in the  United States, potential benefits of involving volunteers in literacy programs, and the importance of setting goals and responsibilities for volunteers. This is in the form of a quiz. During the session the speaker will describe four primary volunteer recruitment techniques and how to decide which is best for your circumstances. The speaker will also present ten tips (each) for volunteer training, supporting, and recognizing volunteers. 

To tap the collective wisdom of the participants, a One, Two, Four Activity will be used. Participants will independently recall successful strategies that they have used, or heard of others using, related to training, supporting, or recognizing volunteers (done one at a time). They share their ideas with a partner. Each pair then teams up with another pair to share the strategies again. The presenter will re-assemble the entire group and invite participants to present any impressive strategy they heard.

The session will also include a brief tour of the Verizon Literacy Campus web site, the source of the content used in the session. 

Supplemental Education Services: Making it work for Students, Parents, Schools and Providers, presented by Beth Swanson and Erica L. Harris, Program Manager for Supplemental Education Services for the Chicago Public Schools
As part of No Child Left Behind, schools that have not made adequate yearly progress for three years in a row must offer free math and reading tutoring programs called Supplemental Educational Services (SES), to all low-income students.  SES tutoring in Chicago is currently provided by 28 private providers. In this workshop the presenter will explain how SES operates in Chicago, the new plans for SES for the 2005-06 year, how to become a state approved provider, how to get the word out to parents and community members, and the challenges of running this type of after school program at such a large scale. 

In this workshop, the discussion will include, but will not be limited to the following topics:

  • How does SES work in Chicago (for families, schools, and private providers?
  • How does Chicago inform parents and the community about SES?
  • What do I need to know if I am an approved provider to be ready for next year?
  • What does one need to do to become a provider?
  • How can I tutor with one of these SES programs?
  • What types of challenges have surfaced with the implementation of SES in Chicago

All are welcome to attend. Visit the CPS afterschool web site at http://cpsafterschool.org 

High School Scholarship Program Networking Session, 9:15 am till NOON
Facilitated by Mark Duhon, Executive Director, High Sight, www.highsight.org.

If your organization offers scholarships to help inner-city kids get into private high schools or into college, come and learn how others do similar work, or how similar programs might collaborate. If you want to learn more about how  your tutor/mentor program can connect with scholarship programs, this is a workshop session for you to attend.


10:40 to Noon -

Mentoring: A How To Pocket-Guide  - Presented by Nathan Miller & Jody Reecer,  Case Management Team Leaders, Advocacy & Resource Corporation, Cookesville, TN. 
The focus of this presentation will be to discuss and give a quick look at several different aspects of mentoring that would be applicable to those wishing to start a new program, as well as those with an established program. Topics such as how to start a program, activities, community partnership, and evaluation strategies will be touched upon. The presentation will use power point technology and group discussion to gain and exchange information in order to create and maintain better mentoring programs for our youth.

High School Scholarship Program Networking Session, 9:15 am till NOON (part 2 of 2)
Facilitated by Mark Duhon, Executive Director, High Sight, www.highsight.org.

 

Mentoring Strategies for Faith Based Organizations, Facilitated by Denis Rigdon, Executive Director, Project Hope, www.phope.net 
Mr. Rigdon will discuss volunteer recruitment strategies that can be used by secular or faith-based programs to obtain more volunteers. Mr. Rigdon will review strategies for telling people about your volunteer opportunities: churches, seminaries, church-related schools, religious orders, the indigenous community, former participants, colleges/universities, community professionals, retirees, civic groups, collaborators, and corporations. He will also discuss training and networking of people within an organization so that more people are working to broaden your recruitment efforts.

Background information for this workshop, provided by Denis Rigdon:
Whereas some programs are constantly seeking new volunteers, other programs have the opposite dilemma – too many from whom to choose. 
 The director of a life skills program in a large Protestant congregation told us, “We have people waiting to be part of the team.  In as long as I have been involved in church work, I have never operated a program where I had too many volunteers until [this program] came along.  And suddenly I’ve got this group that is incredibly dedicated, incredibly gifted, and they keep coming back.” Conversely, programs that are highly dependent upon student volunteers indicate that it is difficult to cover required tasks when midterms or holiday breaks occur.

Both paid staff and volunteers talk about the personal benefits they receive.  These benefits come from their work or ministry, including the flexibility of their positions, learning and service opportunities, a family “feel” to the program/agency, the manageable size of the program, rewards of the work, chances for informal, personal interaction, and pride in the program’s external recognition.

There appears to be reciprocity between these personal benefits and the program benefits that volunteers and paid staff members receive.  Comments by paid administrators or program coordinators about both paid staff and volunteers include that they “go the extra mile,” are good advocates for service participants, engage in “intensive hand-holding,” and exhibit “passion.”

·         If a program needs more volunteers, whether it is faith-based or not, consider using both faith-based and secular venues for recruiting volunteers.  The following are possibilities for telling people about your volunteer opportunities: churches, seminaries, church-related schools, religious orders, the indigenous community, former participants, colleges/universities, community professionals, retirees, civic groups, collaborators, and corporations.   Similarly, make sure that people within your organization know about these opportunities to volunteer.  Because participants in the program and paid staff of the program may choose to volunteer, they need to know about these opportunities. They can also mention these volunteer needs to people within their personal networks, thus broadening your recruitment efforts.

Recruit volunteers to fit the opportunities.  Core volunteers are regular and ongoing players within the program. Be sure individuals recruited for these roles have sufficient time in their schedules to perform faithfully their responsibilities.  Special events may require multitudes of short-term volunteers. You might think of recruiting these as a cohort.  Given the high need for volunteer labor, recruiting from inside and outside of the organization may make sense.

Mr. Ridgon will also be answering questions in the T/MC web site portal, starting Nov. 21. See details below.

1:30 to 3:00 -

Fund Raising Strategies for Moderately Experienced Organizations, presented by Kevin Hogan, YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago
You can tell me in two or three minutes who you are and what you do. Can you tell me on paper who you are, what you do, why you do it, who else does it, and how you know what you do? It's 90 minutes of proposal writing fun with budgets, logic models, program descriptions, and an excessive use of the future tense. Feel free to bring one of your proposals with you for open discussion - whether it's a one-page flyer or a 10-page application with footnotes and attachments.  If you plan to attend this workshop, bring some ideas with you and let Kevin help you build a stronger fund raising strategy.

Techniques for Working with Students with Low Self Esteem, presented by VeRita Quinn, Family Resource Coordinator,  Rich Township H.S. District 227
This workshop will share ideas from the speaker and participants about working with students with low self esteem. The speaker will discuss the Do and Don'ts of helping to build self-esteem: The Do list includes: Develop a relationship;  give responsibilities - make youth feel needed; accent the positive;  be a good, active listener and an encourager;  celebrate and respect.
 
The list of Don'ts includes: Don't Criticize; don't do all the talking; don't focus on past or present failures; don't belittle; don't make assumptions or be judgmental; don't be overprotective. Let them try something, and if they fail, encourage them, that's it's okay.

Bring your own list to this workshop and everyone will walk away with a larger list of Do and Don'ts.

Working with Youth in the Juvenile Justice System, presented by Helen A. Warren, Mentoring Network for Juvenile Court Wards, Circuit Court of Cook County, Juvenile Justice Department.   
This session will provide information for volunteers and programs who work with youth on probation, or who have a history of at-risk behaviors


3:10 to 4:40 -

Approaching Study Skills, presented by Devon Lovell, Family Matters, Chicago, http://www.familymatterschicago.org 
Just as vital as tutoring students in core academic subjects, is nurturing students’ study habits. Teaching study skills is often overlooked or seen as a nebulous subject to actually teach. For many tutors and mentors, their own solid study habits were acquired organically during their life as a student. Unfortunately, it is a different story for many students in tutoring programs. This workshop will offer some methods for supporting students who struggle in their approach to studying. Techniques for teaching basic organization skills and study strategies will be addressed as well as how to support students with learning disabilities.

Networking Session for the Near North Side/Cabrini-Green Area Mentoring Programs, Facilitated by Mark Duhon, Executive Director, High Sight, www.highsight.org .
As Chicago's Cabrini-Green neighborhood is restructured, organizations examine their role in working together to maximize the effect on the areas young people. Representatives from the different organizations will share ideas on strengthening their programs.

Tools needed to Promote Access to Higher Education, presented by Jacqueline McMahon, Illinois Student Assistance Commission, http://www.collegezone.com/ .
This session will focus on the intricacies of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and student eligibility for financial aid, as well as the new dynamic functionality of Illinois Mentor at http://www.collegezone.com. Illinois Mentor is ISAC's free career and college planning tool that promotes access to college for all Illinois students, available this December.

Nov. 18 Workshops

9:15 am to 10:30 -

Recruiting, Training and Retaining Volunteer Tutors, Presented by Avery Austin, Vice President, National Tutoring Association (Part 1 of 2) This will be a 2-part workshop ending at Noon.
Every student is at risk. Even the brightest, and most talented students face challenges over the course of their academic experience. Tutors have the unique opportunity to help students bridge the disconnect that sometimes occurs between the classroom and the application of the material. Our challenge as program coordinators, parents, and members of the student's web of learning support is to provide additional academic support services within the realm of budgetary realities.  Volunteer tutors are essential for every grade level at every school, elementary through postsecondary.

There's no such thing as a brief explanation of how to tutor. The art and discipline of tutoring require exposure to the multiple aspects of teaching and learning, questioning and contemplating these theories, followed by application to the tutoring process that comes to fruition only through extensive experience.  For these reasons, and many more, tutor specific training is an essential part of retaining your tutors, whether volunteer or paid.  When surveyed, most tutors state that the reason they no longer tutor is because they do not feel that their efforts made a difference in the academic progress of the student.  Providing organized and professional training for tutors is important because it         
* correlates to concrete proof that all tutors have had consistent, effective training; 
* provides tutors with relevant, targeted tutoring skills, 
* stresses the importance of learning and implementing the tutoring code of ethics; 
* lessens or prevents potential tutor / student conflict, 
* provides consistent information that covers all pertinent issues; 
* enhances the credibility of the tutoring program, providing confidence for parents and staff to know that  your tutors are specifically trained to perform this function; 
* helps to prevent problems that can occur in the tutoring situation such as the tutor doing the student's homework, helping to much, violating the honor code/plagiarism, etc; 
* helps tutors to understand when a student's academic problems are beyond what they can help with, and how to refer the student to the proper place to get the help they need; 
* fosters a professional attitude in the tutors; 
* provides the tutor with a credible accomplishment that may be listed on their resume and therefore improves the tutor's overall ability to seek future employment; 
* motivates the tutors to improve and do well; 
* provides the standards by which success can be measured.

Once volunteers are recruited and trained, the challenge becomes rewarding the tutors and involving the tutors in the overall plan for student progress. Communication is key. Ability to reward in creative ways is essential.

During this workshop, participants will learn specific strategies to recruit tutors from the parent and professional communities. Participants will explore the rationale and available sources for tutor training.  Finally, participants will discover how to use community and corporate resources to reward and recognize volunteer tutors and mentors.

For the past seven  years, distinguished members of the National Tutoring Association have facilitated this presentation at numerous middle schools, high schools, colleges, universities and community programs across the United States. Most recently this session was presented at the Polk County district-wide meeting on August 18, 2005. Participants from all levels will find value in this informative and energetic session.


Students as Volunteers and Leaders, presented by VeRita Quinn, Family Resource Coordinator,  Rich Township H.S. District 227
Make your request for volunteers enticing enough and you'll get the leaders you want.  This workshop will provide ideas programs can use to recruit students to be volunteers and leaders. Discussion points include:  Making volunteering fun. I don't know what to do! I can't lead anyone; they won't listen to me! Breaking down the fear of volunteering and being a leader.

The Art of Business and the Business of Art, presented by Lara Dieckmann, Cabrini Connections, http://www.cabriniconnections.net  
Do you operate an arts program at your youth-based organization or would like to? Do you want to explore innovative ways to raise holiday funds for your organization utilizing the creativity of your artists-in-training? In this session, we will explore different types of artistic projects that require little funding to complete and types of artistic projects that can actually generate funds. In addition to discussion and brainstorming, each participant will complete a model of an inexpensive, fun and potentially lucrative crafting project. You will leave the session with some new ideas for your program, some fundraising tips to make art work for your organization and a creative project of your own to take home!


10:40 am  to Noon -

Latinos Unidos Por Un Mundo Mejor” Facilitator: Amalia Diaz DeLeon
Sharing best practices among individuals that serve Latino Families.
The workshop will begin by sharing the experiences of the Boone Tutoring Project. Boone Tutoring Project coordinates efforts to provide tutoring services to at risk Latino students in Boone County. This includes coordinating tutors, transportation, and other support services. Out of this project grew Latinos Unidos for a Better World; helping Latino students develop skills in citizenship, community organizing, advocacy, academics through community projects, partnerships, and cultural celebrations. The project is for students of the Belvidere High School located in the city of Belvidere, IL. This is a small town with a population of 20,000 residents and of this number 20% are Hispanic immigrants majority from Mexico. The education levels range from second grade to sixth grade. There was a major problem among these families as it related to education and it was the drop out rate amongst many other problems.

Mentor Recruitment & Training Strategies, presented by Deborah Baker, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago
In this interactive workshop, participants will learn how to identify potential volunteers and how to develop eligibility criteria and recruitment methods. This workshop is intended for program and marketing staff and leadership.  It is a hands-on workshop that draws on the collective wisdom of the participants  and the guidance of the presenter to provide each participant with tools they can implement when they return to their programs. Presented by Deborah Baker, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago http://www.bbbschgo.org

1:30 pm to 3:00 pm

Finding the Right Resources for  Your Program, Presented by Eloyce M. Gillespie, Executive Director, collaborative Youth Development Services, Inc., Mission, Kansas
The focus of this workshop is to develop participant’s ability to seek funding for their program and to examine elements that can enhance their proposal. Participants will also refine strategies for connecting and building relationships with potential donors in their community and nationwide. This workshop is intended to serve leaders and founders of organizations who need guidance in where to find funds to support or sustain their program. Participant’s will take away a concise way to present their program and with samples of inquiry letters and language to use in writing their grant proposal. For beginner levels.

Program Evaluation Strategies, presented by Bernadette Sanchez,  Assistant Professor of Psychology at DePaul University and Terri Williams, who  is currently enrolled in the Community Psychology Doctoral Program at DePaul University. 
The aim of this workshop is to provide audience members with the knowledge and skills to conduct a process evaluation of their tutoring or mentoring program. Process evaluations are necessary before illustrating whether or not your program actually works. These types of evaluations allow you to understand how a program is experienced by participants. We will teach audience members how to develop a logic model, how to determine the process variables that need to be measured in a program, and we will provide examples of tools that can be used to conduct process evaluations. We will also give audience members the opportunity to apply what they learned in the workshop to the programs with which they work.

College Culture Shock: Preparing Students Of Color for Predominantly White Campuses, Facilitated by Alexandria Taylor, Program Officer, Associated Colleges of Illinois
A panel of young adults will share their advice and suggestion for helping students of color adjust to life on a college campus, where more times than not, they will be the minority. How do assist students in gaining a sense of belonging? How can students become acclimated quickly? What pressures and situations are students likely to face and how should they best be handled?

This workshop is intended for program leaders serving a college-bound high school population, scholarship
providers that also offer support service to early college students, college support staff working within TRIO programs, and the like. The intention of this session is to take back strategies to prepare students to be prepared for a school environment culturally/ethnically different from their own and to be college-educated along side peers of ethnic backgrounds.

3:10 to 4:40
No workshops - everyone will participate in final panel, focusing on engaging businesses, churches, colleges and hospitals strategically in supporting volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs (see above).

 

NETWORK ON THE INTERNET- eConference Workshops

The goal of the Tutor/Mentor Connection is to continue some of the workshop and panel discussions on the Internet at http://msg.uc.iupui.edu/TMC/html/index.php or in similar portals hosted by others who focus on education, tutoring, mentoring, workforce development, poverty reduction, etc.  There is no FEE to participate in the e-Conference Workshops.

Visit the Conference Networking Area and introduce yourself. Make plans to meet with others who will be coming to Chicago on Nov. 17 and 18, or who will be participating in the on-line learning and networking.

Discussions only on the Internet, starting Nov. 17 and continuing for two weeks:

Learn about eMentoring and see all the ways you can help without leaving your home or office. Facilitated by Barb Englund,  Executive Director of NET at TWO RIVERS, which has developed a software available on the World Wide Web called "Follow the Yellow Brick Road E-Mentoring" or FYBR located at www.fybr.org.

Have you every thought you would like to mentor a child but have no time in your busy schedule to meet with an agency director and then meet with the kid as well but still really want to make a difference? Have you every thought that you would like to be helpful in telling others about your mentor experiences or  to encourage someone else in being a mentor or being mentored?
 
For situation #1 there is e-mentoring.  You apply on-line, are part of a group or company that has others that also want to e-mentor, have been with a company for at least 2 years  and you get interviewed on the phone.  For situation #2, you could have a location on the Internet where you go and leave your ideas for others to read or brainstorm a problem that you are having with others that are also involved in mentoring or receive answers from others who are experienced and have had the same questions as you do.  Come join us...at http://msg.uc.iupui.edu/TMC/html/index.php , starting on Nov. 17, 2005. 

Using technology to help build capacity in distant locations, presented by Kristen Palana, an Assistant Professor of Art at William Paterson University in Wayne, NJ.  In June, 2004 Ms. Palana started a website called Aura's House at http://www.aurashouse.com to help a family in Guatemala get a safe, sturdy brick home. This on-line forum will encourage others to share similar ideas, and show how talent volunteers can make a huge difference in the success of non profits all over the world.  Come join us...at http://msg.uc.iupui.edu/TMC/html/index.php , starting on Nov. 17, 2005.


Connecting Inner City, Urban and Rural Faith Communities, starting Nov. 21
Join Denis Rigdon, of Project Hope (http://www.phope.net) in a discussion of how and why congregations can link to support youth tutor/mentor outreach ministries. Denis will be hosting a face-to-face workshop at the Tutor/Mentor Leadership Conference in Chicago on November 17th. He'll be hosting an eConference discussion from Nov. 21 till Nov. 31 so people who attended the conference in Chicago can keep talking to him and each other, and so people who could not come to the Chicago conference can get ideas from Denis and others who already lead faith based strategies.

The e-conference format enable members of faith communities to talk about their own programs and to learn ideas from others who participate in the on-line forums. You can post a message telling what information you are looking for and you can share in brainstorming new ideas that will inspire leaders and members of faith communities in suburban areas to link with inner city neighborhoods, and provide leaders, volunteers and resources needed to help volunteer-based programs grow in more places, and be more successful at mentoring kids to make better social, educational and career decisions.

Webheads in Action Online Convergence: Bridges across Cyberspace, Nov. 18 through Nov. 20. While the T/MC will host some on-line workshops in the T/MC portal, additional on-line workshops focused on elearning strategies, will be available through this link.  Dan Bassill, President of the Tutor/Mentor Connection, will host an on-line workshop in this portal on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2005. http://www.geocities.com/vance_stevens/papers/evonline2002/convergence2005schedule.htm

 

 
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