I created this Ning forum in 2007 to support the growth of intermediaries who would help volunteer-based youth tutor/mentor programs reach more kids in high poverty areas of Chicago and other places with long-term support that helped those kids through school and into adult lives.

The site shares a strategy that I started in 1993, and named, Tutor/Mentor Connection (T/MC).   In 2011 I created the Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC to continue the T/MC in Chicago and help it grow in other places.

Ning changed its hosting structure nearly 10 years ago and it became less valuable as a networking and idea sharing forum.  I kept using the site through 2015 to host interns who worked with me in Chicago and to share photos from conferences and other actions of the Tutor/Mentor Connection.

It still offers potential for people from around the world to connect and share ideas for duplicating the Tutor/Mentor Connection strategy in other places.

Every January I write a reflection.  You can see my 2024 article at this link.

If you're creating an intermediary with similar goals and you share ideas via a blog and visual essays, share links to your work in this forum and on social media sites.  

When, in 2018, then presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro (PSL) said, in the second round of elections, that he would “put an end to all activism in Brazil”, civil society organizations and social movements collectively signed a declaration of repudiation which cited a study carried out by IPEA (Instituto de Pesquisas Econômicas), in 2017, reporting the existence of 820,000 NGOs. Also according to the signatory organizations, it was a volunteer network at around millions of citizens[1], “who dedicate part of their time to building a fairer, more egalitarian society, in which the poorest population has access to fundamental basic rights, often not guaranteed by the State[2]”. However, having become president and after three years of systematic attacks on the activist work of so many entities, in fact, attempts to monopolize the activism that he did not stop using, as in the case of the bravado for the printed vote, under threat of no elections if he fails to do so, such an end point is not so easily achievable. According to the report by the Atados platform, which connects people interested in volunteer work to vacancies in organizations, in 2021, the number of enrollments in volunteer activities on the platform grew by 15% compared to 2020; The number of institutions seeking volunteers also increased by 28%[3]. Fortunately, it seems that so far, organized civil society has resisted an authoritarian government that wants to exclude it from public debates.

Therefore, it is worth briefly reflecting on the meanings that volunteering has been taking in Brazil in recent years, in view of current directions in research carried out worldwide.

One of the first studies on volunteering in Brazil was called “Programa de Estímulo ao Trabalho Voluntário", carried out by Fundação Abrinq pelos Direitos da Criança, in 1996, under the coordination of Mónica Corullón, seeking to bring proposals to modernize this type of action[4]. According to this study, at that time, it was possible to verify, as a motivator of volunteering, the introduction of the social component, linked to citizenship, that is, the set of rights and duties linked to social participation and sociability. According to Corullón, this social component, added to the previous individual component, related to moral values ​​with a strong cultural and religious heritage, such as altruism, solidarity and charity, represent an enormous transforming potential for the inner growth of the individual.

Corullón states that the introduction of the sense of citizenship as a motivator of volunteering allowed its clientele population to no longer be conceived as dependent and protected subjects, with citizens engaged in the defense of their rights and those of other people, which in turn requires the volunteer to take on more and more responsibilities. Other data from the same study are worth mentioning, such as the fact that volunteer work can improve self-image, promote a sense of accomplishment and competence, and act as an antidote to stress and depression, and consequently, volunteers tend to be healthier and happier and live longer than those who are not; Thus, in the Brazilian reality, volunteers from low socioeconomic strata, with problems of social insertion, rejection, lack of roots due to constant migrations, find in volunteer work a strong component to conform their identity, increase their self-esteem, and feel valued in the social environment in which they operate.

Let's now look at an example of using volunteering as a civic engagement strategy and a theory of transformation, from civil society organizations that support tutoring and/or mentoring programs, that is, programs that offer an academic part (tutoring) and/or a recreational part, focused on sociability (mentoring), usually in pairs formed by a mentor - not necessarily a licensed teacher - and a mentee, and on after-school hours, in order to build self-esteem and confidence in children and youth. According to American historian and political scientist Daniel Bassill, with a life dedicated to volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs, since he volunteered in one of them in Chicago in 1975, through a model in which volunteers from different backgrounds are attracted for the programs and the lives of children and communities, maintaining all the resources necessary for the schooling of the child affiliated to the program in elementary school - that is, for six to eight consecutive years -, support networks can be formed among disadvantaged young people and volunteers, helping the former overcome the obstacles of poverty – such as the lack of role models and resources – as they enter school and adult life, with jobs that enable them to raise their own kids free from the grips of poverty[5]. In other words, volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs are the best tool to deal with the absence of an effective support system for the education of children – comprising all mentors, role models, experiential activities, expectations and opportunities that must be present since birth -, mainly in regions of poverty concentration, where children suffer from the absence of working-parents, and are exposed to multiple risk factors during the non-school hours[6].

Still according to Bassill, for the model to work – that is, for more young people to stay in school, be safe during non-school hours, graduate and start jobs – programs need to educate volunteers about the difficulties that children and families in need face, motivating them to take action beyond their weekly commitment as a tutor and/or mentor. For these purposes, Bassill created a strategy, called “Total Quality Mentoring” (TQM), containing the following steps: 1) create advertisements or networks that motivate volunteers to get involved in programs[7]; 2) the volunteer starts an ongoing education stage on the tutoring/mentoring program, which should be either led by program leaders or self-directed; 3) as volunteers who do not live in poverty become personally involved with children in need, they begin to learn more about problems and challenges that children deal with on a daily basis, and they begin to become more interested in learning about these problems; 4) by maintaining the volunteer's engagement, he or she will become an advocate for the youth, the program and the mentoring system. As we can see, this strategy focus on transforming the lives of children and youth through the transformation of the lives of the volunteers, which the programs recruit from affluent areas and from the diverse industries, which, in turn, benefit from a well-trained and diverse workforce. We also note how the effectiveness of tutor/mentor programs depends on their ability to establish strong and lasting connections that promote positive change across the board[8].

There is yet another factor linked to the quality of the connections established between mentors and mentees – in addition to the time factor -, which we could not fail to mention. In 2008, an article published in the journal of the Association for Psychological Science, by Jean Rhodes and David L. Dubois[9] sought to criticize the main world trends in practices and policies involving mentoring programs, highlighting: firstly, a discovery carried out by Langhtou, Rhodes and Osborne, in 2004, according to which “(...) the results were more favorable when young people reported experiencing not only support but also some degree of structure in their relationships with their mentors” (RHODES & DUBOIS, 2008, p. 255); second, that “in general, close and enduring ties appear to be fostered when mentors adopt a flexible, youth-centered style in which the young person’s interests and preferences are emphasized, rather than when they focus predominantly on their own agendas or expectations for the relationship” (MORROW & STYLES, 1995 apud RHODES & DUBOIS, 2008, p. 255).

In the last two years, we have discovered that the Covid-19 pandemic has produced an increase in educational inequalities between young people who have managed to maintain themselves in a situation of learning and studies and those who have been excluded or disadvantaged in terms of formation, both academically and at work.  We also discovered that this situation has produced a lot of damage to the mental health of young people, who find it difficult to return to face-to-face socializing. In this sense, tutoring and mentoring programs are being applied to nearly 150,000 students, with a $200M statewide investment, in Tennessee, USA[10].

You can access the information mentioned in this article and start learning how to become a tutor/mentor in the future. If you are thinking about creating a mentoring program or if you are already the leader of one of these programs, I hope I have helped you to think about all the support and training necessary to create the connections between tutors, mentors, youth and learning opportunities presented above.

[1] According to Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios Contínua (Pnad Contínua), in 2020, 6.9 million in 2019 and 7.2 million in 2018, equivalent to 4% and 4.3% of the population over 14 years of age, respectively. The survey also showed that the number of hours dedicated to volunteer work grew from 6.5 hours to 6.6 hours per week between 2018 and 2019.

[2] The declaration of repudiation can be read on http://new.institutofonte.org.br/?s=voluntariado. Are examples of laws that were conquered through activist work, being fundamental for the improvement of living conditions in the country and for advancing in the achievement of rights, cited by the declaration: “the one on the fight against racism and the fight against violence against women; public policies such as unemployment insurance and student financing; programs to combat deforestation and protect animals; the Anti-smoking Law and the Clean Record Law”.

[3] C.f. https://www.uol.com.br/ecoa/ultimas-noticias/2021/12/18/numero-de-brasileiros-interessados-em-voluntariado-cresceu-31-em-2021.htm#:~:text=N%C3%BAmero%20de%20brasileiros%20interessados%20em,%2F12%2F2021%20%2D%20UOL%20ECOA

[4] CORULLÓN, Mónica. Voluntários. Programa de estímulo ao trabalho voluntário no Brasil. São Paulo: Fundação Abrinq pelos Direitos da Criança, 1996. A manual based on the cited study can be found on: http://www.espiritualidades.com.br/Artigos/C_autores/CORULLON_Monica_tit_Trabalho_Voluntario_Manual.htm.

[5] Cf. http://www.tutormentorexchange.net/images/PDF/successsteps.pdf.

[6] Cf. https://pt.slideshare.net/tutormentor/total-quality-mentoring-a-mentorrich-program-design-165930818.

[7] One form of motivation is the creation of search engines for tutor/mentor programs that allow volunteers to find a program they want to get involved in. For example, the Chicago program list created by Daniel Bassill: http://www.tutormentorexchange.net/chicago-area-program-links.

[8] Cf. https://pt.slideshare.net/tutormentor/total-quality-mentoring-a-mentorrich-program-design-165930818.

[9] Rhodes JE, DuBois DL. Mentoring Relationships and Programs for Youth. Current Directions in Psychological Science. 2008. Available: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228488351_Mentoring_Relationships_and_Programs_for_Youth. Access on: 20/01/2022. 

[10] Cf. https://www.tn.gov/education/news/2021/9/30/tdoe-announces-79-districts-intend-to-participate-in-tn-all-corps-tutoring--serve-nearly-150-000-students-over-three-years-.html

In 1991, four researchers from the Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago presented to the city, faced with rising poverty and violence, particularly among young people, an alternative vision of reforming the social services system, with a focus on social services to support youth and families. With funding from an intermediary, the Chicago Community Trust, worth $30 million - $65 million in current values - this proposal was initially tested in 7 low-income neighborhoods in the city, and the experience generated a published report, called “Children, Families and Communities. A New Approach to Social Services"[1]. In this article, we intend to present some elements of this proposal that can contribute to the efforts of creating responsive and supportive communities[2].

First, there is the analysis of realities perceived as challenges for present and future societies, namely: 1) at the moment, youth are and will continue to be a smaller proportion of the population; beyond, youth are more exposed to poverty than any other age group, and the proportion of the young population who are poor and who belong to minority groups is growing; an increasing proportion of young people will be at a disadvantage because of poverty and the reduced number of educational and employment opportunities available to these groups; in the face of these challenges, each young people today will have to play a significant role in adulthood to sustain and improve our social, economic and political institutions; 2) profound changes in the structure and functioning of families, reducing private resources to care for the youth; due to marital instability, the percentage of young people living with one parent increases; an increase in the number of young people living in homes where the only parent or both work; reduction in the size of families resulting in reduced opportunities for intergenerational relationships and support; greater geographic mobility leading to periods of isolation, both for people who move and for those who stay in communities; 3) existing social services are only problem-orieted, in a fragmented and narrow way, and when these have already become chronic or severe; the bureaucratic structures through which these specialized services are offered make it difficult to recognize and respond to the totality of young people's needs; overall, federal and state laws, funding, and practice have reinforced these trends.

We live, therefore, in a society that is both obliged to support new generations and interested in nurturing their ability to contribute. This requires, say the researchers, “a fundamental shift in our conception of services, from one concerned only with curing or preventing problems for some children and parents, to one that is also concerned with promoting the development of all children and the functioning of all the families". That is, two dimensions are needed: “organized opportunities that build skills and adequate response to problems”. As the four researchers remind us, a reform of social services is just one of the many resources needed to support the development of children and families – such as the presence of at least one responsible caring adult, jobs for these people, housing, education, health, leisure etc.

How to reform social services? The report mentions that many of the reforms being proposed and tested are aimed at changing the unidisciplinary focus, fragmentation, as well as the centralization of planning, financing and control of existing services. But while these questions are necessary, they are not enough. The issue to be tackled is that, given all the changes we discussed in the previous paragraphs, related to the demand on parents and the challenges that children face, social services for youth and families need to face the mission of training these youths, both with regard to training for work, in a context of rapid social and technological changes, and with regard to their training for citizenship and civic participation. An example of this type of redirection comes from health services, which in addition to responding to critical and chronic health problems, have begun to address health promotion; in this conception, programs and practices that promote development and those that solve problems are interdependent.

Here are three central ideas of the study.

The first of them is to promote the so-called primary services, which are composed of organized activities and associations existing to some extent in all communities, and without special qualifications; therefore, offering direct help in ways that are neither categorical nor stigmatizing. In addition, primary services can strengthen the benefits of specialized and problem-oriented services that youth and adults are using. Primary services include playgrounds and day care centers; sports teams; art, music and after-school programs; youth volunteer opportunities; telephone warm lines and mentoring programs; drop-in and support programs for parents; as well as the resources of museums, parks, libraries, community centers and settlement houses.

The second is to give primary services a central role in a larger service structure for youth and families, with primary services, with their development orientation, as full partners with specialized services, with their traditional problem orientation.

Third, connections between citizens and people service providers needed to make this happen can best be created and sustained at the community level, where families first look to sources of improvement and support. It is at this level that planning and service delivery can be most responsive to youth and families, and where primary and specialized services can best function together. It is important to emphasize, according to the researchers, that the creation of this broad infrastructure of services depends on the engagement of communities in planning, together with service providers, in addition to the development of mechanisms that facilitate access and make the services work together as a system for each child and family.

Finally, the researchers remind that the application of these ideas in different communities can present different strategic challenges, depending on factors such as the strength of citizen and civic leadership within a community, the level and quality of existing primary and specialized services, the urgency of particular goals for children and families, and the extent to which organizations and individual leaders have a collaborative or combative history. In addition, underserved communities where the needs of children and families are compelling, and where there is likely to be little or no infrastructure for primary or specialized services, will present the greatest challenge.

The above considerations were made based only on the Introduction and the first chapter of the mentioned report. In its other three chapters the following subjects are treated in detail: in the second chapter, the role, function and importance of primary services; in the third chapter, how primary and specialized services can work together to achieve the objectives of the proposed vision, and the issue of what needs to happen within communities; the fourth chapter discusses implementation issues and strategies to be considered in assessing the vision.

[1] WYNN, J; COSTELLO, J; HALPERN, R. & RICHMAN, H. Children, families, and communities. A
new approach to social services. Chapin Hall Center for Children, University of Chicago, 1994.

[2] I would like to thank Dr. Daniel Bassill, a great activist for the rights of youth, for having made the aforementioned report available.

Em 1991, quatro pesquisadores de um centro para crianças chamado Chapin Hall Center for Children, na Universidade de Chicago, apresentaram à cidade confrontada pelo aumento da pobreza e da violência, principalmente entre jovens, uma visão alternativa de reforma do sistema de serviços sociais, tendo como foco os serviços sociais de apoio às juventudes e às famílias. Com o financiamento de uma intermediária, a Chicago Community Trust, no valor de $ 30 milhões – $ 65 milhões em valores atuais -, essa proposta foi testada, inicialmente, em 7 bairros de baixa renda da cidade, e a experiência gerou um relatório publicado como – traduzindo-se o título - “Crianças, Famílias e Comunidades. Uma Nova Abordagem para os Serviços Sociais”[1]. Neste artigo, pretendemos apresentar alguns elementos dessa proposta que possam contribuir para o esforço de criação de comunidades responsivas e solidárias.

Em primeiro lugar, há a análise de realidades percebidas como desafios para as sociedades presentes e futuras, a saber: 1) no momento, as juventudes são e continuarão a ser uma proporção menor da população; além disso, as juventudes são mais expostas à pobreza do que qualquer outro grupo de idade, e a proporção da população jovem que é pobre e que pertence a grupos minoritários está crescendo; uma proporção crescente de jovens estará em prejuízo por causa da pobreza e do número reduzido de oportunidades de estudo e emprego disponíveis para esses grupos; face a esses desafios, cada jovem hoje terá que desempenhar um papel significativo na fase adulta para sustentar e aperfeiçoar nossas instituições sociais, econômicas e políticas; 2) mudanças profundas na estrutura e funcionamento das famílias encurtando os recursos particulares para cuidar das juventudes; devido ao quadro de instabilidade marital, aumenta o percentual de jovens vivendo com uma pessoa parente; aumento do número de jovens vivendo em lares onde a única pessoa responsável ou as duas trabalham; diminuição do tamanho das famílias acarretando em diminuição de oportunidades de relacionamentos e apoios intergeracionais; maior mobilidade geográfica acarretando em períodos de isolamento, tanto para as pessoas que se movem quanto para as que ficam nas comunidades; 3) os serviços sociais existentes são orientados apenas à resolução de problemas, de forma fragmentada e estreita, e quando estes já se tornaram crônicos ou severos; as estruturas burocratizadas por meio das quais são oferecidos estes serviços especializados tornam difícil o reconhecimento e a resposta à totalidade das necessidades das juventudes; no geral, leis federais e estaduais, financiamento e prática têm reforçado essas tendências.

Vivemos, portanto, em uma sociedade que é tanto obrigada a apoiar as novas gerações quanto interessada em fomentar suas habilidades para contribuir. Isto requer, dizem os pesquisadores, “uma mudança fundamental em nossa concepção de serviços, de uma preocupada apenas em curar ou prevenir problemas para algumas crianças e parentes, para uma que é também preocupada em promover o desenvolvimento de todas as crianças e o funcionamento de todas as famílias”. Isto é, duas dimensões são necessárias: “oportunidades organizadas que construam competências e resposta adequada a problemas". Como lembram os quatro pesquisadores, uma reforma dos serviços sociais é apenas um dos muitos recursos necessários para apoiar o desenvolvimento de crianças e famílias – como a presença de pelo menos uma pessoa adulta responsavelmente cuidadosa, empregos para essas pessoas, habitação, educação, saúde, lazer etc.

Como reformar os serviços sociais? O relatório menciona que muitas das reformas sendo propostas e testadas têm como objetivos alterar o foco unidisciplinar, a fragmentação, bem como as centralizações do planejamento, financiamento e controle dos serviços existentes. Mas, embora essas questões sejam necessárias, não são suficientes. A questão a ser atacada é a de que, diante de todas as mudanças que discutimos nos parágrafos anteriores, relacionadas à demanda sobre os pais e mães e os desafios que as crianças enfrentam, os serviços sociais para as juventudes e famílias precisam encarar a missão de formar essas juventudes, tanto com relação à formação para o trabalho, num contexto de mudanças sociais e tecnológicas rápidas, quanto com relação a sua formação para a cidadania e participação cívica. Um exemplo desse tipo redirecionamento vem dos serviços de saúde, que além de responderem a problemas de saúde críticos e crônicos, começaram a abordar a promoção da saúde; nesta concepção, os programas e práticas que promovem o desenvolvimento e aqueles que resolvem problemas são interdependentes.

Seguem-se três ideias centrais do estudo.

A primeira delas consiste em promover os chamados serviços primários, que são compostos pelas atividades organizadas e associações existentes em alguma medida em todas as comunidades, e sem qualificações especiais; portanto, oferecendo ajuda direta de maneiras nem categóricas nem estigmatizantes. Além disso, os serviços primários podem fortalecer os benefícios dos serviços especializados e voltados a problemas, que jovens e pessoas adultas estejam usando. Os serviços primários incluem parquinhos e creches; times esportivos; arte, música e programas de contraturno escolar; oportunidades de voluntariado juvenil; linhas telefônicas de apoio e programas de mentoria; programas de recreação e apoio a pais e mães; bem como os recursos de museus, parques, bibliotecas, centros comunitários e abrigos.

A segunda consiste em dar aos serviços primários um papel central numa estrutura maior de serviços para as juventudes e famílias, tendo os serviços primários, com sua orientação voltada para o desenvolvimento, como parceiros plenos dos serviços especializados, com sua tradicional orientação para o problema.

Em terceiro lugar, as conexões entre cidadãos e cidadãs e pessoas que oferecem os serviços necessárias para que isto aconteça podem ser melhor criadas e sustentadas no nível da comunidade, onde as famílias primeiro buscam fontes de aprimoramento e apoio. É nesse nível que o planejamento e o fornecimento de serviços podem ser mais responsivos para as juventudes e famílias, e onde serviços primários e especializados podem funcionar juntos plenamente. É importante ressaltar, conforme os pesquisadores, que a criação desta infraestrutura ampla de serviços depende do engajamento das comunidades no planejamento, juntamente com as pessoas que oferecem os serviços, além do desenvolvimento de mecanismos que facilitem o acesso e façam os serviços funcionarem juntos como um sistema para cada criança e familiares. A consequência esperada desses esforços é a criação de comunidades responsivas e solidárias – um benefício de longo prazo e mais importante do que poderia resultar da reforma dos serviços sozinha.

Por último, os pesquisadores lembram que a aplicação dessas ideias em diferentes comunidades pode apresentar diferentes desafios estratégicos, dependendo de fatores tais como a força da liderança cidadã e cívica dentro de uma comunidade, o nível e a qualidade dos serviços primários e especializados existentes, a urgência dos objetivos particulares para crianças e famílias, e a extensão em que organizações e lideranças individuais têm uma história colaborativa ou combativa. Além disso, comunidades carentes em que as necessidades de crianças e famílias são grandes, e onde é provável haver pouco ou nenhuma infraestrutura de serviços primários ou especializados, oferecerão o maior desafio.

As considerações acima foram feitas com base apenas na Introdução e no primeiro capítulo do relatório mencionado. Em seus outros três capítulos são tratados com detalhes os seguintes assuntos: no segundo capítulo, o papel, função e importância dos serviços primários; no terceiro capítulo, como serviços primários e especializados podem trabalhar juntos para atingir os objetivos da visão proposta, bem como a questão do que é necessário ocorrer dentro das comunidades; no quarto capítulo, discutem-se questões de implementação e estratégias a serem consideradas na avaliação da visão.

[1] Agradeço ao Dr. Daniel Bassill, um grande militante dos direitos para as juventudes, por ter disponibilizado o relatório mencionado.

 In the early 1990s I became aware of something called Group Systems, which was a meeting facilitation aid, where everyone used computers to brainstorm ideas, then to organize and vote on them.  In this Feb 2020 blog article I include a quote from a 2000 article about group systems. 

Much has changed since the 1990s. Today I participated in a webinar focused on technology and broadband access,  hosted by the Arizona Future of Tech Commission. They pointed people to a Jam Board where ideas were collected.   

Imagine if we'd had this available to us in the middle 2000s as we were bringing people together for face-to-face Tutor/Mentor Conferences in Chicago and building participation on this forum.  

 I post messages daily intended to draw visitors to my blogs and use hashtags like #tutor #mentor #learning to narrow the focus.

This week I learned about Wakelet which is a platform to archive and share collections of Tweets, based on specific #hashtags.

This graphic shows five collections on my page that I created in just a few minutes. 

See this in this blog article.

I started this forum in 2007 when platforms like Ning were a new way to meet, connect and share ideas.  While a few people still join every year the forum has not been very active for a few years.

However, I still use it to archive work done in the past and to maintain connections for those who did join.

I created this graphic recently to show how an idea I or others launch with a post, like this one, explodes into a network of people who we know, or who are also part of the forum.

What you do to share this post in your own networks is similar to how new explosions of fire works emerge from the initial bomb bust, one after another.  In network building these represent an idea being blasted into larger and larger networks of people.  

I used this graphic in this article. Take a look and share it with others.

I created the Tutor/Mentor Connection in 1993 as part of a non-profit organization that also was creating a site-based tutor/mentor program serving teens in the Cabrini-Green neighborhood of Chicago.  I created the Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC in 2011 to keep the T/MC strategy going in Chicago and share it with other cities after support for the strategy was discontinued in the original non profit.

Not being a 501-c-3 non profit has made it almost impossible to find dollars to fund this work, yet the need for an intermediary doing what I've been doing is greater than ever.

This is my annual holiday appeal letter.  I hope you'll read it, and offer support if you can.  Visit this page to find a PayPal button that you can use to send a contribution.

Here'sblog article showing three annotation tools.

In addition, here'sarticle I wrote in Jan 2016 to introduce annotation. In the comments section of the blog I've added updates. Are any of you using these tools?

If so, post a comment and link showing how you are using these.

I've hosted this Ning site since 2007 with the goal that teams from colleges, faith groups, businesses, etc. in Chicago and other cities would use the information and ideas to build strategies that make mentor-rich youth programs available in all  high poverty neighborhoods, and help each get the on-going flow of talent and operating dollars needed to constantly move from good, then to great, at helping kids move safely through school and into jobs.

I've used concept maps to provide a guide to all of this information, including the one shown on this graphic (see here) . This is a "Learning Path" that can guide learners through the basic information on the various web sites in some sort of sequence.  In 2015, an intern from South Korea, via IIT, converted this into a Prezi, with an English language narration, then a Korean language narration. After that she converted the Prezi to a YouTube video, which you can see here.

This illustrates roles students from many cities and countries can take. As they do their own learning, they share what they are learning via visualizations and blog articles they create and present to adults and other students, thus enlarging the community of people understanding and applying this information.

There's no fee to engage your students in this process. You're invited to join this group, or start a new group, where I can coach students from my base in Chicago.   I'm available to connect on Skype or come speak to your students, for a fee that would include costs involved.  I hope to see groups from many places creating these presentations in the future.

Hello everybody, I created this project project%20TMC%20DGRD.docx whose aim is to dig into the Tutor/Mentor´s sites with students from Brazil, and which I am presenting to schools, with no perspective, untill now, due to an utilitarian and short-sighted approach of education that presents itself during conversations with principals.

Enjoy!

Daniel Delmanto

Since the mid 1990s I've tried to visualize my ideas and strategies using PowerPoint and other drawing tools. I've been uploading these to slide share and other platforms for past few years. Here's one example.

Problem-Solving Strategy-Explanation and Overview by Daniel F. Bassill

This is one of many concept maps I've created to visualize the commitment I and other leaders need to make to help youth in all high poverty neighborhoods of a city get the support systems they need to more successfully move through school and into careers.  While you can click through the nodes on this map, to other maps, I created this library of concept maps, to show the wide variety that are available.

The primary value of this Ning community has been to support interns who are looking at my maps and visualizations, then creating their own videos and graphics to communicate the ideas in different ways.  Visit this group and you can see work done since 2007. 

  This is one of many visualizations that have been done. At this page you can see a collection of many projects done in the past. 

The only way these ideas will reach more people is for members of this group to enlist youth in their own community, and teach them to create their own interpretations of these ideas. If you're not in Chicago, just change the maps and focus the ideas on the needs of youth where you live. 

If you're already doing this, please share links to your projects and maps.

I'm hosting a webinar focused on volunteer recruitment for tutor/mkentor programs at 2pm EST on April 21.  You can sign up here. 

I've been sharing strategy ideas via pdf visualizations and blog articles for many years and have done a few on-line presentations.  I'm using WizIQ for this one and if it works out well I'll do more.

I feel the on-line events are a way to reach more people, and encourage collaboration among larger groups of people. It's not just what you learn, but who you meet, and how that leads to further connections, interactions and shared efforts to help solve community problems that are common in many places.

If you attend the webinar, come back here and offer your comments for future presentations.

Reflection essay

2015 Feb-Jan Intern

Wona Chang

Hi my name is Wona Chang. I am from South Korea and I studied at Illinois Institute of Technology. I worked at Tutor/Mentor Institute as an intern and I had a great time in here. Time flied so fast and I am now going back to Korea soon.

At first, the reason I wanted to work for Tutor/Mentor Institute was that I am concerned about public problems and issues. I am majoring in Public Administration and what I searched about this organization before the interview matches what I always wanted to do. Tutor/Mentor Connection is a non-profit organization that helps people who are suffering from poverty to have education and career. Fortunately, I had chance to work as an intern in Tutor/Mentor Institute, and my internship had started.

During the first week my supervisor wanted me to browse the site and library so that I could learn about this organization. It was very helpful time. I learned knowledge not only for the organization but also for myself. I knew and realized what was happening around the world and gained insight to the world. I realized that I had lived for only me and I found many people have been involving to help others. It was very refreshing moment for me.

At the first day of my internship, I had to make an introduction of myself and I had to choose methods to use. Luckily, there were self-introduction projects that previous interns had done. I took a look at all of them and I decided to make mine using prezi. I have always wanted to make a prezi but I thought it is hard to do so I hadn’t tried it before. So first I had to learn how to use it and then I finished my self-introduction which was very satisfying. I was glad that I learned it by myself and finished it well even though it was the first time.

Next I was given some projects about visualizing information of Tutor/Mentor connection. To do that, I always had to learn some new methods to use for the projects such as prezi, voice editor and screenshot recorder. It was challenging first, but it was also encouraging for me to do. I was really excited to learn how to use new program and I got even more excited when I actually finished my work.

During the six weeks of internship, I made 3 prezies and 2 videos and 1 powerpoint. I am professional in making powerpoint so there was nothing to worry about but I haven’t make a prezi nor video. It should be taken more time than works done by who are proficient in computer works. However my supervisor fully understood about that problem, and let me take my time which was really thankful. I finished all of my works successfully, and I am proud of myself and also really happy that my work can be used to help other people.

When my friend asked about my internship I was always proud of my organization and more than happy to explain. I tell them what Tutor/Mentor Institute does, and then what I kind of work I do for them. I learned a lot from my supervisor and during the internship. It was a pleasure to work for them.

There are few more things that I would like to talk about. First, the work this organization does is about helping others and concerning about world problems. During the 6 weeks, I feel my mind and brain had grown. Now I can see the world in a different point of view. Second, I could have more active and progressive position then other interns had in other company. My supervisor listened to my voice when I work on projects and I am the one who think and product works. Third, after you finished the intern from this organization, you would feel proud of yourself by looking at the lists of projects you’ve done during the six weeks. It means there are actual results that you can see that you piled up when you finishes internship, which is very encouraging.

I really appreciate that I had chance to work with Dan and Tutor/Mentor Institute. I want to keep contact with when I go back to Korea. 

I created 2 videos using prezi materials that I created before.

I hope it will be helpful to understand about Tutor/Mentor Institute more.

1) Learning path

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGCDgzKMQfM

2) Organization info

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxYQ5xgDCC8

Please press HD before you watch.

Thank you!

Hi

This is the organization information of  Tutor/Mentor Institute.

It is the guide for browsing Tutor mentor Institute Website 

I worked on it by prezi. There are two versions.

Please take a look at them.

Organization of info on Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC

Korean ver. Organization of info on Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC

Editor note:  This graphic shows the home page of the Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC web site. The prezi that Wona created provides a guided tour through the site.  Please take a look and share this with others.

Hi~

This is my 5th week. 1 month has passed.

When I first came here I did not know much about Tutor/Mentor Connections.

Now I can explain to my friends and family about T/MC.

I think I gained a deep thought about people around me.

All information I got from the site was so impressive. 

There are works that other interns did, so I also looked at that.

When I first came here I was really surprised with some works that they had done because they were so nice.

I also feel sorry to Dan because I do not have fancy computer skills.

However I learned how to make a Prezi and edit audio. I made 2 prezies and 1 more to go.

It was so fun while I am learning it. I hope my work would be helpful to future interns.

Most of all, I now realize many problems around Chicago and the world

I am happy that I had chance to work for Tutor/Mentor Connections, and excited to do next project.

Interns have been creating visualizations for Tutor/Mentor Connection since 2006. Some are created in formats that we're not able to track visit count. However, some that have been posted to Prezi or YouTube, can provide a history of visits.  Wona Chang has started this archive. It will be updated annually, with new presentations added. (intro added by Dan Bassill, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC)

Note: Pojects created using Adobe Flash are no longer supported on most browsers (as of 2017). You can download a swfplayer, from sites like http://www.globfx.com/downloads/swfplayer/, to view them in their original format. You can also view videos that have been created to show the animations. Links included below.

1. Introducing Interns

a) Introduction of Tutor/Mentor Connection Interns

f) Transforming Adults Involved in Volunteer-Based Tutor/Mentor Programs. Video 2011-495 views
Flash Animation by LiLi, University of Michigan, 2010:

http://www.tutormentorexchange.net/images/flash/vol_leadership.swf

5. Visualizations of Tutor/Mentor Connection strategies

a) Creating Network of Purpose. Tutor/Mentor Connection Strategy. Prezi created  by Byeonghui Kim on June 2013.    585 views. Shown in blog article at 

http://michaelcnt.blogspot.com/2013/06/if-we-want-to-help-kids-through-school.html

b) Step 1 of 4-Part Tutor/Mentor Connection Strategy.  https://prezi.com/lxqtellgyhpd/1st-/

Created by Mina Song on June 2012.   998 views.

c) Step 2 of 4-Part Tutor/Mentor Connection Strategy - https://prezi.com/rm5plphjyds5/2nd/

Created by Mina Song on June 2012.   760 views.

d) Step 3 of 4-Part Tutor/Mentor Connection Strategy -  https://prezi.com/vzfrfvhdvvnb/3rd/

Created by Mina Song on June 2012.   733 views.

e) Step 4 of 4-Part Tutor/Mentor Connection Strategy -  https://prezi.com/lrfhrmqdpdaa/4th/

Created by Mina Song on June 2012.   880 views.

f) 4-Part Problem Solving Strategy of Tutor/Mentor Connection - https://prezi.com/6l5imdjw1tyk/problem-solving-strategy/  Created by Byeonghu Kim on June 2013   776 views.

6. More Work done by interns, by other interns

a) Introduction of Cabrini Connections and Tutor/Mentor Connection, in Korean. By Minsang Lee, 2010.  Click here

b) Introduction of Tutor/Mentor Connection, in Chinese. 2010. Click here.  By Willow  Yang, 2010. 115 views.

c) Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference video, 2010, by MinSang Lee.  Click here

d)  Graphic of Valentine shaped heart showing warmth of tutor/mentor bond. Click here.  Created by SungHee Jung in Feburary 2012.      

e) Video showing "Hope & Love" of Tutor/Mentor bond.  Click here. Created by Sung Hee Jung, Feb. 2012. 136 views.

f) Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference (2008) video. Click here  Created by by SEUNG JUNG LEE, June 2008.  296 views

g)  Animation introducing Tutor/Mentor Connection:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOCsoT6ATs4#t=30   Created on June 2011 39 views

h) Template for Tutor/Mentor Connection newsletter - 2011 pdf by Sam Lee. 

Many of these projects could be duplicated over and over again, by students from many cities. The presentations could point to other cities than Chicago. I encourage this to be done. Just share your work with the Tutor/Mentor Connection (Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC since 2011).

Read the Tutor/Mentor Intern blog and meet past interns.

Read introductions of past interns and fellows working with Tutor/Mentor Connection in Chicago.

Hi~

I finally finished my second prezi.  It is about T/MC's learning path. 

English Version

Korean Version (Only voice recording is in Korean)

However I am not really proud of my work. 

I want to create more creative one, but I had hard time how to make creative one.  Since I had to make prezi based on this site, it is weird but it was harder than my self-introduction which was based on nothing.

Thank you!

Wona

Editor note: This graphic is the presentation Wona was looking at as she created this Prezi.  I think she did a pretty good job.

See original on this site