Blogs

During the blizzard of 2011, I was unable to come to the site in person, but that did offer me time to read over many articles on the Tutor/Mentor Connection website regarding the influence of university leaders and how they can impact an organization such as this one.  They also made me realize how much it makes sense for university involvement in programs that aid disadvantaged children through the school system, especially colleges that focus on social justice.  By assisting a child not only in Kindergarten or in high school, but through every stage of their schooling, that child will have a much better chance to enter into the college level of education and could therefore become a part of a model population of success involving education-based prevention in the society.  In future weeks, I will be working on a simpler visual graphic to better explain my thoughts on this topic, but in meeting some of the children and volunteers, I feel as though everyone involved with this program feels as though it is the best form of prevention of larger social issues involving crime and poverty.

My thoughts are slightly fleeting at the moment, as I have absorbed a lot of ideas since my last post, but I hope to interact more with the volunteers and the children tomorrow, and I will attempt to incorporate their ideals into my model of how this program is an essential piece of a social justice ideology, as those advantaged individuals come together to assist those less fortunate in the realm of school and mentoring.

rebuild_12.swf

It is rebuild a 'Become a volunteer' project. This version is not finished yet. I'd like to revise the list below.

1. It is too fast. So, I will control displaying speedy.

2. I will add our(T/MC) logo/symbol, and then it could connect our website, if you click the symbol.

finally, after I finished these list, I will record voice for specific descriptions.

Could you give me an advice for my project? lol ...

This is a graphic that I  posted on my blog last Friday. It's intended to illustrate how we want leaders and volunteers to develop strategies that not only say "we have a problem" but also say "go here" to learn more about the problem, and go here, and here" to choose organizations that you can support with time, talent and/or dollars.

Since most of the 300-plus members of this forum work with non profits and NGOs that need money to operate, the more people who visit this forum to learn what we each do, and to help us with resources, the greater will be our  ability to succeed in our work.

Thus, if every three months you send out an email or some other correspondence pointing to something that is going on in this forum, in Chicago, or in your own city/country, you can increase the number of people who hear this message and respond to it.

If we can teach our friends, volunteers, family, youth and others to also send such messages, we can dramatically increase the number of people who are learning ways to help us.

If we can teach media, celebrities, CEOs, ministers, elected officials, etc. to do this, they can draw more resources into high poverty neighborhoods on a consistent basis, and do more to help effective non profits and social services do good work in many places.

Anyone can take the role of teacher, or evangelist, to spread this message and help others accept it and adopt it. Give it a try.

This photo shows Mike Trakan with one of the maps he has created for Tutor/Mentor Connection since he joined us in Jan 2008. View the maps and read the articles he writes on the mappingforjustice blog

The T/MC received a $50,000 donation from an anonymous donor in Nov. 2007 which enabled us to hire Mike and rebuild our mapping capacity. We used this money to also create aninteractive program locator where you can create your own map.

We depleted all of the funds from this grant in early 2009 and have been organizing events like theTutor/Mentor Jamconcert to raise money and encourage more people to use the maps. 

We need help finding another angel investor who will help us continue this mapping. Please forward this story to people in your network who might help us find such a donor.

second_first.swf

This is second version of hut innovation. It is not finished yet. But, I write specific precess according to fuction. For example, clicking slice or back button.

test.swf

Second project flash is consists of three parts. First part shows ten innovation slices.

Second part explain detail inforamtion related to previous slice. So, If you click each slice in first page, it will be connected to second page associated with each slice. In addition, you can see detail information about that.

Moreover, what if you click each slick in second page?? It will be liked to websites related to detail information in second page.Otherwise, you are able to click center circle to go back to first page.

This is a basic concept of second project. I'm gonna add detail contents and alter background or color.

I posted a message on Facebook telling how I'd been involved for 37 years and how my life has been enriched as a result. One of our former students posted this response:

No, THANK YOU for caring when no one else would, you started a movement and I have watched it blossom into something I couldnt imagine back at St. Matthews Church, you and your family have sacrificed so much time, and Im proof that just one person can make such a huge impact on someone's life. Love ya Dan...Im getting the itch to start my own :)

Hearing from alumni like this just reinforces my point on how I've been blessed by making a consistent effort to help others.

We need leaders and investors who will think of the Tipping Points that would enable more programs Cabrini Connections and long-term leaders like me to be involved in more places. If members of this group and our network share these ideas in their own networks on a regular basis, we can find those people and motivate them to join us.

This is the middle of my third week here at the Tutor/Mentor Connection, and the learning curve I'm experiencing is feeling like it's beginning to smooth out some, and with some light at the end of this tunnel, I feel as though I'm approaching a new understanding of what not only this site is trying to accomplish, but of how they aim to do it, and of how they aim to prove that they are doing it.  Meeting fellow staff here has been a great help to me in this regard, and many thanks to Matt and Karina for having discussions with me about the program thusfar.  Most of my last week here has been much the same in terms of reading through the large collection of articles that Dan has amassed on the website, feeling oftentimes as though I am auditing a new class.  I am grateful for this wealth of knowledge though, as the more I can get an understanding of all of the aspects of this organization, the better I can convey it's ideas and it's mission to those around me, as it truly is an innovative project. 

Today started off with a meeting between my co-workers, Dan, and Nicole Huser from the Adler School.  I appreciated her stopping in, as it's nice to know that I am still being supported by the school and that their resources can become my resources for assistance if necessary.  After the meeting, I was left with a new motivation to find my niche in how I can help the Tutor/Mentor Connection by doing more than passing along it's ideals to those around me.  I began looking into the Social Network Analysis articles on the website, as well as the models that have been done in the past.  I was also introduced to the collection of previously filled out grant proposals, and am considering that as another side project I can work on.  During my three hour commute (yes, 3 hour), I was contemplating my last blog post, and was attempting to rationalize how a social psychological model framework could be tweaked to fit into a social problem, such as education.  If one could replace the Individual as the center of the model with the societal problem (such as education), making the microsystems at work around it the different influences that influence a child's ability to learn effectively (or the different organizations working independently to solve the problem), and then T/MC as the surrounding bubble that addresses the interactions between those microsystems...as I said, I was just brainstorming this idea as an interesting way to convey what T/MC's mission is in a psychological model framework.

I have modified pyramid concepts. Firstly, I have changed to stairs concept which is piled up gradually. Below is the main page from the presentation (graphic added by DanB).

First page is main page which shows title of this presentation.

Second page shows producer and link to original file.

From third page, the stairs which contain detail information or purpose of each step is piled up.

The important thing is that viewer can move to each step by clicking buttons. The lowest button is able to transfer to main

page if you click. So, people can read information exactly and randomly through this function.

If you want to change something, please let me know about that. The weather is colder and colder. Take care!!!

A few months ago I read this Civic Enterprises report, titled  Untapped Potential: Filling the Promise of Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Bigs and Littles they Represent.  If you're a current or former BIG, or have experienced the feelings outlined in this report from your involvement in a different mentoring program, I encourage you to read this report (PDF), and add your talent to our efforts.</p>

According to this report, "Youth who are part of the mentoring provided by Big Brothers, Big Sisters do benefit in a variety of ways, but many face "challenges of ruptured families and unsafe neighborhoods, bad influences from adults and peers in their lives, and schools marked by low expectations and insufficient student supports". These challenges are greater obstacles to successful youth development and movement to college and jobs than what a single mentor alone is able to overcome."

Many of the BIGs feel that their experience has motivated them to do more to mitigate these challenges. This report summarizes those feelings and suggests strategies that Biggs could take.  Many of our volunteers at Cabrini Connections experience the same feelings. I'm sure this is true in many other programs, too.

<b>As your read this, I encourage you to read the collaboration strategies on the http://www.tutormentorexchange.net site.</b> If you're one of those BIGs who wants to do more to help these kids, join with us in events aimed at building greater public awareness, better understanding of tutoring/mentoring strategies, and a greater flow of operating dollars and volunteers to all of the neighborhoods, and programs, where kids and volunteers can connect.

Here are some highlights of focus group discussions with more than 557 adult volunteers (Bigs) and 400 youth (Littles) :

Overall the "Big" experience profoundly changes the volunteer's perspectives on the lives of at-risk youth. More than four out of five BIGs (84%) said their experience has changed the way they look at
the challenges that at-risk youth face a great deal, or a fair amount.

Over half of the BIGss surveyed (56%) said they worry that their Littles are not getting the education they will need to support themselves as adults.

More than one out of three (37%) of BIGs said that not having enough to do after school was a barrier to their Littles' future success.

Seven out of 10 BIGs said that kids having more access to positive role models like coaches and teachers (73 percent) and role models like BIGs (69%) would improve childrens' chances for success a lot.

Four out of fiveBIGs *82%) said their experience as a BIG leaves them feeling like they wish they could do more to h elp their Littles and children like them.

Seven of 10 BIGs (69%) said that they would definitely or consider helping encourage more adults to help disadvantaged children in some way

Four out of five *82%) believe that BIGs working together can make a very significant or significant impact.

One BIG said, "Why go to the government.? This country isn't designed for that. It's about all of us volunteering and making it a better place."

More than 78% said that encouraging other individuals to become more involved in directly helping children was more important than working to change public policy.

<b>there were more than 245,000 active mentors involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters in 2009. </b> Think of how many have been involved over the past 30 years!

Imagine if just a small portion of these volunteers took on some of the leadership and organizing roles suggested in this report, or suggested in the Leadership and Collaboration strategies suggested by the Tutor/Mentor Connection.

It does not matter what city you live in. You can connect with each other, and with us, on this forum, or on forums you create. Let's put the potential of this report into action. Let's start now.

Visit http://www.tutormentorjam.org and support the Chicago volunteer recruitment efforts of the Tutor/Mentor Connection. Visit
http://www.tutormentorconference.org and take a lead at bringing Bigs and BBBS programs from all over the Midwest to the May or November Tutor/Mentor Conferences held in Chicago.

Visit http;//www.tutormentorpogramlocator.net and see how you can map locations of tutor/mentor programs in Chicago, or your own community, and use the maps as part of an outreach campaign intended to help more volunteers connect with kids in well-organized programs in Chicago and
throughout the country.

<b>Finaly, read the leadership ideas on the http://tutormentor.blogspot.com and enlist your business, college, faith group, professional group and/or hospital network as leaders and resource providers to this mobilization.</b>

Together mentors from many mentoring programs can do more to help inner-city kids have the support network they need to overcome the challenges of poverty. Let's connect in 2011 for the benefit of these kids.

****  This is the first idea of my thiking. I have more idea. so, the first idea is like this by using tab.

       I'm going to make other idea next week. So, could you advise and comment for me?

       I consistently find a way to help people can understand better.     

Thanks for entering Cabrini Connections. 

InheeNetwork.ppt shows my network of family connections and friends social networking.  

How about this?

I'd like to make like this by showing diverse pictures. It illustrates the appearance of T/MC, and shows the important role of T/MC. It can keep working not only our previous project but another project. It just idea that I popped up, today. 

cabrini_second.swf 

I added background music and image. Moreover, i made a first display. I imitated first page of pyramid pdf file.

Please, leave your comments. I want to make perfect flash animation. I sincerely accept your ideas. ^^;

Pyramid_first_draft.swf 

This is new model based on pyramid model. Basically, we designed stairs concept. This is just draft.

So, I am going to change first page and background images. Have a nice day and be careful not to catch a cold !!

      Good morning. First of all, let me apologize for not making ant posts the past few weeks. I've been under the weather during the holidays. BUT NOW I'M BACK! I was watching the news Monday night, and I saw a story about the last family to move out of the Cabrini-Green housing projects. Most people in Chicago now think that all former tenants of Cabrini-Green have been placed in sufficient housing, away from the immediate area. This is not entirely true. Although the vast majority of former tenants were given vouchers to move into sufficient housing, most are still right here in the Cabrini-Green area where they were born and raised. And contrary to popular belief, they're still living near or at the poverty level. Some have gotten jobs, but they're only minimum wage or slightly higher. The others are still surviving on the checks they receive from Social Security or Public Aid. 

      Which is why I'm writing this article. If the statements I've made in the last paragraph were not true, Cabrini-Connection would not be needed in this area any more. There are still plenty of kids that continue to come here seeking tutoring support and mentoring. And that's why we still need your continued support. We need volunteers, computers, school supplies, tables, chairs, and most importantly your financial support. Money helps us to do special things for the kids, and it keeps the heat and the lights on.

      In the upcoming months we will be having fund raising events, but support is always needed. In addition to serving the people of this area, we assist agencies and other organizations throughout the city and suburbs. So please assist us in any way that you can. Thanks. For more information, please read Dan Bassil's article on Cabrini-Green.

I saw a TV report last night saying "Cabrini Green Gone".  

Someone should tell that to the 35 -40 7th to 12th grade teens at Cabrini Connections who live in the Cabrini Green area, either in the Row Houses or the redeveloped property.  I wrote a blog articleabout this last fall, showing that about 400 families still live in the Row House area and that 1200 families are promised homes in the redeveloped area by 2014.

If people don't believe there is a need for programs like Cabrini Connections in the area, they won't be volunteers or provide operating dollars, and we will no longer be there to serve what will be a growing number of youth who still would benefit from tutoring/mentoring and expanded non-school learning.

The map above is from the Tutor/Mentor Program Locator's Interactive map. We can zoom into different parts of the city and build an  understanding of what tutor/mentor programs exist, or where more are needed. We can also see assets like faith groups, banks, colleges and hospitals who could be helping these programs grow.