I was honored to be invited to the leadership conference organized by Cabrini Connections on the first working day.I with another two interns KG & Karse from South Korea was helping the staff collecting some conference files before Thursday. Dan was showing me related links with introduction of this conference. I already knew what was going on between Thursday and Friday.We had to arrive in the conference earlier than working days around 8:30am. The conference was located the downtown Northwestern University Law School, which I dreamed of studying there one day. The place was such wonderful as hold the conference. You could see the beautiful Lake Michigan from the windows. The weather was so nice during two days.When I was arrived there, I already saw some staffs were busy with some preparations before guests came in. I was told to be a photographer during the conference, and upload the photos to our website.The conference schedule was very informative, which was a good way to know the tutor/mentor program in America. When I talked to the people who took part in the conference, they were not only from Chicago, but also from other states in America. The reason was why they came to the conference, because they wanted to know more about updating information of program and took advantage of meeting new people who did the same thing in America. I was surprised to see a lot of people enrich the tutor/mentor program in America. In my home country-China, we called Hope Program.As the organizer of this conference, Cabrini Connections took a lot of efforts. They arranged varieties of workshops for different participants demands. And also they invited good speakers to share their experiences during the opening and lunch time. I thought it was very valuable and worth going there.Some speakers impressed me that was Jeffrey Fields and Thomas M. Donnelly. And I learned a lot from the workshops.Like I know the Lawyers Lend-A-Hand to Youth's (LAH) can encourage one-on-one, long term tutor/mentor relationships and to support the work of tutor/mentor programs by awarding grants, recruiting volunteers, and promoting best practices. Since January 2008, LAH has awarded $200,000 annually to exemplary tutor/mentor programs. With this recent increase in the excess of $800,000 to programs serving disadvantaged youth, more details you want to know LAH, please visit their website www.lawyerslendhand.orgLiz Livingston Howard, who was the professor of Kellogg School Center for Nonprofit Management in the Northwestern University, was introducing the current Nonprofit Environment, and shared her management experience on nonprofit how to improve the donor/member/customer.Eric Davis, who was the founder of the Global Citizen Experience, told us to build community engagement: A global model with local foundations. His workshop looked like a panel discussion and leaded us to figure out what your nonprofit organization goal is.I was very tired to acquire a lot of knowledge from two-days, but I felt very excited to take part in this leadership and networking conference. Cabrini Connections was doing a great job for the conference and gave me a chance to participate in it.Now I have to start thinking about what will I do and how can I enrich my internship……
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Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking ConferenceMay 28-29, 2009I attend to the conference for two days in Northwestern University Law. I had attended several conferences while I was in the work shop, and I spend my almost time to take a picture of process about conference.First of all, there were many kind of people in their and each of thwy have many different environment, background, education, face color, and etc. I could talked with a lot of people and all they were greeting me. They had interested in South Korea and asked lots of questions me about Korea's volunteering or problems. During conversation with them, I felt pity about their face color or wealth and poverty problems. I think those are more big issue in America than Korea, and it was more serious than what I thought about that in past. Fortunatly, America government and organization already know about that, and they have making effrots to solve those problems, and cabrini connection is one of the most important part in their.Honestly, I couldn't listen carefuly about work shop, because I kept walk around to take a picture and I couldn't decided to one what will be more interesting for me. There are so many kind of great work shops and topics are enough to have make concern. However, I have felt envy about this conference like tutoring and mentoring, and I thought our country, South Korea, also need to make effort in this field.I really have impressed by this conference, I can learn about problems in America and getting have more understanding about those people. I feel honored work in cabrini connection, and thank you for give me a chance to having this experience.
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I attended the Tutor/mentor leadership and networking conference from may 28 to may 29,2009. The conference washeld at the Northwestern University School of Law. I was worried about talking with many people because I can't speakEnglish well. I realized that I don't need to worried about what I worried because most of them told me first. I can havecourage about talking with people. There are impressive workshop for me. One of the most interesting workshop is thatIssues of Non Profit Management - 10Tips for Staying Ahead in this Economy. This conference is help to leaders howstaying ahead fundrasing and marketing stategies in the bad economy. Nowdays, Economy is so bad and nonprofitorganizations are facing difficulties. I think it is very difficult to get attention for donating from doner. I realized that weshould establish effective strategy for increasing donation. Also, tutoring and mentoring program was very impressive forme. It is the first time to see like big conference for handling tutor/mentor program. That's because this kind of topicare not often handle in Korea. Even if, some organizations are implement tutoring and mentoring program thesedays ,but it is not very popular yet in Korea. I was also impressed that USA goverenment and many organizations arevery concern about tutor/mentor program but Korea is not much. I envy that USA government and many organizationsbehavior and management. I was very thanksful to invite me like this big conference. It really means a lot to me. I wantto applaud people who work in organizations. Also, I want to do everything in my power to assist you. Thanks forreading.
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Three of the guests at the Chicago conference last week were interns from Korea and China, by way of the Illinois Institute of Technology. Here are photos taken by Kg.
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Hi everyone,My name is Gunwoong Go and just call me 'Kg'. I'm from South Korea and exchange student in Illinois Institute of Technology. My majors are media and mathematics, and specific skills are game development and team management. I can use programming languages, C, C++, Direct X, but those are not my talent. I can use some software, Illustrator, powerpointer, and etc. I was working in a game company named 'NCsoft' where is the most big and famous game company in Korea during one year for the game planner. My part was analyzing and planning games. In last year, I was a leader of game development circle, I taught about how to brainstorming and development games, and management 5 teams for exhibition and conference. It was great experience to me and it helps me decision to my future job be a project manager or management of individual business because I like to meet and conversation with people, and controlling teams to go on their plan.I arrived here just 4 months and this is my first time to work in America, so I'm very nervous because I'm not good at English and I don't know what should I do for this company. However, when I arrived here, then I became to feel comfortable and relaxed, because every people who met me are very kind to me. I'll attempt to help this company and I hope to make many experience and meet many people.Thank youKg
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My first day started a little nervous in the morning. Because it is my first time to work for the America company in U.S.In fact, I already had two-years working experience in Shanghai, which specialized in media industry. But I am still looking for working for different sectors and full fill my life.Dan,who is the president of Cabrini Connections ask me to introduce myself. I just want to let other staff know their new members. My name is Liye Lin, who was born in the east of China-a very beautiful city called Shanghai.In the future, I'll post my hometown pictures and make your guys know more about my country and culture,especially for the people. I completed my undergraduate degree in Business English at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. After then, I worked for western company, which published English Finance Magazine called Shanghai Business Review. I was doing the accounting,circulation and company marketing strategy. One day, I was thinking about my life and wanted to start my new career.Now I was there almost nine months. I'm glad to make a right decision and study at IIT, Chicago. Both of them are more interesting in my life. And also I meet a lot of friends from different countries there. We exchange the culture and mind. language is not a barrier between us, which become an universal.I really want to learn and do some stuffs for my internship. Tomorrow I'll go to the conference organized by my internship organization at the law school of Northwestern University. It is so exciting to meet new people and talk to them.Hope everyone knows me and I'll try to update my blog very often. If anyone is interested in my country and culture,feel free to ask me.
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Hi everyoneMy name is SungJoong Kim. You can call me Karse. I'm from south korea. I'm here for exchange student in IIT. My major is computer science. I'm Junior in University. I am accustomed to handle computer, that means I can learn anythings faster than other people. Also, I like computer programming which can handle Java,C language. I've been stayed here for 4month. I'm going to work with cabrini connection for 6 weeks. I'm really interested in working with cabrini connection. Every staffs are very kind and they made me feel comfortable. I was work as a vice-president in People to People, which is volunteer club in my University.Also, I was working in office of international team. I helped international student to adopt Korea. I hope I will be helpful person for cabrini connection.Thanks.
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I encourage you all to download and read this study from Public/Private Venture's. It's a report from a three-year study of the role Boys & Girls Clubs play in the lives of the youth they serve. Making Every Day Count examines how Club participation is related to youth's positive and healthy development in three outcome areas identified by Boys & Girls Clubs of America as central to its mission: good character and citizenship, academic success and healthy lifestyles.
The report draws on several sources of data—surveys of a low-income, ethnically diverse sample of approximately 320 youth (starting when they were seventh and eighth graders and following them into the ninth and tenth grades), Club attendance records over a 30-month period, and in-depth interviews with a sample of ninth graders—to investigate the relationship between participation and outcomes. The findings show that teens who had higher levels of participation in the Clubs experienced greater positive change on 15 of 31 outcomes examined, including increases in integrity (knowing right from wrong) and academic confidence, decreases in incidents of skipping school, and a lower likelihood of starting to carry a weapon or use marijuana or alcohol.
The key findings of this study apply to site based tutor/mentor programs such as Cabrini Connections, which offer a range of ways for kids to participate, provide a safe place in non school hours, and have staff who provide the same type of adult support that staff at the Boys and Girls Clubs offer. However, tutor/mentor programs go far beyond this because of the way the add extra adults who are not parents and family members, or paid staff, to the mix of adults who make a long-term connection and investment in the lives of kids.
How does this information relate to your own organization?
As you look at the outcomes, ask yourself "who will fund programs because they look like this?" . If we can build a list of donors, or grow new donors, we all have a better chance to provide this level of service to teens, and more.
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This graphic illustrates how non profits are all competing with each other for a limited pool of resources. Most are not as successful at getting resources as they need to be, or at keeping these for many years needed to have a social impact, such as helping a first grader move through high school graduation and into a job.
The graphic illustrates the role Tutor/Mentor Connection is taking, to try to draw donors and volunteers directly to different tutor/mentor programs in Chicago, using our Program Locator maps as a tool.
Finally, the graphic illustrates our aim to recruit volunteers and leaders within faith groups, colleges, hospitals and businesses, in Chicago, and in other cities, who take on the role of the T/MC, educating a growing number of people and pointing them as volunteers and donors, to the map, and to the different programs in Chicago and other cities.
Why is this important?
T/MC is a non profit. We don't have relationships with the people we're trying to influence, thus, we're trying to get attention for our intermediary message, just the same as each individual program. Because we talk for all programs, we can have some success, such as the growing pool of money raised by Lawyers Lend A Hand, but our impact is limited by our own lack of resources.
Each person who duplicates the T/MC role, geometrically increases the impact of our effort. If we can recruit leaders in every industry, in every faith group, in many different cities, the combined power of this group will have much greater impact on increasing the number of dollars and volunteers supporting tutor/mentor programs, and in changing the way programs are supported with innovative, flexible operating dollars, rather than competitive, narrowly defined grant programs.
Furthermore, if these people area already part of a business, faith group, university, they build upon existing networks and relationships. They already have a communications network that they can use to share T/MC ideas. When we're on the outside, we're blocked by the firewall and procedures of different organizations. We can't get our message through. If the messenger is already inside, we don't have that problem. We just need to help these people take the lead.
Everyone who is part of this ning group is able to take this role, and able to recruit others who carry this message into their own communities. Go out and multiply and we can increase the food available to support tutor/mentor programs in Chicago and other cities.
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Here's a link to a Community Collaboration web site that might be a useful networking tool for many of the people who are members of the Tutor/Mentor Connection on ning.
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Most non profits are chronically short of dollars to hire all of the staff they need, and during this economic turmoil, this is particularly true. Thus, it's great when the non profit can recruit interns to help do important work.
If you browse the groups section you can see how interns from Korea, Michigan and IIT have been helping the Tutor/Mentor Connection visualize some of its ideas. You can connect with interns who were with us for the past two years, and you can meet new interns who will be joining us from IIT in May of 2009.
At this post you can see how an intern from DePaul University is helping us. Chris Warren, who writes this blog, is on a one-year fellowship from Northerwestern, as part of a Public Interest Program Fellowship.
On the NUTutorMentor page you can meet another intern, Diana Castanena, who is from Northwestern. You can also meet volunteers from the CampusCATALYST program at Northwestern, who are working with the Tutor/Mentor Connection this spring.
We're fortunate to have such people and so many other volunteers working with us. It helps stretch the limited dollars we have to achieve much greater impact.
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Hello AllIn response partly to an earlier message from Dan Bassill regarding raising support on behalf of grassroots organisations in the developing world.I am co-founder of a small trust operating in Zimbabwe. We provide drama and arts based activities with young people living on the street.Would anybody like to consider volunteering in this country in the not too distant future?I am currently engaged in remote fundraising support by way of project bids though in the current financial credit crunch, existing donors are becoming less. This must pave the way for changing strategies in line with the times.Zimbabwe has for long been the subject of widespread media reporting in terms of governance and politics though if one would simply like to visit a project there, it has been a safe place to visit for me some nine times.I would like to extend invitations for short stories around 300 words either factual or examples of creative writing by young people for the next issue of The Street Home newsletter.The launch edition may be downloaded here as a PDF document: Under publications heading, by clicking on the last item;"The MUSTLE Trust newsletter No 1.http://www.streetchildren.org.uk/resources/details/?country=21&type=countryDoes anybody out there have any experience of volunteering by way of working remotely, perhaps like editing a newsletter, drafting proposals etc etc?Has it been mutually beneficial?Have a great day!James Robinson.Liverpool, United Kingdom.
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At Kids Learning Adventure, I help by giving them snack and after snack I help them with their Homework. When they are playing I just make sure everything is okay.
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Public Allies Chicago Presents: A Forum for Nonprofit LeadersMarch 25, 2009NOTESWhat can we expect from the philanthropic community in this new economic environment?Consuella Brown, The Woods FundThe bad news:• Don’t rely on government stimulus money – most of it has been or will be spent to plug up deficits.• Foundations have experienced significant drops in assets. It’s serious enough that they are having to consider cutting staff. While foundations used to be able to fund staff’s personal favorite projects, they can’t anymore and are using this time as an opportunity to let go of low performers. Recommendations: 1) Expect at-level funding or less from your current funders, 2) Think about how you are communicating your impact, and 3) Get to know foundations’ priorities.• Individual donors are continuing to give but in lower amounts and in more targeted ways.• Will likely get worse in 2010 and 2011. Small and mid-size organizations will be hit hardest. Recommendations: 1) Come up with a contingency plan. 2) Don’t pursue stimulus dollars until/unless you’ve thought about how you will sustain growth next year.The good news:• Very useful conversations about budget priorities are happening• Incentive to collaborate with other organizations• Serve America Act will increase the number of AmeriCorps membersPier Rogers, The Axelson Center for Nonprofit ManagementRecommendations for navigating current economic climate:• We have to think creatively, in a way we may not have been doing.• Can’t afford mission drift now. Think ‘what is your core?’• Collaboration allows us to combine resources.• Postpone non-essential expenses.• Clearly communicate strategy and contingency plans to all stakeholders – make sure everyone is comfortable with the way you are handling this crisis. You want your funders to feel secure that you’ve been thoughtful about being prepared.• Call on board members to govern, be part of strategy making, and bring resources to the table. Being able to say “We have 100% giving from our board, they are completely behind us” sends a powerful message to other prospective funders, and is more important than each board member giving a certain amount – allow members to choose how much they give.• Consider social entrepreneurship, i.e. ways to bring in revenue, long-term sustenance to your organization.• This is not an environment where you can come up with quick-fixes (e.g. new funding strategies) overnight.Question and Answer SessionWhat does ‘social entrepreneurship’ refer to?A for-profit initiative with a social mission. It’s been around for a long time but now we’re calling it this. It’s not a panacea.How do I recruit new board members at a time like this?Present it as an opportunity to make an investment and be part of problem-solving and strategy-making. It’s good to know whether potential members are interested in this upfront so you don’t recruit dead wood. Think about each potential member as a strategic investment – what will be the ROI? what can they give/get?How do we cultivate donors in a time like this?Think 9-12 months for cultivation. Before approaching a donor for the first time, find out if they have recently funded anyone like you, and if not whether they are funding anything new. If a donor says no to you, find out why and learn from it.Can we still get general operating support?You can still get a little general operating support, but you have to ask for it (it’s on ‘the back shelf’).What do I need to know about collaborating with other organizations in grantseeking?Make sure to write a Memorandum of Understanding. If you’re a secondary contractor, find your way to the table with the primary contractor. Visit the BoardSource website for more information.What are the considerations and opportunities for building capacity in an era of diminished resources and rising demand for services?Eric Weinheimer, The Cara ProgramWhat doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger. 5 Recommendations:1) Identify your economic engine – what impact(s) does your organization create that will attract investors? Make sure everything you do contributes directly to achieving the impact(s)? Many funders say they are only interested in something new and exciting, but don’t be tempted to follow the dollars.2) Engage funders in a proactive, creative and moving way, not with the normal email, phone call, and walk through the office. Make sure they engage with the people you serve, not just you or your staff. Send a letter to every funder and prospective funder detailing how you are handling this crisis.3) Use the culture of your organization to do more with less. Determine with your staff,what in your culture works (in terms of values and rituals). Embrace these things and run with them. Show that you celebrate your metrics, and share them in a vibrant and accessible way.4) Go beyond collaboration - consider a merger. It’s not about your organization, it’s about the mission.5) Get a Public Ally.Joanne Howard, Metropolitan Chicago Information CenterRecommendations:• Create a strategic plan with a mission, goals, and outcomes with numeric benchmarks. Make sure your whole staff is on board with the plan and revisit it at least every six months.• Know how to frame your success stories.• Know your audience – do an external and internal environmental scan. Think ‘what are our assets and liabilities, what do we need?’ Make sure you have board and staff members in place who have appropriate skill sets to accomplish the mission.• Look at your organizational culture – make sure it is not wrapped up in any one or two people being there. Do plus/delta at the end of meetings.• Trust and use your data. Consider using graduate student interns to get data together, and bringing in an external consultant to check and analyze the data. For more information visit the websites of the Metropolitan Chicago Information Institute www.mcic.org, the Brookings Institute, etc.Macarthur Antigua, Public Allies National OfficeWhat do we need to know about Generation Serve?• ‘Generation Serve’ (a.k.a. ‘millennials’) refers to people born between 1978 and 1993 – they outnumber baby boomers now.• The percent of teens volunteering has doubled since the 1970s.• Millennials want this sector to be the place where talent goes (a non-‘pity’ sector).• They are itching to get in the game, and they look for positions where they can spend 2-3 years developing skills and then move on to another position.• The Serve America Act will result in many more AmeriCorps members nationwide.Recommendations:• Think about succession planning at all levels of your organization.• To attract millennials, create compelling opportunities for them.• Consider hiring an AmeriCorps member as an opportunity to build capacity.Question and Answer SessionWhat are some ways to improve organizational culture?Have your whole staff evaluate what is working and what is not; determine who is going to own making sure that the things that work continue to happen. Think very seriously about who you hire, and make sure many staff members have ownership of new hires. Also think about things like meeting practices, daily practices, where people are working, and dress. Find areas for spending reduction through collective discussion – the people closest to the work have good ideas. Stay respectful of people (appropriate processes) through these times – this is part of your culture.How will funders view staff cuts?Funders want to know that what they have invested in is going to be carried out. Tell the person who reviewed your proposal before you make a public announcement about staff cuts. If you’re in the midst of being reviewed, consider asking for contingency funding (e.g. funding that is contingent on hiring new staff).How do you recommend we collect and present our data?There are many ways to collect and present data, and different funders have their preferences. MCIC is a great resource for data collection and analysis. Funders are digging deeper into data now, but don’t make them have to dig. Also be aware that your organizational reputation is often more important than the data you present.What can we expect from corporate funders in this economic environment?There is still funding available from corporate funders IF you fall in their sweet spot. (They still have an interest in appearing socially responsible especially in these times.) Think about what you have to OFFER them.
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This map is one of the images I shared in the March 2009 Tutor/Mentor Connection eMail newsletter, which you can find on the T/MC web site.
This map can also be seen at the Mapping for Justice web site, along with an article explaining how it can be used to draw volunteers and donors into inner city neighborhoods.
I encourage you to share this with others and help us build a network of supporters for volunteer-based tutoring/mentoring programs in Chicago, and in your own community.
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Dear Community Partners,This summer, the Youth Ready Chicago program will provide up to 7,300 youthwith a government-subsidized paid work experience operating via a system of hubsand worksites. The Department of Family and Support Services (FSS) is seekingproposals from qualified organizations to serve as hubs for the Youth ReadyChicago program.Successful respondents will be able to demonstrate strong experience withWorkforce Investment Act youth program models, youth employment and trainingprograms, or have operated summer youth employment models previously. In orderto be eligible, applicants must have annual operating budgets of at least$500,000 and the financial capacity and experience to manage and distributepayroll for at least 100 youth.Interested applicants are asked to download the complete Request for Proposal(RFP) at the following websites, www.cityofchicago.org/fss orwww.youthreadychicago.org. Paper applications of the RFP will also be availableat the FSS front desk at 1615 W. Chicago Avenue, 2nd Fl.The RFP opening date is March 23, 2009 and the proposal submission due date isApril 13, 2009, 4:00 p.m. Central Standard Time.Responses must be submitted in hardcopy and emailed as directed in the RFP.Proposals must be e-mailed to youthreadychicago@cityofchicago.org and submittedto:Carmen E. Alicea-ReyesDeputy Commissioner of Youth ServicesDepartment of Family and Support Services1615 West Chicago AvenueChicago, Illinois 60622There will be a Pre-Bid Proposal Conference on March 30, 2009 from 1:00 p.m. -3:00 p.m. at 2102 W. Ogden Avenue.For questions regarding the RFP, please contact Julia Talbot at (312) 746-1679or email at jtalbot@cityofchicago.org or Mary Ellen Messner at (312)743-1887 oremail at mmessner@cityofchicago.orgI encourage you to review the RFP and to apply if your organization is able toprovide the required services.Sincerely,Mary Ellen CaronCommissioner
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Children cannot focus on learning when they are worried about living.Editorial from Chicago SunTimes
March 9, 2009
In this school year alone, 25 Chicago Public Schools children have been murdered. As shocking as that is, that number doesn't begin to tell the real story of how deeply violence is a part of the everyday life of Chicago's children.
Try this number out for size: A total of 508 Chicago school kids were shot from September 2007 through December 2008, according to data compiled by the school system and released to the Chicago Sun-Times.
That's almost 32 children shot each month. Most of these kids, thankfully, did not die. But the damage is tremendous nonetheless.
There is the physical damage, which is awful enough. But the psychological damage can last much longer -- both for the victim and their classmates. Many kids in the most violent neighborhoods of Chicago are paralyzed by fear, and it's hard to blame them.
They are thinking rationally.
In 130 schools, at least one student has been shot since September 2007. In 15 schools, at least 10 students have been shot. In 12 other schools, at least 5 students have been shot.
School officials compiled this data to look for patterns that might help them get a handle on the problem. It was collected under former schools CEO Arne Duncan. New schools CEO Ron Huberman is reviewing and verifying the data.
None of these children were shot in school, it's important to note. In fact, Bryan Samuels, the top CPS official who oversaw the data analysis, found the shootings were typically much closer to the victim's home than to his or her school. The median distance from the shooting to the victim's home was 0.4 miles, while the median distance to the victim's school was 1.2 miles.
CPS also found that 70 percent of the shootings took place between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. -- outside the hours of the school day and after-school programs. But that doesn't mean schools are not profoundly hard hit. Our public schools can -- and must -- soften the blow of such violence and do more to prevent it.
This editorial page believes one answer lies in compelling schools to adopt a radical new approach to teaching -- one that addresses the social and emotional needs of students. In too many Chicago schools, traumatized kids arrive for class each day filled with anger and despair. Inevitably, they disrupt classrooms, slow learning to a crawl and at times become violent themselves.
Most schools have little to offer these kids except overburdened social workers and counselors. Instead, as this page has pushed for months now, CPS should implement citywide a well-established, evidence-based approach now being rolled out in earnest in a handful of schools. The model program teaches basic skills that many kids don't get at home, such as how to get along and how to empathize -- skills that research shows improve test scores and behavior. The program provides more intensive counseling to needier kids.
Duncan, before moving on to Washington to head the U.S. Department of Education, supported phasing in all or parts of the model into all Chicago public schools by 2011. His successor, Huberman, who has a social work degree, says he is studying the model. We urge Huberman to continue this vital work after a thorough review of its progress this year.
An alternative plan has been proposed by state Rep. Monique Davis, a Chicago Democrat and former teacher and administrator. A bill she introduced last month would require schools in violence-prone areas to hire a full-time social worker (most have only part-time help). And, in response to a Sun-Times report last year documenting pervasive fear among kids in violent areas and a lack of opportunities for them to blow off steam, Davis would require struggling schools to offer 10 to 15 minutes of physical activity a day and after-school programming.
The concept is good, but we fear the bill is not sweeping enough and, without a clear funding source, could simply be another unfunded, burdensome mandate. In general, Huberman tells us, he is committed to finding a comprehensive way to address students' social and emotional needs -- one of several areas he hopes to tackle as part of a larger response to violence.
He is identifying schools that have what he calls a "culture of calm" (respect between adults and kids, no kids hanging out in the hallways) and trying to export that culture to schools that clearly could use it.
The new schools CEO also wants to make sure kids get to school safely. With 508 shootings in 16 months, kids on many blocks have every reason to fear walking to school. Those CPS shooting statistics, by the way, do not even include other school-age kids who have been shot. Adding those kids would double CPS' 508 shootings.
Huberman, well-known for his love of data, is analyzing shooting patterns, transportation routes, gang turf boundaries and school attendance boundaries. That data will be used to devise safer routes to school for kids in risky areas, with a team at each school monitoring and updating the routes. A plan that wraps all of these elements together will be announced in May, he said.
Since September, 25 Chicago Public Schools kids have been murdered. That's one shy of the total for the entire 2007-2008 school year. In December 2008, 34 students were shot. In December 2007, there was just one shooting.
If this isn't a crisis, what is?
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Is this a crisis in other cities? What are people willing to do to make programs available in high poverty neighborhoods which can help reverse these trends?
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Chris Warren, who is serving a one year fellowship with Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection, has written a blog post showing how the T/MC seeks to work with teams from universities, professions, businesses, hospitals, etc.. You can read this at http://chrispip.blogspot.com/2009/03/campuscatalyst-cabriniconnections_07.html
We have many groups growing within the Tutor/Mentor Connection Ning.com page, and our aim is to help each group adopt the ideas Chris is writing about, so that they innovate new ways to draw volunteers, operating dollars and other needed resources to constantly improving, volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs in Chicago and other cities.
You can learn more about this concept in the various blog articles at http://tutormentor.blogspot.com and in a set of discussion posts at http://www.tutormentorconnection.org/GetInvolved/DiscussionForums/tabid/474/view/topics/forumid/116/Default.aspx
As these teams form, and do their brainstorming, planning and implement their strategy via these open Ning forums, each team will learn from its own work, as well as the work of other groups focusing on the same goal in other cities. Thus, each year the impact of each team will grow based on how well the learn and innovate from the work of the entire universe of teams working toward a common goal.
I hope you'll use this forum for that purpose and you'll actively encourage others to join.
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I encourage you to visit the groups section to see work done since January by interns from Korea and India (by way of Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Michigan.
The work one team did was to convert the graphic on this page to an animated presentation which you can view from the UMichigan group page. The graphic illustrates how we're trying to connect people from different industries, different universities, different countries to each other and to information they can use to help volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs grow in big cities, and be more effective helping kids.
We've already been sharing the work these interns do on web sites like the Tutor/Mentor Institute. And blogs posted on the University of Michigan site are spreading the news of this work through their network to even more potential partners.
Visit the Maps group to see work done by another intern from the University of Michigan and visit the Chicago-Korea TMC group to see work done by two interns from Korea who were with us from mid January to the end of February.
This work illustrates ways colleges and interns from different cities can be helping tutor/mentor programs in their own cities, and how we can be networking and sharing these ideas and applications in forums like Ning.
Go out and spread the word and the group's size and impact will multiply.
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Softscripts was established in the year 2003. Our main motto is to help in eradicating illiteracy from the world ,so we developed a platform connecting tutors ,teachers and professors with students and renting books online in an easier way . Teachers can showcase their classes to the world. Students can reach teachers in a better way .Find-guru.com started online quiz for students, teachers. Any one can play weekly quiz and win exiting prizes $50 gift hampers.We launched a new module for students. students can submit their assignments and the expert panel will help in solving the assignments.Ask expert is the another new module for the doubts, our expert panel will answer them freely.Hope every one enjoy the benefits of the new modules.we are looking for teachers who can tutor students online please submit your resumes atinfo@find-guru.comstudents can register for free and they can get the best rated teachers, rent books online and even update their school/college/university.http://www.find-guru.comhttp://www.find-teacher.comWe are working on online learning management system and also search based on SMS which will be upgraded soon. So that teachers and students worldwide can connect using our portal .search results from local teachersrent books onlinealumni for schools colleges and universitiesrating your teachers,tutors ,professors and collegesgo green awarenessOur portal connects teachers students and colleges in easier wayWorking on voice and video tutoring and better search results with mobiles through our portal makes our team to awake at night.Srinivas Nunna, CEO : A Bachelor of Engineering Graduate from Vignan College of Engineering, Srinivas has been using his marketing skills and vision to procure projects from around the world. Has managed delivery and business development for over 1000 clients. At present he is focussing on his pet project find-guru which is a portal meant to revolutionalise the educational field.RegardsFind-guru
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