Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference

Expanded workshop descriptions.

Agenda - Thursday and Friday May 27th and 28th, 2010 - Two Day Conference

The goal of the Conference is to help tutor/mentor leaders and supporters expand their networks of friends, peers and supporters. Below is the agenda for the May 27 and 28, 2010 conference. This agenda will be archived here.

Thank you to all speakers, workshop leaders and panel discussion participants for donating your time. Please continue this information sharing in the online forum at http://tutormentorconnection.ning.com

As speakers send pdfs of their workshop presentations, we will post them here and in the conference archive.

Thursday May 27th, 2010

Registration - 8:00 to 9:00 am

Keynote and welcome: 9:00 am to 9:30 am

Professor James Garbarino, author of "Lost Boys," on Violence and Young Men

First workshops: 9:40 am to 10:50 am -

Thinking Outside the Box: Creative Ways to Foster Youth Development - Presented by Katie Cusack and Sandy Reyes, Gads Hill Center

Tween-aged Olympic champions? Students on the cover of TIME magazine?

These are just a few of the accomplishments that youth at New Horizon's Mentoring Program have achieved with the support of their mentors.

Join us as we take a look at dynamic and effective ways to foster youth development, engage youth and mentors, all while strengthening the mentor/mentee relationship.

Thinking Outside the Box will provide an overview of effective, dynamic, and innovative activities that engage youth in furthering their social and academic development all while helping to strengthen the mentor/mentee relationship.

The workshop is geared towards mentors, tutors, teachers, and anyone who works or volunteers with youth.

How the Media Treats Violence, presented by Azam Ahmed and Kristen Mack, Chicago Tribune, Tracy Swartz, Red Eye reporter and Phillip Thompson, The Mash

Longtime reporters will talk about the challenges of writing about violence, especially of high school students.

Attendees will learn about the thought process of how a reporter covers violence against a student. How does the reporter decide who to talk to? How does the reporter decide what to focus on? How does the reporter approach a subject?

Nonprofits: Time to get Mobile, presented by Brian Banks, Regional Manager, AdvaTEXT.com

The American Red Cross' recent mobile campaign made mobile fundraising history, raising $10 million via mobile. American Red Cross staff coordinated and executed a strong multi-channel marketing plan within three hours after the earthquake hit Haiti.

If your nonprofit is thinking of launching a mobile fundraising campaign, it's critical that you develop a multi-channel marketing and outreach plan to spread the word and maximize donations. For example:

Start with emailing your online activists and donors and place your shortcode and keyword front and center. Include a "Forward to a Friend" link and a "Share This" app on the landing page so people can promote it to social networks too. Reinforce this in a follow up thank you email as well.

Leverage social networks. Tweet the "text to donate" campaign. Ask followers to pass it on. Post it to your Facebook Fanpage and any other social networks your organization is active on. Report back on key milestones. The American Red Cross has done a terrific job in the last 72 hours of reporting how much money they are raising via mobile, the work they are doing on the ground, etc.

Paid advertising such as banner ads, keywords and text ads are excellent and fast ways to promote your campaign to millions of people and grow your list at the same time. Follow up with your donors. Tell them about the progress you have made towards reaching your fundraising goals. Explain how their money is being spent. Share some personal stories by people who have been impacted by their donations.

83% of adults have cell phones or smartphones. 35% of users have accessed the Internet via their phone, according to a December 2009 report by Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project. So in times of natural disasters like the catastrophic earthquake that hit Haiti and affected more then two million people, can a mobile strategy help raise money in times of crisis?

Explore the issues around nonprofits collecting cell phone numbers in the marketing battle to reach constituents everywhere.

Race, Language, and the Achievement Gap in America, presented by Michael Levesque, Executive Director, Leap Learning Systems

Ending Poverty Through Tutoring and Mentoring, presented by Jordan Hesterman, Founder, Becoming We the People.

This workshop will show the connection between tutoring/mentoring and helping to end poverty. Participants will leave the workshop with specific ways to connect their tutoring/mentoring skills to ending poverty. They will also come away with more networking skills to help them to help others.

There is much debate on whether leaders are born or taught. I have spent a lot of time studying this as well as experimenting with different ways to develop leaders. Leadership can be taught. Even people that are born with a personality that is better suited to leadership need to be taught how to use it to their advantage.

Participants in this workshop will learn ways to be better leaders and also how to help others develop their leadership abilities. They will also learn ways to network through exercises, etc. Networking is a key skill for this conference and definitely for leadership.

This workshop is open to anyone, leaders or volunteers, etc.

Second workshops: 11:00 am to 12:15 pm

How to Help Your Students Finance College.
Presented by Maria Bucio, Manager of Outreach and Professional Development Illinois Student Assistance Commission

Yes, our students can go to college! This interactive session will introduce you to ways to pay for college, trusted sources of information, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, and frequently asked questions. At this can't miss session you will receive samples of ready-to-use printed materials and become aware of interactive tools on the Web to help families manage the cost of college.

How to Effectively Train Tutors by Partnering with Other Organizations that Serve the Same Population, Presented by Alex Cornwell, Director, Chicago Lights Tutoring and Summer Day at Fourth Presbyterian Church, and Erin McPartlin, Executive Director, Cabrini-Green Tutoring

The Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee Education Initiative, “A Remarkable Success Story," presented by Darrell Finch, Milwaukee Housing Authority

Learn how the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee’s Education Initiative was able to increase school attendance and graduation rates to 100% among low-income students by locating services within their housing developments and developing partnerships with the school system and other educational stakeholders.

The Education Initiative was the vision of the Housing Authority’s Executive Director, Tony Perez, who wanted to help kids in public housing stay in school. He understood that minority children from low-income families have additional life challenges and are therefore at greater risk of dropping out, being unemployed and becoming involved with drugs and crime. The intent was to improve school attendance and educational achievement among the youth who live in public housing developments. These goals would be accomplished through mentoring, afterschool programs, tutoring, monitoring grades and, perhaps most importantly, a commitment from the family. This commitment came in the form of an innovative lease addendum, which requires Milwaukee public housing families with underage children to enroll in the Education Initiative.

This workshop is designed for mentors, tutors, volunteers, and caseworkers who mentor and tutor children towards success in school and life. The workshop is also for Chicago Public Housing officials who might consider implementing the Education Initiative in public housing. The presentation will focus on two fronts: (1) the revolutionary approach the HACM took to encourage parents to become more involved in the educational development of their children, and (2) how the Tutor/Mentor and Leadership Networking Conference has helped the HACM Education Initiative achieve its goals with youth.

The workshop will explore and encourage dialogue about children’s identity development. Children don’t see the world as it is, they see they world as the are. They naturally seek an identity, but in order to develop an identity they must first be able to identify with someone. The task is to help them identify with positive activities rather than negative activities related to gangs, criminal activity, or drugs. The importance of mentoring and tutoring programs in this task can never be underestimated. The Education Initiative’s intervention consists of asking students, “Who are you?” and “What do you want to accomplish in life?” to help them develop a “burning desire.” We then implement this process: Burning Desire + Goal + Plan + Realistic Objectives + Action = Success. Achieving the goal is important, but our emphasis is placed on the preparation needed to reach the goal.

Getting Noticed: Promoting Your Message to Local Print Media

Panel Discussion moderated by Mary Gerace, Marketing and Publicity Consultant, Mary Gerace Enterprises

Panel includes:

Felicia Dechter, Columnist and Staff Writer, Skyline,

Suzanne Hanney, Editor in Chief, Streetwise,

Gabriel Piemonte, Editor, Hyde Park Herald

Jessica Pupovac, Freelance Journalist

This panel discussion will feature some of Chicago's top print media editors and journalists, and will provide you with important tips on how best to get their attention as you promote your mission, programming and events.

Local print media experts will explain how to craft your "pitch," how to follow up effectively, how to work with their deadlines, and how to choose the most appropriate print outlets for your message. This is a workshop for special event organizers, marketing staff, communications staff and anyone who wants to successfully utilize print media as a promotional option. Audience Q&A will be encouraged.

Lunch & Networking - 12: 15 pm - 1:30 pm

12:50pm to 1:15 pm - Keynote Speaker

Youth Brain Development and Literacy, Presented by Catherine Gottfred, Founder, LEAP Learning Systems.

First Afternoon workshops: 1:45pm to 3:00 pm

Achieving More Effective Tutoring and Mentoring, presented by Cynthia Townsend, author of From the Temple to the Classroom

Tutoring/Mentoring service involves six components; the meeting place, the client, the caregiver, preparation, administrative duties and emotions. Participants will be given practical insight regarding these various components of tutoring/mentoring. Consideration of these insights will lead to better effectiveness with and stewardship of those they are serving.

"For the Tutor/Mentor" workshop is designed to serve both volunteers and leaders of a tutoring and/or mentoring program. The workshop will look at the six components of the client and tutor/mentor relationship (meeting place, understanding the client, the caregiver, preparation, administrative duties and personal emotions); with the understanding that when these components are handled positively the relationship between the tutor/mentor can be more effective and beneficial for the client.

Volunteers will be able to take away from the workshop various perspectives and insights of working with a client. Perspectives into how a client may feel regarding such things as abandonment, their caregivers etc. Volunteers will also gain practical tips and insights concerning everything from their personal emotions to handling paperwork.

Leaders will take away many useful lessons to share with those that are serving as volunteers to their organization. One such lesson will be increased sensitivity to a client through an examination of cultural perspectives. This increased sensitivity could aid the leader in putting protocol and structure in place to empower their volunteers to being the most effective and efficient that they can be in their service to the clients.

Student Recruitment Panel Discussion. Where do programs recruit students? How do they build regular participation, parent and school involvement?

Facilitated by Kathy Anderson, Wicker Park Learning Center

Panel includes: Dorothy Mars, Anthony Davis, and Antonio Thomas of Firman Community Services, LaDawn Norwood, YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, and Ruphina Pettis, Sunlight African Community Center

The panel will talk about various ways to recruit students. The most important message she will share is that being open to the needs of the students helps a lot in recruitment as well as keeping students and getting additional students. She will discuss how thinking outside the box has always helped her over the years in getting and retaining students. Parents like to know they have options in terms of location and days and times of tutoring. They also value communication from the tutor as well the program leader. They need to get a sense that you care about their child and that their child is not just one of the students that you work with. Also, being available to talk with the parents and be a liaison between the parent and school is also very helpful.

Engaging Athletes, Business Leaders and Celebrities as Advocates for Volunteer Based Tutor/Mentor Programs, panel discussion
In this panel discussion current and former college and professional athletes and business leaders will discuss ways to draw attention and support to volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs throughout a large metropolitan area, and ways that they might work together to build more consistent year-round support of all tutor/mentor programs in their host city. College and professional athletes and coaches are encouraged to attend. This PDF illustrates how Kurt Kittner, University of Illinois and NFL quarterback, draws attention to Cabrini Connections, and other tutor/mentor programs in Chicago.

Facilitated by Steve Miller, President of Legacy Mortgage Corporation

Panel members:
Kurt Kittner, University of Illinois and NFL Quarterback, associate with Jones Lang LaSalle, Americas. Commentator with Illinois Football broadcasts on WIND (560 AM) radio..

El Da'Sheon Nix, Northwestern University and current Administrative Coordinator of Cabrini Connections

Visit http://www.giveforward.org/cabrinitmc to see a campaign led by Kurt Kittner and El Da'Sheon Nix, to raise money for Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection.

Tutor-Mentor, SocialEdge and the internet -- a Vision, presented by Charles Cameron, Social Edge

We explore how the internet facilitates increasing levels of connection: from single resources available via Google, through blogs and discussion sites like SocialEdge, to the possibilities of multi-blog, cross-site conversations -- building awareness of each other, trust, and eventually friendship, to yield rich possible collaborations and joint ventures.

Mr. Cameron's aim in this workshop is to inspire and inquire. Here's how he describes it:

I intend to inspire you with a presentation of some of the ways the internet is already facilitating change -- thinking of it as a sort of library, with "stacks" or archives that can be plundered for a particular fact, quote, statistic or anecdote, a reference section with its own tools and tricks, a variety of indexes and cataloging devices, and -- most interesting to me -- a coffee-shop and reading room where you can visit with other patrons, share common interests, build trust and (slowly) friendship -- from which you can then launch possible collaborations and joint ventures.

Some of this will be historical, can be done because it has been done stuff, but some will involve peering over the horizon to see what's up next...

But that's all theory -- so then, blam! we'll move into phase two, the inquiry part, and I'll ask you to teach me what else is possible, because you've done it, or because you hold the vision that it can be done.

This should be particularly important for the net unsavvy, who would like to get more of an idea of what's unobvious but possible -- and particularly fascinating to the web wise, who will get to share their acumen and their insights with others -- ideally, as a group we'll have a good blend of both. All are welcome.

Takeaway:

In general: excitement at new possibilities, and a slew of URLs. Specifically: a clear understanding that highly productive collaborations can emerge from building web conversations across multiple organizations and sites.

Second Afternoon workshops: 3:15 pm to 4:30 pm

"Born Leaders" are a Myth: Teaching Leadership - Presented by Jordan Hesterman, Founder of Becoming We the People.

This workshop will show participants that leadership is not just a talent some are born with, but is instead a skill to be learned. Participants will come away from the workshop with specific things they can do to be better leaders and specific skills for helping others develop leadership abilities.

Creating your own neighborhood Maps, Presented by Mike Trakan, GIS Map Developer, of Tutor/Mentor Connection, http://mappingforjustice.blogspot.com
The speaker will also show how local programs, youth groups, students in service-learning classes, and journalists with local media, can create maps like Mike uses on his blog, to draw attention and resources to tutor/mentor programs in neighborhoods where more are needed. Come with one or two addresses that you would like to map, and you'll leave knowing how you can create a blog article, with your map included.

It Takes a Village - Partnering with Others, Presented by Sue Sowle, Social Worker, Project SOAR - McGaw YMCA, Evanston, IL

Effective programs can and should partner with others. This workshop will focus on how to decide which partnerships are worth pursing, which are not and how to create and maintain healthy and happy partnerships with other stakeholders in the community.

Project SOAR currently has working relationships with 10 other local organizations. These relationships span the range from full fledged partnerships to looser connections. We are frequently approached to partner with other organizations and over the past 20 years we have become pretty wise in figuring out which of these partnerships to pursue and which to leave alone.

This workshop is designed to help those who make or influence decisions about partnering develop a systematic way of evaluating the pros and cons or pairing with other organizations. We will also discuss the values of partnering with others and good approaches when initiating these partnerships.

Connecting Millennials: Building Relationships with our Students, Presented by Alexandria Taylor, Associated Colleges of Illinois

The changing dynamics from one generation to the next impacts our communication and learning styles. To build relationships with students, we must understand the way they receive and internalize information. We will discuss how to best connect with the Millennials by exploring their unique characteristics and bridging the intergenerational gap.

In this workshop I will discuss approaches necessary to build positive relationships with students. To best connect with the Millennials, we must explore their unique characteristics and bridge the intergenerational gap. Anyone working with students must have a better understanding of how Millennials receive and internalize information. Depending on the source, Millennials are students born between 1979 and 1993 or 1981 to 1995. Their experiences shape the way they view the world and respond to the efforts of those trying to provide guidance. Mentors, tutors, and program staff often have difficulty reaching out to students and getting them involved in activities. Sometimes this is due to a lack of understanding their students' communication styles. A flyer may grab their attention but it is quickly lost in a shuffle of paperwork. Phone calls are often helpful to getting students to agree and pencil us into their calendars. However, if our means of follow up is a mailing they often disregard it or just forget and make other plans.

So how do we cope with learners who do not seem to respond to our efforts? We bombard them through their own channels of communication. For example, Millennials receive information electronically. If they stay current with world issues or just talk to friends they do so electronically. A vast majority of them have online websites, text message, chat, and instant message their friends and family. So instead of sending a letter or leaving a message at home we can send them a text message through their cell phone or an online message. This is more likely to reach them than our flyers and mailings. There is no doubt that there are many differences from one generation to the next that impact our communication and learning styles.

By discussing how the experiences of Millennials shape their understanding of the world, mentors, tutors and program staff will learn how to connect with their students and build positive relationships.

Friday, May 28th, 2010

Registration - 8:00 am to 9:00 am

9:00 am to 9:30 am: Keynote and welcome:

The Breakthrough Network Model - no superstars needed, Presented by Bill Curry, Chief Operations Officer, Breakthrough Urban Ministries, http://www.breakthrough.org

Often youth leaders feel the pressure to be everything to every student. The pressures are great, so finding ways to share the burden and the joy is important for a youth leader to last in the field. The Breakthrough Network Model suggests an innovative approach to growing mentoring relationships among a community of students and community of volunteers. This interactive workshop could be a significant breakthrough for you and the kids you serve.

First workshops: 9:40 am to 10:50 am -

Volunteer Recruitment and Retention Workshop Panel Discussion - Moderated by Nicole White, Tutor/Mentor Connection

Panelists -

Toinette Gunn, PEAK (Partnership to Educate and Advance Kids)

Adrienne Rainey and Chris Word, Dream Big Foundation, Missouri

Marilyn Rodgers-Danos, Mental Health Court System Association of Illinois

Panel discussion led by leaders of tutoring and/or mentoring programs. Leaders share strategies for recruiting volunteers from businesses, universities, professional groups who serve as tutors/mentors, and as board members, technology support, organizers, and capacity builders.

Metacognition: Learning about Learning, presented by Jennifer Bricker and Devon Lovell, Family Matters

It seems that no matter the person, no matter the age, study skills remain the single largest challenge amongst our students. Come participate in a hands-on session that addresses this issue. We'll discuss both metacognition (learning about learning) as well as specific techniques to teach your students regarding organization, studying, and homework completion.

Understanding the Networks of Tutor/Mentor Programs and how the Conference Enhances Collaboration and Idea Sharing, presented by Katelin Anderson, Graduate Student, Dominican University; and Daniel F. Bassill, President, Tutor/Mentor Connection

During the November 2009 Conference, Valdis Krebs and Jean Russell presented a discussion about Thrivable Networks. This blog article illustrates the concept of social network analysis. This article illustrates the potential. During this presentation Interns working with the T/MC will present work done since Nov. 09 to map the network of people connected through the conferences and the Tutor/Mentor Connection, to each other.

Follow this project on the T/MC Ning site

Designing Successful After School Programs, Presented by Dr. Marlene Allen, Project HOPE, Inc.

Would you like to design an after-school program that will be the talk of the school? Would you like to have students "waitlisted" to attend your program? Would you like to engage students in activities and lessons that have them begging for more? Would like to design a program that fills the gaps in services so many of our youth need? Find out how to plan exciting afterschool programs for your student

Second workshops: 11:15 am to 12:25 pm -

Mentoring Program Strategies - Issues and Best Practices. Panel Discussion

Panel includes Joel Newman, Big Brothers, Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley, Christy Beigh-Byrne, Director of Mentor and Volunteer Services, Chicago Youth Centers, Elliott Donnelly Youth Center, Rose Mabwa, Mercy Housing Services

Mentoring programs have their own special needs and issues that differ greatly from tutoring program. Talk to a panel of mentoring program leaders on ways to make your mentoring program a success!

This presentation/panel discussion will be beneficial to both the novice and experience program coordinator who wants
to develop or fine tune their mentoring program. Topics revolve around both building a successful mentoring program and hurdles that many programs have to overcome to achieve success.

Collaborative Mentoring

Presented by Audrey Walker, AR Walker Consulting

This workshop should provide a guide for understanding what collaborative mentoring means, the purpose, and how one goes about establishing a mentoring program, setting guidelines, standards, outcomes and accountabilities and the importance of networking between mentoring groups.

The workshop will begin by having participants identify and introduce themselves. The group will then be divided with an
assignment for each group to work on; first individually, and then with their group. The two groups will reconvene and present their work to the other group. The session will conclude with two lists of Best Practices that participants can take away.

Capacity Building, presented by Tasha Robinson, Coordinator, Capacity Enhancement Program, Youth Network Council

This workshop is being offered to provide participants with information about the Youth Services Capacity Enhancement Program (YSCEP) developed by Youth Network Council. Participants will learn how a focus on capacity-building can help propel their organization to new levels of effectiveness and maximize their social impact.

Nonprofit organizations are tasked with delivering resources and programming that improve the quality of life for their target populations and help them to be better positioned for success. The success nonprofits demonstrate in addressing pressing social issues continues to generate increasing demand for their services. In response, nonprofits must seek more effective ways of progressing toward their mission. Nonprofits, just like businesses, need to focus on building the capacity of their entire organization if they want to maximize their social impact.

This workshop is being offered to youth service providers to help them understand the necessity of capacity building within their organizations and combat some of the barriers that keep organizations from capacity-building activities. Participants in this workshop will also receive information on free capacity-building services provided by the Youth Services Capacity Enhancement Program (YSCEP) and learn how they can participate. Finally, participants will have the opportunity to help shape the direction of future trainings offered through YSCEP.

Discussion of Findings from Tutor/Mentor Connection Survey: What are the issues most important to you?
Panel Discussion led by Nicole White, Tutor/Mentor Connection Research and Networking Coordinator and Mike Trakan, GIS/Mapping Coordinator - Tutor/Mentor Connection, www.tutormentorconnection.org

We asked programs to rate what were their most important priorities at the start of the 2009-2010 school year? There were eight needs for the programs to prioritize. Nicole White summarized survey comments on her blog. These are posted below..

1. Finding operating dollars - This was the need that was given a high priority by programs and 53.9% said it was the highest priority. 18.8% said it was the 2nd highest priority, 6.3% said it was the 3rd highest priority, and 18.8% said it was the 4th highest priority. No one said it was the 5th 6th, 7th, or 8th highest priority.

2. Recruiting and retaining volunteers - This was the need that was also listed as the highest priority by 43.8% of the programs. 25% said it was the 2nd highest priority, 18.8% said it was the 3rd highest priority, 6.3% said it was the 4th highest priority and 6.3% said it was the 5th highest priority. No one said it was the 6th, 7th, or 8th highest priority.

3. Training volunteers - While I think is a very important need, because where is a program without properly-trained volunteers - it was judged by most to be the 5th highest priority with 40% responding that way. No one thought it was the highest priority, 13.3% felt it was the 2nd highest priority, 33.3% said it was the 3rd highest priority, 6.7% felt it was the 4th highest priority, no one felt it was the 5th highest priority, 6.7% said it was the 7th highest priority and no one thought it was the 8th highest priority.

4. Legal support - This was felt to be the least important need right now with 78.6% responding that it was the 8th highest priority. No one said it was the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th highest priority. 7.1% said it was the 6th highest priority, and 14.3% said it was the 7th highest priority.

5. Technology support- I was surprised that this was also not a very popular need with 42.9% saying it was the 7th highest priority. We always are looking for volunteers to help us with updating our websites and fixing our computers. Maybe programs don't realize how important their websites are for marketing and publicity and how important it is to have computers to help the kids learn. Anyway, no one said it was the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd highest priority, and 7.1% said it was the 4th highest priority. 21.4% said it was the 4th, and 21.4% said it was the 5th highest priority. 7.1% said it was the 8th highest priority.

6. Marketing and publicity - I feel like this coincides with funding because programs won't get funds if people don't know about them. This is why 35.7% said it was the 2nd highest priority even though no one said it was the highest priority. 21.4% said it was the 3rd highest priority, and 21.4% said it was the 4th highest. No one said it was the 5th highest, 14.3% said it was the 6th highest, 7.1% said it was the 7th highest priority, and no one felt it was the 8th highest priority.

7. Parental support - This was the only other need judged to be the highest priority other than finding funds and recruiting volunteers. 6.7% said it was the highest priority, but the majority of people judged it to be either the 4th or the 6th highest priority with 26.7% responding those ways. 6.7% also said it was the 2nd and 3rd most important need, 13.3% said it was the 5th highest priority, and 6.7% said it was the 7th and 8th highest priorities.

8. School Support - This was not the biggest priority either with the majority of the responses saying its the 6th most important priority at 26.7%. No one said it was the highest priority, 6.7% said it was the 2nd highest priority, 13.3% said it was the 3rd and 4th highest priority, 20% said it was the 5th highest priority, 13.3% said it was the 8th highest priority, and 6.7% said it was the least of the needs.

This is a workshops/discussions that we hold at each two-day conference. It is one that we hope will propel people into further networking and collaboration with each other, and the Tutor/Mentor Connection, in the next few months, so we can innovate solutions to some of these challenge. Plan to attend and bring your own ideas.

Lunch & Networking - 12: 30 pm - 1:20pm

1:20pm to 1:45 pm - Keynote Speaker - What mentors need to know about the life experience of youth impacted by urban youth violence: A framework for breaking down the barriers to connecting - Professor Deanna Wilkinson, Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Science, Ohio State University

Friday afternoon workshops: 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm -

Serve Illinois - Building Partnerships, presented by Scott McFarland, Serve Illinois Commission on Volunteering and Service

The Serve Illinois Commission would like to introduce you to what we can do to improve Illinois through volunteerism and community service. The presentation and discussion will include information on the Volunteer Management Network, Volunteerism Conferences, AmeriCorps and other National Service programs, and volunteer recognition.

The Serve Illinois Commission's vision is an Illinois where all citizens recognize their ability and responsibility to help strengthen their communities through voluntary service. It works to expand volunteerism throughout rural, suburban, and urban Illinois, involving people of all backgrounds, cultures, and ages.

The goal of this workshop will be to introduce participants to programs that Serve Illinois sponsors. These include the Volunteer Management Network, Volunteer Conferences, AmeriCorps and other National Service programs, and volunteer recognition. There will be a presentation followed by a group discussion.

Both volunteers and those who work with volunteers are invited to attend.

Trends in Tutoring and Mentoring, presented by Rose Mabwa, Mercy Housing

Explores complexities of change, both globally and locally while proving insights to successful engaging efforts that will propel mentees into the future.

Implementing Strategy - Measure your Success! presented by Debra Natenshon, CEO, The Center for What Works

Participants will gain actionable ideas on how to implement their strategy as well as key indicators to quantify success and learn from what does not work in tutoring and mentoring programs.

The workshop will provide hands on information and activity to identify the outcomes and indicators most useful to programs. We will discuss the benefits and possible challenges with using shared metrics to quantify success. Participants will leave with an impact framework specific to their programs based on research.

Achieving Goals through Online Fundraising, presented by LaShon Anthony, Visuals4U

This workshop will cover strategies to increase fundraising revenue by utilizing online tools and websites specifically designed to assist charities. The presenter, La'Shon Anthony of visuals4u, will cover shopping sites, fundraising pages for outdoor events, widgets, online payments and more.

This workshop is intended for non-profit managers, executive directors, program & event managers, assigned volunteers, and board members.

The primary focus is to educate the audience about:
- Raising more money by aggressively marketing events through the internet
- Engaging all supporters and donors to spread the word about the cause & its events

Workshop Tracks:

There will be 4-5 workshops available during each time slot with time between each for networking and information sharing among participants. The T/MC invites participants to think of the conference as a meeting place where they can bring a group who are interested in creating more tutor/mentor programs in a specific area, or in a specific focus area, such as health careers, technology, arts, etc. Thus, if you'd like to organize a single workshop, or a conference within the conference, please contact us online or call 312-492-9614

-------------------------------------------------------

Back to Top of Page