Strategy: Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference:
The conference is part of an on-going strategy aimed at helping high quality tutor/mentor programs reach kids in high poverty neighborhoods of Chicago and other cities.
The goal of the Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conferences
is to draw
together leaders from volunteer-based tutoring and/or mentoring
programs, Community Technology Centers, arts programs, as well as
leaders from business,
universities, hospitals, and philanthropy, who will network and begin
to work together to help existing tutor/mentor programs get the
volunteers, dollars, and on-going leadership they need to connect with
kids in these areas, while helping new programs form where none exist.
The map at the right shows poverty concentrations in Chicago and the locations of different organizations that participated in the May 29 and 30 conference, which was held at the Northwestern University School of Law. Visit the Tutor/Mentor Connection Mapping for Justice blog to see larger versions of this map and a list of organizations registered for the conference.
The maps are part of a set of resources made available by the Tutor/Mentor Connection.
Read the Tutor/Mentor Blog
to see how we aim to recruit intermediaries from businesses, colleges
and churches who help mobilize volunteers and donors to support all of
the programs who are shown on this map. Click here to read about this strategy of Building a Network of Purpose
At each conference we invite speakers who can share information
and shine the public attention spotlight on the Drop Out Crisis (find links here), workforce development, and public education issues.
We also invite leaders of volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs,
from Chicago and other cities, to describe the work they do and show
why such programs are important in a drop-out prevention and workforce
development strategy.
Furthermore,
we invite representatives of companies, hospitals and
professional groups, who encourage volunteerism, via paid time off, or
by leadership communications. One of the leaders who participated in a
1999 conference was Senator Barak Obama, who is in a historic campaign
to become the nation's first African American President. We hope
he uses his leadership to point people at our maps, so every high
poverty neighborhood in Chicago gets a more consistent flow of
resources needed to assure that other kids have similar opportunities
in the future.
The
May 29 and 30, 2008 conference offered two days of
networking opportunities along with workshopson
topics
important to all
volunteer-based
tutor/mentor programs, such as planning, evaluation, management,
volunteer
recruitment and training, fundraising and nonprofit management. In the
months between the May and November conferences we invite you to
network with the T/MC via blogs,
such as http://tutormentor.blogspot.com and forums such as http://tutormentorconnection.ning.com.
Through this strategy we will build more interest in volunteer-based tutoring and mentoring,
encourage greater participation in the conferences, and motivate more people to
be involved in tutor/mentor programs in Chicago and in other cities.
Because a primary focus of the conference is expanding the network of
who people work with, and to help people stay connected after the
conference, we have created an on-line
attendee list. When you
register, you can choose to be listed and this allows other people to
see who is coming to the conference, and make plans to meet people they
want to meet. This list will stay on-line after the conference, so you
can follow up, and so that people who might not have been able to
attend, can still become part of this network.
In addition, the T/MC encourages participants to introduce themselves prior to the conference by posting questions and articles Discussion Forums on the T/MC web site.
Finally, the T/MC participates in conference hosted by others, and encourages anyone hosting an event focused on ways to help kids to careers, to link their conferences to each other via web links and social networking forums.
If you are hosting a tutor/mentor conference, post information here
Goals
- Bring together 150 to 200 leaders representing volunteer-based tutoring and/or mentoring programs, foundations, business, media, k-16 education and the faith community.
- Provide learning that program leaders, volunteers, donors can take back and apply in their own activities, in their own neighborhoods and communities.
- Share understanding of how volunteer-based non-school tutor/mentor programs are a valuable learning support and a key component of education reform, workforce development, violence prevention, and civic engagement.
- Increase visibility during November and December with a result of donors designating year end contributions to tutor/mentor programs in their community. Links to Chicago programs can be found on the Tutor/Mentor Connection web site.
- Identify and build commitment for shared actions, such as the August/September Tutor/Mentor Volunteer Recruitment Campaign, that will strengthen existing programs and help build new programs.
Share your story. Share your experience.
If you or your organization would like to offer a workshops at the next conference, planned for November 2008, please email tutormentor2@earthlink.net to discusss your involvement.
No matter what industry or organization you belong to, we encourage you to contribute your own leadership experience by registering or presenting a workshop. To learn more about Conference goals and the mission of T/MC, visit our About the Conference and T/MC pages.
