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BUILD STRONGER PROGRAMS TO HELP INNER

CITY KIDS THROUGH COLLEGE AND TO CAREERS


STRATEGIES OF TUTOR/MENTOR INSTITUTE, LLC

Building an effective volunteer-based tutor/mentor program is


simple. Making it work is a bit more difficult. It takes 12
years to help a first grader finish high school. It could take
another 5-10 years until he/she is launched in a career.
--Daniel F. Bassill, President of Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC and the Tutor/Mentor Connection

Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net


RESOURCES AVAILABLE: A mentoring-to-career strategy of the Tutor/Mentor Connection

What is in this presentation


The slides in this presentation will introduce you to ideas we share, and to
resources you can find on different web sites that the Tutor/Mentor Connection
(T/MC) started building in 1998, and continue to host in 2023.

There is so much information that we encourage you to browse quickly through


these slides, and through the various sections of our main web sites, just so you
have an overview of what is available.

Then, as you have time, or as you are looking for specific information, you can
go to specific sections where you can find what you are looking for.

Note: Since 2011 the Tutor/Mentor Connection has been operated as a program
of Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, with even fewer resources than were available
between 1994 and 2011. Some of the web sites may not be working properly, or
host older data. We’ve not hosted a conference since May 2015. The Program
Locator is no longer working.

Thus, as you look at these resources, consider them a template, for what you
might create in your own city, if you were building a comprehensive system of
supports reaching youth in all high poverty neighborhoods.
Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net Pg 2
RESOURCES AVAILABLE: A mentoring-to-career strategy of the Tutor/Mentor Connection

"Mentoring draws our attention to important issues for


social policy: how to provide young people with the
relationships they so badly need, and how to engage
the people who don’t live in poverty in addressing
problems of neighborhoods dominated by poverty.

A great many disadvantaged youth are in need of


support that is developmental, nurturing, protective
and extensive in nature--in other words, something
resembling supplemental parenting. They need this
caring not only to make the basic transition to
adulthood, but to survive under conditions of great
stress.” from The Kindness of Strangers", by Mark Friedman, 1991
Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net Pg 3
INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED: A mentoring-to-career strategy of the Tutor/Mentor Connection

Without infrastructure and support for mentors and mentoring


programs, the mentoring movement will never reach its
potential. Ways mentoring falls short of its potential:
- missing infrastructure
- missing knowledge regarding effective
practices
- missing follow-up

- emphasis on marketing and recruitment instead


of program support
- poor or no coordination
- matches made and then abandoned by program

- conducted in isolation
- few programs with resources to serve mentors
as well as mentees
- missing operational expenses

Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net


Pg 4
Not enough
attention focused on
program design,
structure and
funding required to
help youth born of
living in high
poverty
neighborhoods move
through school and
into jobs out of
poverty, over a 10-
15 year long period
of support.
Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net Pg 5
ROLE OF LEADERS: A mentoring-to-career strategy of the Tutor/Mentor Connection

While leaders of each tutor/mentor organization


need to address these issues, a Tutor/Mentor
Connection (T/MC)* is an intermediary, formed
in 1994, who seeks to draw needed resources to
every program in the Chicago region, and other
cities, on a more consistent basis.

Through collaboration and innovation we can


learn what works, and what does not work, and
try to innovate new solutions to old problems.
* In July 2011 the Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC was created to provide new strategies to support the growth of the Tutor/Mentor Connection in Chicago
and similar intermediary structures in other cities.

Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net


Pg 6
Since 1994 T/MC has focused on bring people together in face-to-
face and on-line learning, networking and collaboration aimed
at…..

This
discussion
needs to be
taking place
in many
groups.

Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net Pg 7


This strategy can be used by leaders and intermediaries in any city in the world!
Browse each section quickly to
The Tutor/Mentor know what’s on the site.
Institute, LLC focuses on
four on-going strategies

Resource
Generation

Collaboration,
shared learning

Public
Awareness

Research Http://www.tutormentorexchange.net
This is the home page of the main T/MI web site.
Learn more about this at
http://tinyurl.com/TMI-4-part-strategy Pg 8
The information in this presentation is part of a library
of information and ideas created over 40 years.

This concept map serves as a guild to help learners understand and apply this
information in Chicago, or any other city. See video version at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGCDgzKMQfM
Pg 9
Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net
RESEARCH – T/MC has been collecting and sharing information knowing all we
can about tutoring/mentoring programs since 1994

You can search


for programs in
Chicago area,
based on zip
code, age
served, type of
program. You
can also add
your own
program.

Chicago Area Program Locator was launched in 2004. Since 2013 the site has not been updated,
due to lack of financial and technical support. Since March 2021 the site is not opening. Code is
available for anyone who would like to update this and share with other cities.

See archive of this page at https://tinyurl.com/ProgramLocatorSearch


Pg 10
Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net
The programs in
this search show
up on a Google
map. Info for
each program is
shown below the
map, based on
what T/MC has
received from
each
organization.

Tech support
needed. See note
on page XX

Pg 11
Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net
Interactive Zip Code Search Map is another T/MC Resource
(this site is now an archive – for developer use only)

Instead of using
the chart to
search for
programs, you
can use the Zip
Code Map. If
you click on the
map for any zip
code, it will take
you to the same
Tech support
needed. See note
Google map and
on page XX list of programs.

View Archived Version of Program Locator: https://tinyurl.com/ProgramLocatorMap-archive

Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net Pg 12


Interactive Zip Code Search Map Log in and add or edit
your program’s
information

You can zoom


into sections of
the city, add
layers showing
schools,
businesses and
faith groups, and
click the icons to
get contact
information. Use
this to build
Tech support local networks.
needed. See note
on page XX

Archive of Program Locator: https://tinyurl.com/ProgramLocatorMap-archive


Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net Pg 13
USING MAPS: A mentoring-to-career strategy of the Tutor/Mentor Connection

At this time, the biggest obstacle


to involving more children and
caring adults in tutor/mentor
programs is the need for more of
the programs themselves, as
well as the need for a more
consistent flow of resources
(dollars, volunteers, training,
technology, etc.) to existing
programs.
View maps like this at
http://mappingforjustice.blogspot.com and in
the Program Locator on the T/MC web site.
This map, and many like it, was created between 1994 and 2011, using donated ESRI software.
View the Map Gallery at
https://web.archive.org/web/20210513120603/http://www.tutormentorprogramlocator.net/mapgallery.html
Pg 14
Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net
RESEARCH: Since 1994, T/MC has also been building an extensive web library, with Links to
more than 2000 organizations around the work with information and ideas that could support
what people do in Chicago, or other cities, to build systems of support for urban youth. This
represents our “network”

Resources map animated http://tinyurl.com/TMC-Resources-Map

See library of concept maps


http://tutormentorexchange.net/conceptmaps
Pg 15

Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net


The information in the T/MC web library divides into four categories, which are
shown on this concept map. See it at http://tinyurl.com/TMI-library

Click on the icon at the bottom of


each section. The links lead to See library of concept maps
additional sections of the library. http://tutormentorexchange.net/conceptmaps

Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net Pg 16


One Section of the web library points to resources parents, volunteers
and/or donors can use to Find Tutor/Mentor Programs or Volunteer
Opportunities in Chicago or Illinois

This section
would be used
to find contact
information for
different
tutor/mentor
programs, or
Click this box and it other non
takes you to a new page,
with a list of 200 web
profits.
sites.
See library of concept maps
http://tutormentorexchange.net/conceptmaps
Pg 17

Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net


Tutor/Mentor Program Links for Chicago Region

The concept maps shown on If you click on


previous pages link to any of these
sections in this web library.
sections of
Chicago you
find links to web
sites of
tutor/mentor
programs
serving that part
of Chicago

Find this page at https://tutormentorexchange.net/chicago-area-program-links


Pg 18
Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net
The Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC - www.tutormentorexchange.net/ is organized as a
planning resource for leaders in any program, or any city. See video tour at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umS4YsTHPhA

PDF essays,
links, blogs,
share concepts
created between
Click to 1975 and 2011.
open each
section. We invite others
Find related
information
to use these ideas
to help volunteer-
based tutor/
mentor strategies
grow in many
places.

Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net Pg 19


These are just a few pages of the
essay on Collaboration. Because
these are on the web site, they can be
teaching tools used by leaders and
study- groups anywhere in the world.

Find these at
http://www.scribd.com/my_document_collections/3299390
And at http://www.slideshare.net/tutormentor/

Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net Pg 20


OUR GOAL: SUPPORT THE
GROWTH OF TOTAL QUALITY To SUCCEED
MENTORING PROGRAMS THAT We must recruit business
leaders who will use their
HELP INNER CITY YOUTH resources in PULLING
REACH CAREERS Youth to Careers

School-Time Programs
High Career
Pre-K K - 5th 5th - 6th 6th - 8th
School Track

3-5 PM Non-School Programs After 5 PM and Weekend Programs

PDF essays
include charts like
To SUCCEED
We must help tutor/mentor these to help
program leaders, volunteers,
schools and parents be more
illustrate strategic
effective in PUSHING concepts.
Youth to Careers

Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net Pg 21


THE GOAL IS NOT TO FINISH 6TH GRADE. IT’S TO REACH A CAREER.

Every program serving youth on this


time line needs volunteers, dollars,
technology, etc.

School-Time Programs
High Career
Pre-K K - 5th 5th - 6th 6th - 8th
School Track

3-5 PM Non-School Programs After 5 PM and Weekend Programs

Look at websites of
youth-serving programs
Agencies that help each other do
to see if they describe
more to help kids stay in school
long-term strategies. and reach careers.
Instead of competing for resources, the T/MC
seeks to help programs work together to increase
the availability of resources for all tutor/mentor
programs.

Pg 22
Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net
This 4-part strategy is a resource that can duplicate in any city.

This
strategy
works for
other
causes, too.

Pg 23
Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net
STEP 2: BUILD PUBLIC AWARENESS:
The T/MC seeks to connect everyone in the Chicago
region who wants to seek kids in poverty move to careers.
Using the same advertising principles that corporations use to
create awareness and draw customers to stores, T/MC seeks to
• reach more people every day, and
• draw them to on-line learning sites,
• then to maps,
• then to tutor/mentor programs in specific zip codes.
Browse T/MC web sites and blogs to see strategies piloted in Chicago between
1994 and 2015, which could be duplicated, with greater impact, by groups with
broader based support from business, civic leaders and foundations.

View this article at


https://tutormentor.blogspot.com/2023/07/communicating-long-term-strategies.html

Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net Pg 24


As volunteers bond with kids many become leaders who recruit more volunteers
and other resources from their industry, faith group, and social network

Technology Arts, Culture.


Communications
Religion Government
Insurance Education
Healthcare

Science,
Hospitality
Math
Recreation Engineering

The aim is that each industry encourage


Natural Resources employees to volunteer in many locations,
Agriculture using T/MC Program Locator to find Manufacturing
programs. Thus, each program can have Transportation
a more diverse volunteer, and donor, base

Finance, Personal & Built environment Retailing


Business Services Engineering Wholesaling

Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net Pg 25


Build an on-going, year-to-year leadership strategy.

Aug/Sept May Conferences


November Jan. National
Chicagoland Conferences Holiday Fund Raising Mentoring Month; Events needed in Feb and
Volunteer events can support
many programs
Feb. Leadership July
Recruitment Development
Campaign

Between 1994 and 1996 the Tutor/Mentor Connection (T/MC) developed a 12-month strategy similar to the
year-round advertising campaigns of Sears, Wards, McDonalds and other retail organizations, using
quarterly events to draw people together and create media attention. See stories generated
http://www.tutormentorexchange.net/news-pr

The events (T/MC) organizes were intended to creates media stories, that help programs recruit volunteers
in Aug/Sept. and help programs train those volunteers and convert them into leaders as each program
moves through the School year.

View video showing an animated version of this event calendar strategy:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbuKenGB79E&t=6s

Note: since 2015 conferences have not been held in Chicago, although social media continues to focus on these goals at key times
each year. This calendar should be a template that other leaders can duplicate.
Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net Pg 26
Since 1998 the T/MC has been modeling a network-building strategy

This map
provides links
to places we
connect with
others to gather
and share ideas.

See map at http://tinyurl.com/TMC-DanNetwork


Pg 27
Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net
Join Tutor/Mentor Connection on line
at: http://tutormentorconnection.ning.com

Since 2007 T/MC has hosted a


networking space on NING. This This map demonstrates a use of social
map shows how people connect network analysis to understand who is
to each other within the space. connecting with T/MC and each other
in on-line and face to face events.
Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net Pg 28
While T/MC connects parents, volunteers and donors to
Tutor/Mentor Programs, we connect programs to each
other… Every time one
BBBS Midtown T/M program
talks about their
own work, they
need to end by
Horizons pointing to the
for Youth Family map of Chicago
Matters
CHICAGO and saying, “look
for other
programs, too”
Chicago
Public
Highsight Schools

Chicago
Lights
Cabrini
YMCA, Boys Tutoring
Connections & Girls Chicago
Clubs

Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net Pg 29


T/MC also connects Lawyers, and the Business Community to
T/MC and Tutor/Mentor Programs…in Chicago, and other cities
Every time a Chicago
business, political, or
LAW FINANCE faith leader talks about
Religion
tutoring/ mentoring,
they need to end by
pointing to the map of
Chicago and saying,
Hospitality & Engineers, “we need good
Entertainment Architect programs in
every poverty
area”

Hospitals;
Politics
Health
Care

Universities
& Publishing
Tutor/Mentor Technology, Communicat
Connection Science ions, Arts,
Media

Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net Pg 30


T/MC is piloting uses of maps to show participation in events.
https://tutormentorexchange.net/conferences-and-online-forums/previous-conferences/239-conf-map

This map shows


organizations that
participated in
each of the
Chicago
Tutor/Mentor
conferences from
1994 to 2015

See more conference maps at


https://tutormentorexchange.net/conferences-
and-online-forums/conf-maps

Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net Pg 31


Without expanding the network of people looking at this information
and building involvement from resource providers, policy makers
and all other stakeholders, the information has limited value.

Visit this page and learn more about social capital and social
network analysis. http://www.tutormentorexchange.net/sna
Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net Pg 32
THIS IS A PROCESS: A mentoring-to-career strategy of the Tutor/Mentor Connection

More youth stay in school, are THE RESULT


safe in non-school hours,
According to Mark Cohen, a professor at Vanderbilt
graduate, and move to careers University’s Owen Graduate School of Management, “High
risk youths who are kept out of trouble through intervention
programs could save society as much as $2 million a youth
Continuous Process per lifetime”.
Improvement

Recruit & Train, Begin


operations
This type of organization is not
Set Schedule and action plan achieved in one or two years.
Determine Recruitment
strategies It will never be achieved without the
Find host/sponsor
work done at the base of this
pyramid each year.
Define Mission
Building a Team Don’t reinvent the wheel.
Research The work done by Tutor/Mentor Connection in
Chicago since 1994 is a template that other cities
could borrow to duplicate this strategy, with greater
impact, if you have support of civic, business and
philanthropic leaders. Pg 33
If it is to be, it is up to you and me: A mentoring-to-career strategy of the Tutor/Mentor Connection

Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC


Tutor/Mentor Connection

www.tutormentorexchange.net
Http://tutormentor.blogspot.com
While our purpose is focused on social good and all income is uses to support
our programs our tax structure is not a 501-c-3 non profit.

Copyright 2011, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, http://www.tutormentorexchange.net tutormentor2@earthlink.net

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