Helping Urban Youth Move from Birth to Work - A Network Building Strategy

8/3/2019 Helping Urban Youth Move from Birth to Work - A Network Building Strategy

1/44

Helping Inner-City Youth from Birth to Work:A Networking Strategy

Pg 1

Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC Tutor/Mentor Connection, Merchandise Mart PO Box 3303, Chicago, Il [email protected] http://www.tutormentorexchange.net http://www.tutormentorconnection.org

Creating a Network of Purpose:


2/44

Monique left for Howard University lastweek, where she has a FULL RIDE

SCHOLARSHIP.Message from Joey Molenda who wasMoniques tutor/mentor for six years.

Maurice has his GED and nowworks in construction...thanks to Mike Mazucca who hasbeen part of his life for more than10 years, and to Tom Li, anotherCC volunteer who helped set up a

job interview for Maurice at acompany where he now works.

Cabrini Connections playeda major role in my life duringmy high school years.Marquita Hall (l) 2004 collegegraduate; with sister, Alicia Hall,who attends NortheasternIllinois University.

The goal of the Tutor/Mentor Connection (T/MC)* is to connect innercity teens with adults who will act as tutors, mentors, coaches, advocates

and friends in structured programs that encourages many of these adultsto stay involved in the lives of kids for many years.

The long term goal is that our teens finish high school and that ourvolunteers help open doors to advanced learning, jobs and careers. Insuch programs, volunteers also must learn to take on roles of leaders,fund raisers, advocates, etc. so that programs constantly expand the

resources available to them.

Dan Bassill, founder of T/MC operated a volunteer- based tutor/mentor programin Chicago for more than 35 years. 520 teens and 700 volunteers have

participated for 1 to 7 full years since 1993. On this page are some of ouralumni.

*In July 2011 the Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC was created to innovate new waysto support the T/MC in Chicago and help similar strategies grow in other cities.

Pg. 2

Isaiah graduated from Bradley University in 2001and now works for Westwood College.. Isaiah wasa keynote speaker at a 2008 Tutor/Mentor

Conference in Chicago and in Nov. 2010 led a fundraising effort to help raise money to support CabriniConnections. Hes one of more than 100 alumniconnected to via Facebook.

Property of Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC and Tutor/Mentor Connection, Email for permission to use: [email protected]


3/44

We created the Tutor/MentorConnection (T/MC) in 1993 tohelp programs like Cabrini

Connections grow in everypoverty neighborhood of thecity and suburbs of Chicago.

Chicago

Using the Internet, the T/MC is nowconnected to organizations throughout theworld, and is helping tutor/mentor

programs, and citywide networks grow inChicago and other cities.

Every major city in the country has areas ofhigh poverty. The larger the city the bigger

the bureaucracy and the more isolated highpoverty neighborhoods become. Throughthe Internet we can connect people frommany cities in a network focused onexpanding the social capital for youth inthese neighborhoods by helping volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs grow.

While we operated a single tutor/mentor program in one neighborhood...

Pg. 3

CabriniConnectionsserves teens in theCabrini-Green areaof Chicago. Thisprogram was whereT/MC ideaoriginated in 1993.

Tutor/MentorConnectionhelps programslike CabriniConnections

grow in everypoverty area ofthe city andsuburbs



4/44

The Tutor/Mentor Connection focusesdaily on one big questions:

What will it take toassure that

all youth born inpoverty are entering

careers by age 25?

What does it take to makementor-rich non-school

programs available to moreyouth, in more places?

Pg 4



5/44

We know others are asking the same question.

The T/MC seeks to connect people and groups who are

already spending many hours doing research and

innovating ways to help kids to careers, into one on-going tutor/mentor learning network.

In such a network people and organizations can share

ideas, learn from others, create collaborations, and can

apply new ideas and resources at any time to their own

efforts to help kids in their own community.

Dan Bassill participation in on-line forums is part of the

T/MC network-building strategy.

Pg 5



6/44

All kids grow on the same 25year timeline:

From birth to starting a career, takes about 25 years formost kids. There are well defined stages along the way.

For kids living in concentrated, inner-city poverty, there areextra challenges to reaching careers.

School-Time Programs

3-5 PM Non-School Programs

Pre-K K - 5th 5th - 6th 6th - 8thHigh

SchoolCareerTrack

After 5 PM and Weekend Programs

Pg 6



7/44

Http://www.tutormentorexchange.net [email protected]

The light pink shaded areashave poverty rates of 20% andabove.

Poverty rates in the dark red

areas are 40% and above.

Icons on this map are schoolsplaced on the Illinois StateWarning list in November 2009.

Other icons show locations ofknown non-school tutoringand/or mentoring programs.

Children growing up in theseneighborhoods need extraadults to help them reachcareers.

CHICAGO

We use maps and charts to create visual understanding

Pg 7


8/44

These are just a few of the questions that need to beanswered to to achieve this goal:

How do we help good programs be in more of the

places where they are needed?

How do we help each program have effective, long-term leaders?

How do we increase the number of volunteers fromdifferent work backgrounds who get involved, andstay involved for many years?

How do we provide consistent, flexible, multi-yearfunding in all locations, not just a few?

Pg 8



9/44

How do we getindividuals, andteams of people from

colleges, business,media, education,arts, etc. thinking

about this every day?

Pg 9

How do we connect those whoare already deliberating and

discussing these questions inways share knowledge andgood ideas and encourageothers to be involved?



10/44

Tutor/Mentor Connection (T/MC)A Strategy That Can Be Duplicated in Any City

Since 1993 we have been building a Chicago area

network of programs and supporters and anationwide network of knowledge centers.

We call this a

Tutor/Mentor Learning Network (TMLN). We host theinformation we share in a Tutor/Mentor Institutelibrary.

This strategy has never been well funded or consistently supported inChicago. Since 2011 its been supported by the Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC.

The following slides show the steps weve taken to create this network. Asyou review this, imagine how much greater impact you could have if you hadfull support of civic leaders, business and philanthropy in your city.

Pg 10



11/44

Database(see Program Locator at

http://www.tutormentorprogram

locator.net

Information CollectionPrior to 1993, no organizationwas attempting to maintain a

comprehensive database of non-school tutor/mentor programs.

Web library also includes LINKS tomore than 2000 other organizationsworking to help kids succeed in schooland move to careers. See map oflibrary at http://tinyurl.com/TMI-library

The T/MC Chicago programs databaseand web site Program Locator nowincludes most tutor/mentor programs inthe Chicago area, as well as lists ofpotential resource providers.

Step 1: Build and Maintain knowledge base

Pg 11

http://tinyurl.com/TMI-library



12/44

What types of organizations? Who needs to be involved?

Birth

Career

PreSchool

Family Industry

Church

ElementarySchool

AfterSchool

Programs

HighSchool

College orVocational

A child

MiddleSchool

Arts,Sports,

Recreation

Travel,Internet

For most children, their Birth to Age 25 support system looks like this. Neighbors, family,and a variety of community supports model education as a path to careers, while opening

doors and providing learning experiences as youth grow up.

This is an informal network and it works for most kids.

Mentors

and Tutors

Pg 12



13/44

The Support System for Kids in Poverty is Differentthan for middle and upper income kids.

Birth

Career

Family Industry

Church

AfterSchool

Programs

A child

living inpoverty

Arts,Sports,

Recreation

Travel,

Internet

Youth living in neighborhoods of concentrated, segregated, inner city povertyhave less of these positive learning influences .

While the church is a factor, many church groups do not have a diversity ofworkplace volunteers, and many who do have diverse congregations, do not

have strategies to mentor neighborhood children to careers.

Pg 13



14/44

More Negative Role Models

Birth

Career

Family Industry

Church AfterSchool

Programs

A child

living inpoverty

Arts,Sports,

Recreation

Travel,Internet

Gangs Welfare

Ex

Offenders

Ill legal jobs

Along with fewer positive influences, there are far more negative influences in communitieswith high concentrations of people in poverty, living on welfare, and working in illegal jobs.

For many kids the most common role model is a man with a fancy car, flashy jewelry, newclothes, a wad of money, and many girl friends. All of this was earned through illegal work,

such as selling drugs. For many other kids the role model is an ex-offender.

Pg 14



15/44

As a Result, Schools Struggle. The Prison system grows.

Birth

Career

PreSchool

Family Industry

Church

ElementarySchool

AfterSchool

Programs

HighSchool


A child

living in

poverty

MiddleSchool

Arts,Sports,

Recreation

Travel,Internet

Gangs Welfare

Prison, Juvenile Homes

ExOffenders

Ill legal jobs

As a result youth go to school un prepared to learn and with few adult models showing thevalue of education for jobs and careers. Schools struggle. High School drop out rates exceed35%. Many careers are learned while in prison or in the juvenile justice system. Few youth go

to college and too few of these graduate.

Pg 15



16/44

Each of these boxes represent HUBS of

knowledge in the TMLN

Birth

Career

PreSchool

Family Industry

Church

ElementarySchool

Tutoring

HighSchool


A child

living inpoverty

MiddleSchool

Youth

Development WorkforceDevelopment

Each box represents a category of people and organizations working to help youth grow upsafely, succeed in school, and be prepared for 21st Century jobs and careers. By connectingthem in a Learning Network, we create greater opportunities for understanding, collaboration,

and capacity building in every neighborhood where kids need help.

ServiceLearning

Welfare Reform

No Child Left Behind; Federal Juvenile Justice, Workforce Training Programs, etc..

Mentoring

Crimeprevention

After SchoolPrograms

Civic Engagement

Volunteerism

National Service

Pg 16



17/44

A web blueprint should show what supports youth

need, and what is available in different zip codes.

See this Mentoring Kids to Careers Blueprint - http://tinyurl.com/TMI-K-CareerMentoringPg 17



18/44

Every youth

requires a networkof supports ashe/she grows up.

Youth in high poverty areas wont havethe same network unless efforts are madeto create and sustain it for many years.

These two graphics show the ideas on page 16 and 17 in a different way.

Pg 18



19/44

Database

Because the T/MC maintains adatabase with contactinformation for most tutor/mentor

programs in Chicago

b) As these volunteers bond with kids, manywill help build better programs, the same

way that Cabrini Connections volunteershave helped build the T/MC from 1993-2011

a) The T/MC is able to lead advertising andpublic education efforts that recruitvolunteers and donors for more than 100

other programs throughout the Chicagoregion.

Volunteer Mobilization

Step 2: Volunteer Mobilization: Advertising

c) This increases the number of adults,businesses and churches that are involved.

Pg 19

View this presentation at

http://www.tutormentorexchange.net

/chicagoland-volunteer-

recruitment/177-volunteersleaders



20/44

A successful collaboration orpartnership is built on trustand mutual self-interest.

From 1994-2015 the T/MC andTutor/Mentor Institute, LLC led an annualsequence of capacity-building actions that

drew more than 300 programs together forregular knowledge sharing, resource

building.These actions are essential for buildingtrust and relationships.

No other organization brings so many of the

same programs together as often from yearto year. Without the regular invitations fromthe T/MC, and the constant informationsharing, most organizations would remain

isolated from each other.

Database


Building a network of

tutor/mentor leaders

Step. 3 Build network of leaders.

Pg 20Property of Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC and Tutor/Mentor Connection, Email for permission to use: [email protected]


21/44

Building Better Understandingof Needs, Opportunities

By bringing programs together on aregular basis, and by supporting thisprocess with surveys and an Internetlibrary of tutor/mentor information,T/MC seeks to create a better

understanding of what works, who/howmany are being served, whereprograms are needed, and what it takesto help good programs be in every

place where they are needed.

Database




Building Better

Understanding of Needs,

Opportunities

Step 4: Information sharing

Pg 21

The T/MC has never had funds to do all of the

research that needs to be done, and seeks

partnership with universities to do this.



22/44

OUR GOAL: SUPPORT THE

GROWTH OF TOTAL QUALITY

MENTORING PROGRAMS THATHELP INNER CITY YOUTH REACH

CAREERS

To SUCCEED

We must recruit businessleaders who will use their

resources in PULLINGYouth to Careers

To SUCCEED

We must help tutor/mentorprogram leaders, volunteers,schools and parents be more

effective in PUSHINGYouth to Careers




SchoolCareerTrack


Pg 22

The visualizations on this and the next three

pages are additional ways to illustrate along-term commitment needed to support

youth living in high poverty areas.



23/44

SHARING RESPONSIBILITYTo finish school and

enter a careeryouth who participate in

great K-8 programs still needsupport to finish high school,college and to enter careers.

EXAMPLE

A program serving 5th and 6th grade kidsis able to do more if programs serving

the SAME kids in K-5 have laid areading/math learning/motivation

foundation.




SchoolCareerTrack


Programs serving youth in one age level,or one time frame, can do better work ifthe child comes to them better prepared.

These are feeder programs. Ifkids have access to good K-5programs they will perform betterin 5th and 6th grade and highschool programs.

Pg 23



24/44

THE GOAL IS NOT TO FINISH 6TH GRADE. ITS TO REACH A CAREER.

Agencies that help each other do

more to help kids stay in school

and reach careers.Instead of competing for resources, the T/MC

seeks to help programs work together to increasethe availability of resources for all tutor/mentor

programs.




SchoolCareerTrack


Every program serving youth on this

time line needs volunteers, dollars,

technology, etc.

Pg 24



25/44

Networking Strategy

As a small non profit, T/MC* has never had the advertising budgetsof large corporations. Thus, it relies on an on-going networking

strategy to draw people together, and to build awareness oftutoring/mentoring.

* The Tutor/Mentor Institute LLC was created in 2011 in an effort to expand theways money and partnerships are formed to support this strategy.

Pg 25



26/44

The Worlds LargestPing Pong ball table.

This shows the powereach individual andorganization has.

Every action of theT/MC or a member ofthe T/MC LearningNetwork, causes a

chain reaction thatmoves every other ball.

Pg 26



27/44

Aug/Sept

Chicagoland

Volunteer

Recruitment

Campaign

November

Conferences

Jan. National

Mentoring

Month; Feb.

Leadership

Development

May Conferences

Beginning in 1994 the T/MC developed a year-round event calendar intendedto help programs recruit volunteers in Aug/Sept. and help programs trainthose volunteers and convert them into leaders as each program movesthrough the School year. As each program ends the year it has more peoplehelping it build capacity and quality for the following year.

By repeating this call to involvement each year from 1994-2011, we created

greater public awareness of tutoring/mentoring, and greater traffic to websites of the Tutor/Mentor Learning Network.

Since 2015 these events have not been hosted by T/MC in Chicago, but the

strategies continue to be supported on social media.

This is an on-going, year-to-year growth process

Pg 27



28/44

The T/MC has been committed to using theInternet to network and learn since 1998 Blogs like http://tutormentor.blogspot.com

Forums http://tutormentorconnection.ning.com

Conferenceshttp://www.tutormentorconference.org

Online collaboration spaces likehttp://debategraph.org/mentoring_kids_to_careers

Social media such as LinkedIn andhttp://www.facebook.com/TutorMentorInstitute

At http://www.tutormentorconnection.org werehosting a links library, with links to organizationsthat we want to connect with

At www.Google.com you can search for tutormentor and find the T/MC and numerous other

organizations who could be invited to come togetherfor networking, learning, collaborationThis Debategraph forum canconnect people fromthroughout the world. Visit http://tutormentor.blogspot.com and read articles

about MOOCs and Learning. We continue to see

partners who will help organize on-line learning and

collaboration events. Pg 28Property of Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC and Tutor/Mentor Connection, Email for permission to use: [email protected]


29/44

At T/MC web sites we link to organizations that

represent specific areas of expertise. We call thesehubs

VolunteerRecruitment

Fund Raising

Tutoringinfo

T/MC Web Site

These hubs are often in differentcities, and even different countries!

Pg 29



30/44

As HUBs link to each other more knowledge isshared...

Hub

Hub

Hub

and greater traffic circulates toeach organization in the network

Pg 30



31/44

Create a Learning Network

Birth

Career

schoolsfamily Faith

groups

Business

HigherEd.

HealthCare

Communityorgs

Govt

Laworgs

SocialService

Philanthropy&Volunteers

Americas

Youth

ALL of these groups

need to be involvedin helping kids

succeed in schooland move to jobsand careers.

Pg 31



32/44

Connecting HUBS: A Blueprint

Birth

Career

schoolsfamily Faith

groups

Business& Media

HigherEd.

HealthCare

Communityorgs; socialservice

Govt

Laworgs

Entertainment& Sports

Philanthropy&Volunteers

Americas

Youth

AND each group

needs to beconnected to each

other, in an on-going learningprocess.

Pg 32



33/44

This can lead to shared efforts to increase visibilityand draw more volunteers and donors to every

tutor/mentor program in the Chicago area as school

starts every year in Aug/Sept.

Pg 33

TMI Goal - Increase Funding Stream -

http://tinyurl.com/TMIGoal-FundingStream



34/44

Using the map, and the database,leaders can stimulate a flow ofresources to all programs, in allneighborhoods.

By working as a group, T/MC helpsprograms generate greater impact than

most programs could generate bythemselves.

Database




Building Better


Opportunities

This is intended to draw volunteers, dollars,public attention, technology and trainingdirectly to tutor/mentor programs in every

neighborhood.

Without a steady flow of these resources

no program can succeed.

Actions that increase the

flow of resources to each

program

Step 5: Actions that increase flow of resources



35/44

All Tutor/Mentor Programs haveCommon Needs

* volunteers

* public visibility

* operating dollars* technology

* training/learning

* evaluation tools/staff



36/44

WE SEEK TO DRAW RESOURCE TO EVERY PROGRAM IN EVERYPOVERTY NEIGHBORHOOD.

The Tutor/ Mentor

Connection seeks

LEADERS to help raiseand distribute neededresources to everytutor/mentor program in

the city and suburbs of

Chicago.

Pg 36

This could be a map of New York City,Cleveland, Houston, Detroit, etc. This

strategy can be borrowed and adopted,

with help from the Tutor/Mentor

Institute, LLC



37/44

Using maps, databases and

interactive web sites a city can

help attract volunteers and

donors to all neighborhoods withhigh poverty.

Goal: Great programsand learning supportsin all neighborhoods.

See this at http://www.tutormentorprogramlocator.netSince 2013 the Program Locator has not been fully functional. Consider this a model for what you could

build, or consider partnering with Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC to upgrade this for your own use.

Pg 37



38/44

Each of these boxes represent INDUSTRIES

who need to be involved in the TMLN

Birth

Career

Family Support Youth Development

Religion,Ethics

Arts,

Culture

A child

living inpoverty

Higher

Education Law, Justice

Students join aTutor/Mentor

Program between 1st

and 12th

grade.

Technology

Finance,Insurance

Until we put names of individuals or organizations in each box, we wont have theleadership needed to mobilize volunteers and donors who go from an industry out to

all tutor/mentor programs in a big city like Chicago.

Science,Engineering

Retail,Wholesale

Health Care

Hospitality,Entertainment

Manufacturing

Communications

Pg 38

With the help of volunteersand structured programs,

they finish high school

With the help ofmentors, they startjobs and careers.



39/44

When business, faith and political leaders use their visibility, advertising andinfluence to encourage people to volunteer, or donate, to a tutor/mentor

program, we increase the number of volunteers and donors at every

tutor/mentor program in the Chicago areaor in any other city.

We also lower the costs for each organization to acquire these resources, andhelp organizations keep leaders and key staff longer.

Pg 39



40/44

Better programs in moreplaces for more age groups

As a result of the previous steps,Chicago, and other major cities,begins to have more effectivetutor/mentor programs serving

more youth in moreneighborhoods.

Database




Building Better


Opportunities



program

Better programs in more

places for more age groups

Step 6: The result of Steps 1 to 5

Pg 40

While this strategy has not been funded in Chicago

since 2011, its a template that you could use tocreate your own systems of support, without starting

from the beginning.



41/44

If Step 1 to 5 are happening in everypoverty neighborhood, youth and familieswill have access to more of the help theyneed, better programs, and more

consistent, longer-term services.

This will begin to achieve the changes inschool performance and career preparationthat we all want:

better attendance in school lower drop out rates less youth violence

better academic performance business reports better preparedworkersDatabase




Building Better


Opportunities



program



More youth stay in school, are

safe in non-school hours,

graduate, and move to careers

Step 7: The Result



42/44

This SUCCESS is not achievedin one or two years.

Database




Building Better


Opportunities



program

Better programs in moreplaces for more age groups

More youth stay in school, are

safe in non-school hours,


THE RESULT

It will never be achieved without

the work done at the base of thispyramid each year.

Step 8: Long Term

Commitment


Since 2011 articles on the Stanford

Social Innovation Review (SSIR) site

have been describing the organization

doing this work as a backbone

organization.


43/44

Visit these sites:

http://www.tutormentorexchange.net

http://www.tutormentorconnection.org

http://tutormentor.blogspot.com

http://mappingforjustice.blogspot.com

http://tutormentorconnection.ning.com

If you host a similar forum, add yourLINK to the T/MC web library.

Database




Building Better


Opportunities

Actions that increase theflow of resources to each

program



More youth stay in school, aresafe in non-school hours,


THE RESULT

Become part of the this network ofpurpose.

This is T/MC Theoryof Change



44/44

Tutor/Mentor Connection: A Theory of Change

proposed by the Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC

If this (initiative) is accepted and acted upon in any city, includingChicago, it can change the way philanthropy and charities work

together in America and throughout the world. It can change thefuture for millions of kids born into poverty each year.

--Daniel F. Bassill, President of Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC and the Tutor/Mentor Connection

Http://www.tutormentorexchange.net [email protected] Twitter @tutormentorteam

Documents

Helping Urban Youth Move from Birth to Work - A Network Building Strategy