Congregations of different faiths are distributed throughout the Chicago region.
What if there were study and planning groups in each congregation working to help volunteer-based, youth tutor/mentor programs grow in all high poverty areas of the region?
Such groups could be leading efforts that help youth connect with adults and learning opportunities that lead more K-12 kids through school and into jobs and careers.
This strategy applies to any city. Leaders are needed to bring it to life.
This is one of a collection of visual essays created by Dan Bassill, founder and CEO of Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993) and Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011).
As you read them and view maps of Chicago, think of this as your own city, and think of this presentation as one you have created and shared.
Then, go ahead. Create your own version and share it with your congregation!
Role of Faith Networks In Building Support for Youth Tutor/Mentor Programs
1. NETWORK BUILDER:
Tutor/Mentor Connection
T/MC
Tutor/Mentor
Institute, LLC
CONNECTING
Those
Who Need
help
Strategies Faith Communities Can Use to Support Growth
of Tutor/Mentor Programs in High Poverty areas.
YOU…
and youth in
your church
Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present), Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) www.tutormentorexchange.net , tutormentor2@earthlink.net
Pg 1
Those
Who can
help
2. Adopt Strategies of Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, Tutor/Mentor Connection
https://tutormentorexchange.net/social-media
HOW FAITH COMMUNITIES CAN LEAD
VOLUNTEER MOBILIZATION FOR TUTOR/MENTOR
PROGRAMS
A strategy of the Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC www.tutormentorexchange.net
”One person trained twelve human beings who went on to so influence
the world that time itself is now recorded as being before (B.C.) or after
(A.D.) his existence.”
This quote was taken from the introduction of the book "Jesus, CEO:
Using Ancient Wisdom for Visionary Leadership", written by Laurie Beth
Jones and published by Hyperion. It shows how much power one person
has to change the world. We hope it inspires faith leaders to use there
communications systems to change the future for millions of at-risk youth
throughout America, and the world.
Read and share the ideas in the following pages to see how faith
communities can help transform the lives of youth living in big city poverty
neighborhoods.
Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present), Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) www.tutormentorexchange.net
Pg 2
3. Tangela joined CC in 1993,
after being part of the
MW/Cabrini Green Tutoring
Program when in elementary
school.
School-Time Programs
3-5 PM Non-School Programs
Pre-K K - 5th 5th - 6th 6th - 8th
High
School
Career
Track
After 5 PM and Weekend Programs
If the goal is to help kids living in high
poverty neighborhoods be starting
jobs/careers by their mid-twenties….
How do we help tutor/mentor programs connect
with youth when they are young, and stay
connected to those kids from when we first meet
them, to when they need our help as adults?….
We are still
connected, via the
Internet, 25 years
later.
--- 16 years later.
Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present), Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) www.tutormentorexchange.net
Pg 3
4. Imagine a city with K-12
tutor and/or mentor
programs operating in
every neighborhood.
Communicate this idea with
sermons, graphics, videos
Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present), Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) www.tutormentorexchange.net Pg 4
5. If we want mentor-rich programs in more
places, we must influence resource flow.
To keep kids and volunteers
connected, we need these
resources every day at every
tutor/mentor program in
Chicago.
* volunteers
* public visibility
* operating dollars
* technology
* training/learning
* leadership
Chicago
area
The shaded
areas of this
map of
Chicago are
the areas of
most
concentrated
poverty.
Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present), Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) www.tutormentorexchange.net
This map could be any major city in the
world where youth live in high
concentrations of poverty.
Pg 5
6. Maps show locations of faith congregations throughout Chicago region.
Strategies from EACH congregation could be supporting growth of tutor/mentor
programs in different areas. See more faith maps in articles at
https://mappingforjustice.blogspot.com/search/label/faith%20group
Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present), Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) www.tutormentorexchange.net Pg 6
Maps can be
created to show
every faith
denomination in
the Chicago
region.
8. The World’s Largest
Ping Pong ball table.
Every intentional action of
a faith leader, volunteer or
network-builder causes a
chain reaction that moves
every other ball.
What you say can reach
people around the world.
FAITH LEADERS HAVE
BEEN PRACTICING THIS
FOR OVER 2000 YEARS!
Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present), Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) www.tutormentorexchange.net
Pg 8
Help spread the word! Help mobilize volunteers and donors!
9. When a faith leader, or youth minister,
communicates, many listen. Many follow.
Use personal and organizational leadership, web site and communications to connect
members of your network to Tutor Mentor programs in all parts of Chicago on a consistent, on-
going basis, using Internet directories such as www.tutormentorexchange.net as a resource for
finding programs throughout Chicago. Build similar resources in every city and state.
Elected
leader
college
you
faith business media
Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present), Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) www.tutormentorexchange.net
others
EVERY city needs leaders in every sector who take this role, not one or two high profile people.
volunteers
dollars
Talent &
technology
Pg 9
CHICAGO
10. OUTREACH STRATEGY:
We want faith groups in affluent
suburban areas, as well as in
inner city areas, to be delivering
sermons on a regular basis, that
tie scripture and service, and point
members to tutor/mentor
programs that already exist, or to
neighborhoods, where new
programs need to be created.
In this graphic, we illustrate how one faith leader (Rev. Hall), can use his/her blog, sermon, radio
show and web site, to reach out to members of the congregation, and provide information they can
share with people in their own networks. We also show how these faith leaders can host networking
sessions at the November and May Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference, in
Chicago* (see www.tutormentorconference.org ) and how they can host events at different church,
mosque and temple locations, during January and August, to draw attention to tutor/mentor
programs in their own neighborhood, or in neighborhoods that they have adopted.
* the conference has not been held since May 2015
Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present), Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) www.tutormentorexchange.net Pg 10
Read article at https://tutormentor.blogspot.com/2009/09/violence-is-just-on-other-side-of.html
11. 12-months
from now
9-months
from now
6-months
from now
3-months
from now
Immediate
Impact
Growth of
volunteers & $$
and corporate
leaders involved
$$
With every action have a purpose. Every message is intended to draw
needed resources to one or more tutor/mentor programs in Chicago. Teach
others to communicate with a purpose. The result will be a more consistent
flow of talent & resources to all youth programs in the region.
Deliver strategic messages four times each year to increase resource flow.
Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present), Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) www.tutormentorexchange.net
$$
$$
$$
Pg 11
12. STRATEGIC TIME FRAMES TO DELIVER THIS MESSAGE:
IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE WHEN YOU COMMUNICATE AND WHAT
MESSAGE YOU COMMUNICATE
1) late August (with a "be a volunteer" message to support Back- to-School
volunteer recruitment);
2) first Sunday in November (Tutor/Mentor Week - give recognition to
students, volunteers and leaders who have joined such programs);
3) mid February - ( profile volunteers, tell of success stories, the need
for volunteers to be leaders, the need for reinforcements, etc.);
4) late April (encourage participation in events like the Tutor/Mentor Leadership
and Networking Conference held from 1994-2015); give praise for the work
volunteers, students and programs have done over the past year, talk about the
need for continuing this work during the next school year.
In each of these messages, include the T/MC web site of
www.tutormentorexchange.net because that is where their members can go
for more information of what it takes to build and sustain a great mentoring program.
Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present), Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) www.tutormentorexchange.net
Pg 12
13. Youth in faith sponsored organizations, schools, etc.
can create visualizations that share this thinking.
The graphic at the right is from an animation
done by an intern who converted the concept
map into a flash animation which can be
viewed in this YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=pRipJPgenFc
These graphics
were created by
interns. This one
shows use of
concept map
Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present), Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) www.tutormentorexchange.net Pg 13
View at http://tinyurl.com/tmc-strategy-map
14. Examples of information visualization created by interns.
This graphic at the right shows how
intern converted this to flash animation.
View this at
http://www.tutormentorexchange.net/
chicagoland-volunteer-recruitment/177-
volunteersleaders
The graphic above shows how idea
was first visualized in power point and
posted on the Tutor/Mentor blog.
See more 2006-2015 work by interns: http://michaelcnt.blogspot.com/
Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present), Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) www.tutormentorexchange.net Pg 14
Young people in faith
groups and neighborhood
youth programs, as well
as in public schools, can
create videos that share
these ideas and mobilize
volunteers and donors for
tutor/mentor programs in
neighborhoods where
they live.
16. x
x
x
x
x
x
EVANGELIZE THIS!
This map shows Methodist Church
locations in the Chicago region.
Similar maps for other denominations
can be found at
http://mappingforjustice.blogspot.com
x
Imagine if someone in a Methodist
Youth organization were building a
map with X overlays indicating
congregations who were implementing
the ideas in this presentation. Such
groups could be sharing ideas at
spring and fall Tutor/Mentor
Conferences, and on social media, to
help others learn from them so the
number of X s on the map grow each
year.
Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present), Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) www.tutormentorexchange.net Pg. 16
17. You can create map stories using many different data platforms.
View this concept map at http://tinyurl.com/TMI-MappingData
Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present), Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) www.tutormentorexchange.net Pg. 17
18. Share your sermons. Share your strategy.
Show these maps to others!
Faith communities can build
libraries of sermons that can
be used by others each year
to create and deliver their
own messages.
Faith communities can host
workshops at spring and fall
Tutor/Mentor Conferences in
Chicago, or at events where
faith leaders from many
denominations are
connecting.
Faith communities can build
on-line communities where
these ideas can be shared.
The Chicago conference has not been held since May 2005.
One or more faith groups could re-start these in Chicago and
in other cities. The conference web site provides a
template: http://www.tutormentorconference.org
Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present), Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) www.tutormentorexchange.net Pg. 18
Read more at http://tinyurl.com/TMI-FaithLeadersPDF and
at http://www.tutormentor.blogspot.com/search/label/faith%20groups
19. PRACTICE THESE IDEAS. MAKE THEM HAPPEN!
These are concepts intended to encourage youth and adults
to think, learn and innovate new ways to support the growth
and operations of needed youth support services throughout
the Chicago metropolitan region and in EVERY other city.
Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC and Tutor/Mentor Connection were created by Daniel F. Bassill,
who led volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs in Chicago from 1975 to 2011. Connect with
Dan on social media. Find ideas and resources on any of the websites shown below.
http://www.tutormentorexchange.net
http://tutormentor.blogspot.com
http://mappingforjustice.blogspot.com
View social media links at
https://tutormentorexchange.net/social-media
Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present), Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) www.tutormentorexchange.net
Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC,
Tutor/Mentor Connection
Daniel F. Bassill
D.H.L.