Friday, July 10, 2009
Social Services, Community, and Education
I've a link to the Smart Communities blog on my links section because they frequently write articles related to schools, poverty and social engagement. This article is an example, and points to the Tutor/Mentor Connection as a resource.
Message to Graduates - "living in relative poverty and loving my work"
"for the time being, living in relative poverty and loving my work is far preferable to any number of potentially more financially lucrative alternatives."
My daughter graduated from Maine South High School in June 2009 and the two students who gave keynote addresses both talked about living a life of service rather than pursuing financial reward.
I hope that they will find this article written by Chris Warren, who has just completed his one year fellowship with Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection. Chris will spend his next year in a Guatemalan non-profit school, as a volunteer.
Chris finishes this article with this message:
"now more than ever, we need to bring more leaders and other motivated folks into the fold to advocate for our youth, our programs and our future.
Personally, I'm becoming more and more convinced that I am and will continue to be one of these people."
I hope you'll bookmark Chris Warren's blog and find time to read some of the articles he has written in the past year. These provide a different perspective on tutoring and mentoring, and the Tutor/Mentor Connection, than what I write. Hopefully, the understanding you build by reading what Chris and others write leads you and others to make the same commitment Chris has made.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
New Map Gallery shows Poverty Maps Created by T/MC
This is the home page of the new map gallery, created by Mike Trakan of the Tutor/Mentor Connection, to make the maps we have created available to users all over the Chicago region. Read Mike's description of the map gallery.
Money raised at the annual Cabrini Connections Golf Benefit helps to pay Mike and keep this resource available to Chicago. Can you help?
Sunday, July 05, 2009
How Volunteers can help tutor/mentor programs grow in different places
I've started a group on our Ning site, where volunteers can share ideas with myself and each other about ways they can help build a larger network of donor and volunteer support for Cabrini Connections, the Tutor/Mentor Connection and all other volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs in Chicago.
The graphic on this page illustrates my goal. If we believe that volunteer based tutor/mentor programs are a value, then anyone can spend time each day reaching out to people they know to encourage financial support for any of the tutor/mentor programs listed in the Chicago Programs Links library or our Program Locator database.
If you'd like to help, and can share your ideas, or want to ask questions, then I encourage you to join the Ning Group and help us give support to any one who wants to take on this volunteer role.
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Leadership Tools - Mapping Social Engagement Strategy
This is one of three Case Studies that Chris Warren, of the Tutor/Mentor Connection, posted on his blog to illustrate uses of the Tutor/Mentor Program Locator.
Chris will be ending his one-year fellowship with Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection, in the coming week. The articles he has written over the past year will remain as curriculum that we hope others will use to understand the ways they can apply the Tutor/Mentor Connection concepts in their own business, university and community engagement strategy.
Friday, July 03, 2009
If our founders took this perspective, would we be celebrating our freedom tomorrow?
In the past week I've posted information about a report from the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and a rebuttal from the Editorial Board of the Chicago SunTimes.
I reviewed the Civic Committee report last night. In the concluding remarks the business committee report says "We cannot change the fact that some CPS students start school at a disadvantage. But we can change the fact that Chicago's schools do too little to overcome that disadvantage."
If a business leader went to his boss and said, "we can't expand our market share because a competitor is doing something better than we are" that boss would soon find a new leader to find a way to compete more effectively.
If the founders of this country had said "we can't challenge the rule of King George", where would be we today?
The business community is right. "Chicago should offer school families more and better choices." This includes more and better non-school learning opportunities in the neighborhoods, and more vocational learning and mentoring in the workplaces. Not just more charter schools.
The SunTimes is also right, "we need to think outside of the box". We need to make the learning, mentoring and achievement of all kids a responsibility of the business community, the faith community, and people who live in the suburbs surrounding Chicago who draw wealth from the city, and who have their own growing pockets of poverty and poorly performing schools.
Until our business and community leaders realize that they must do more to influence what happens in the non - school hours to prepare kids for school, and for work, we'll not only fail to make much of an impact on how well teachers are able to teach, but we'll also continue to loose competitive advantage with countries over seas who are doing a better job preparing kids for 21st century careers.
I reviewed the Civic Committee report last night. In the concluding remarks the business committee report says "We cannot change the fact that some CPS students start school at a disadvantage. But we can change the fact that Chicago's schools do too little to overcome that disadvantage."
If a business leader went to his boss and said, "we can't expand our market share because a competitor is doing something better than we are" that boss would soon find a new leader to find a way to compete more effectively.
If the founders of this country had said "we can't challenge the rule of King George", where would be we today?
The business community is right. "Chicago should offer school families more and better choices." This includes more and better non-school learning opportunities in the neighborhoods, and more vocational learning and mentoring in the workplaces. Not just more charter schools.
The SunTimes is also right, "we need to think outside of the box". We need to make the learning, mentoring and achievement of all kids a responsibility of the business community, the faith community, and people who live in the suburbs surrounding Chicago who draw wealth from the city, and who have their own growing pockets of poverty and poorly performing schools.
Until our business and community leaders realize that they must do more to influence what happens in the non - school hours to prepare kids for school, and for work, we'll not only fail to make much of an impact on how well teachers are able to teach, but we'll also continue to loose competitive advantage with countries over seas who are doing a better job preparing kids for 21st century careers.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
SunTimes: "Charters not only way to fix Chicago schools"
The editorial in the July 2, 2009 Chicago SunTimes rebuts a study released by the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago as an "over simplistic analysis of test data, assembled largely6 to bash traditional public schools and promote the business group's preferred solution of Charter schools."
The editorial concludes "There are lots of ways to improve failing schools. Charters are one way, but so is investing in traditional schools."
We invite the media, and the business community, to take this advise and look beyond the traditional school "box" as a distribution point where learning reaches kids, and think of non-school locations where kids might connect with business volunteers, technology and arts, in a variety of mentoring and tutoring programs funded by the private sector, faith groups, and others interested in helping all kids come to school better prepared to learn.
There are numerous articles on this site and on the Tutor/Mentor Connection and Tutor/Mentor Institute web site that provide ideas that business people might use. Thus, our reason for encouraging companies to recruit employees to become volunteers is that as they build bonds with kids these volunteers will begin to learn first hand what the challenges are that inner city kids and schools face, and some will begin to build a personal commitment to want to do more, because the kids now become "their own" kids.
If companies encourage this involvement, in programs throughout Chicago, and in other cities, they can also host communities of practice, where volunteers who tutor, mentor, serve on boards, provide technology support, and make donations, can talk to each other, share ideas, and begin to innovate new solutions that don't focus just on investing in "smaller class size, better teachers, financial incentives for teachers and a longer school year".
The longer working people stay connected to inner city kids, the more likely they will begin to innovate new ways to build learning aspirations and use business resources to help kids prepare for 21st century careers, regardless of what the traditional school establishment does to support this.
The editorial concludes "There are lots of ways to improve failing schools. Charters are one way, but so is investing in traditional schools."
We invite the media, and the business community, to take this advise and look beyond the traditional school "box" as a distribution point where learning reaches kids, and think of non-school locations where kids might connect with business volunteers, technology and arts, in a variety of mentoring and tutoring programs funded by the private sector, faith groups, and others interested in helping all kids come to school better prepared to learn.
There are numerous articles on this site and on the Tutor/Mentor Connection and Tutor/Mentor Institute web site that provide ideas that business people might use. Thus, our reason for encouraging companies to recruit employees to become volunteers is that as they build bonds with kids these volunteers will begin to learn first hand what the challenges are that inner city kids and schools face, and some will begin to build a personal commitment to want to do more, because the kids now become "their own" kids.
If companies encourage this involvement, in programs throughout Chicago, and in other cities, they can also host communities of practice, where volunteers who tutor, mentor, serve on boards, provide technology support, and make donations, can talk to each other, share ideas, and begin to innovate new solutions that don't focus just on investing in "smaller class size, better teachers, financial incentives for teachers and a longer school year".
The longer working people stay connected to inner city kids, the more likely they will begin to innovate new ways to build learning aspirations and use business resources to help kids prepare for 21st century careers, regardless of what the traditional school establishment does to support this.
President Obama's Barbershop premieres their touring art exhibiton, July 12, 2009
President Obama's Barbershop premieres their touring art exhibition, which focuses on the art & nature of barbering from 1927 to present.
"The Seated Stories of Hyde Park Hair Salon", Sunday July 12, 2009
President Barack Obama's Barbershop will host a charity event introducing their touring art exhibition titled Seated Stories which focuses on the art and nature of barbering from 1927 to present.
Seated Stories presented by the Hyde Park Hair Salon
Sunday July 12, 2009
Chicago, IL June 17, 2009
Hyde Park Hair Salon opened it doors in Hyde Park in 1927 and has serviced many great figures, visitors, and long time clients along with their most prestigious client President Barack Obama. On July 12, 2009 they will present a preview of their highly anticipated exhibition Seated Stories that explores and celebrates the art and tradition of barbering from 1927 to the present. The preview exhibition will be a mixed media exhibit featuring works form commissioned artists. The exhibition will preview at the Aloft Hotel, 9700 Balmoral Ave. in Rosemont, IL on July 12, 2009 from 3:00-6:00p.m.and is free and open to the public.
Partial proceeds of this event will go to Cabrini Connections, The P.A.U.S.E Initiative, Reading In Motion, The Oak Park Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, The Bronzeville Visitor Information Center, The Betty R. Clawson Scholarship Foundation and The American Cancer Society- Relay for Life Arlington Heights Chapter
Seated Stories will debut the complete exhibition late fall 2009 at Hyde Park Hair Salon, "The Official Barbershop of President Barack Obama". The exhibition will then tour Chicago for one month before traveling to Atlanta, GA and then on to several nationwide galleries and museums to be announced at a later date.
Seated Stories is a precursor to a highly anticipated much larger art exhibit that invites viewers into the world and culture of the barbershop and the nature and art of barbering. Because the barbershop has been and continues to be an institution in American culture, Seated Stories highlights the changes and transformations it has undergone throughout the years. It also takes a closer look at the meaning and significance of the barbering culture while gaining a greater appreciation of its aesthetic impact. Viewers will also discover its rich traditions that continue to influence present-day grooming experiences. The barbershop has been a place for all men regardless of stature, profession, or character. It is a place where status and stratification lines disappear. The barbershop is a rare place in which everyone is equal and everyone's opinion counts. It has long been a podium for venting, bragging, laughing, learning, sharing, and a place for solitude for many men.
Seated Stories features original paintings, sculptures, and limited edition Glicee' prints that embody the history, culture, and art of barbering in the Hyde Park Hair Salon.
Hyde Park Hair Salon
Hyde Park Hair Salon is a historical landmark, located in the Hyde Park community for over 80 years. It is the third oldest business in the Hyde Park community which is considered one of Chicago's most culturally rich and diverse Southside neighborhoods. Hyde Park Hair Salon was established in 1927 just a few blocks north of the historic Frank Lloyd Wright Robie House and is a short stroll from the steps of President Barack Obama's Chicago home.
Exhibition Organization and Support
The charity event and exhibition titled Seated Stories is organized by the Hyde Park Hair Salon owners Monique and Ishmael Coye.
For Media Inquiries Please Contact:
Kenya Renee Robertson
Marketing & Media Personality
Kenya@hydeparkhairsalon.net
(773) 698-0912
"The Seated Stories of Hyde Park Hair Salon", Sunday July 12, 2009
President Barack Obama's Barbershop will host a charity event introducing their touring art exhibition titled Seated Stories which focuses on the art and nature of barbering from 1927 to present.
Seated Stories presented by the Hyde Park Hair Salon
Sunday July 12, 2009
Chicago, IL June 17, 2009
Hyde Park Hair Salon opened it doors in Hyde Park in 1927 and has serviced many great figures, visitors, and long time clients along with their most prestigious client President Barack Obama. On July 12, 2009 they will present a preview of their highly anticipated exhibition Seated Stories that explores and celebrates the art and tradition of barbering from 1927 to the present. The preview exhibition will be a mixed media exhibit featuring works form commissioned artists. The exhibition will preview at the Aloft Hotel, 9700 Balmoral Ave. in Rosemont, IL on July 12, 2009 from 3:00-6:00p.m.and is free and open to the public.
Partial proceeds of this event will go to Cabrini Connections, The P.A.U.S.E Initiative, Reading In Motion, The Oak Park Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, The Bronzeville Visitor Information Center, The Betty R. Clawson Scholarship Foundation and The American Cancer Society- Relay for Life Arlington Heights Chapter
Seated Stories will debut the complete exhibition late fall 2009 at Hyde Park Hair Salon, "The Official Barbershop of President Barack Obama". The exhibition will then tour Chicago for one month before traveling to Atlanta, GA and then on to several nationwide galleries and museums to be announced at a later date.
Seated Stories is a precursor to a highly anticipated much larger art exhibit that invites viewers into the world and culture of the barbershop and the nature and art of barbering. Because the barbershop has been and continues to be an institution in American culture, Seated Stories highlights the changes and transformations it has undergone throughout the years. It also takes a closer look at the meaning and significance of the barbering culture while gaining a greater appreciation of its aesthetic impact. Viewers will also discover its rich traditions that continue to influence present-day grooming experiences. The barbershop has been a place for all men regardless of stature, profession, or character. It is a place where status and stratification lines disappear. The barbershop is a rare place in which everyone is equal and everyone's opinion counts. It has long been a podium for venting, bragging, laughing, learning, sharing, and a place for solitude for many men.
Seated Stories features original paintings, sculptures, and limited edition Glicee' prints that embody the history, culture, and art of barbering in the Hyde Park Hair Salon.
Hyde Park Hair Salon
Hyde Park Hair Salon is a historical landmark, located in the Hyde Park community for over 80 years. It is the third oldest business in the Hyde Park community which is considered one of Chicago's most culturally rich and diverse Southside neighborhoods. Hyde Park Hair Salon was established in 1927 just a few blocks north of the historic Frank Lloyd Wright Robie House and is a short stroll from the steps of President Barack Obama's Chicago home.
Exhibition Organization and Support
The charity event and exhibition titled Seated Stories is organized by the Hyde Park Hair Salon owners Monique and Ishmael Coye.
For Media Inquiries Please Contact:
Kenya Renee Robertson
Marketing & Media Personality
Kenya@hydeparkhairsalon.net
(773) 698-0912
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
CHA Mixed Income Buildings - Is it working?
The Chicago Tribune published this article yesterday under the title of CHA mixed-income building has class clash
Are you living in one of these mixed income buildings? Is it working? What's your story?
This is important to us at Cabrini Connections because much of the Cabrini-Green area where we draw kids from has been converted into mixed income buildings. Some of our kids live in these new units, and some still live in the Row Houses.
We only have 65-75 teens in the program each year, and some live in neighborhoods beyond Cabrini Green as a result of moving from the area, or as a result of parents making a strong case for us to accept their kids.
However, it's getting more and more difficult to attract funding because many donors think that tutor/mentor programs are no longer needed for the Cabrini Green area, due to the massive growth of mixed income, and upper income buildings in the area.
However, I'd like people living in these mixed income areas to think in a different way. If you read the Tribune article there is quite a bit of strife between the two income groups living together in these buildings. What if this causes more people to not want to purchase units. What will that do to property values?
Wouldn't it make sense to invest in programs that create some interaction and bonding between the youth and adults of the two economic brackets. That's what programs like Cabrini Connections do. They connect people who would not normally be interacting with each other.
Building managers don't have expertise in organizing these programs. We do. Wouldn't it make sense to invest in these types of programs, as an investment in your property values?
Think of it. If you paid $400,000 for a unit and the property value declines 20% because people don't want to buy, that's a $80,000 loss. Doesn't it make sense to donate a couple thousand dollars a year to a tutor/mentor program with the goal that you make mixed income housing work, so your property values go up?
What if you're not in the Cabrini Green area. What if you want to start a program like Cabrini Connections? Where do you find the ideas for building such a program, or people to mentor you and your leaders to help a new program grow from being a start-up, to being good, then being great?
That's what the Tutor/Mentor Connection offers. When you invest in Cabrini Connections, you're also investing in the T/MC. You're supporting our efforts to create a library of information that can help people in neighborhoods throughout the Chicago region, and in other cities, build programs that connect people from mixed income brackets, and different social and age brackets. You're investing in the diversity of the city.
What if the economy caused us to cease operations? Who would provide the services we provide?
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