40 Conferences, 20 Years of Support for Tutor/Mentor Programs in Chicago

In 1994 I hosted the first Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference in Chicago. 70 people attended and feedback was strong, so we hosted another in November 1994 and 200 people attended. I've hosted one every six months since then despite having inconsistent, meaning virtually none, financial support from the business, financial, education and philanthropic sectors.

Conferences in the past have been attended by city leaders like Mayor Richard Daley, yet the strategies of the Tutor/Mentor Connection have been never supported financially, or visibly, by the Mayor. I encourage you to browse articles like this in the conference category on this blog to learn more about the Tutor/Mentor Conference and its goals.

As a result of the conferences I've been able to generate numerous stories in Chicago media, like the one below, and like this letter to the editor that is in this week's edition of Crain's. See a complete list of media stories here. These don't add up to the weight of corporate advertising, yet they are more stories in local media each year than would have been if not for the conferences and other activities of the Tutor/Mentor Connection each year. We still need such attention on tutoring/mentoring in coming years.

Now I'm asking that you show your support with a financial contribution and an endorsement. See this page for more information and a PayPal button.

Endorsements will be posted here as I collect them.

I've not operated as a non profit organization since 2011 due to changes I've not yet been able to overcome. However, I'm doing the same work I've been trying to do since starting the Tutor/Mentor Connection and the conferences almost 20 years ago. If you share my concern for the well-being of young people and my vision of a tutor/mentor program as a strategy for expanding the networks surrounding young people, and for engaging adults beyond poverty in ways that grow their involvement, you'll find a way to support the conference and my on-going efforts.

While you don't get a tax deduction think of this as a "personal seat license" or "personal advertising support" or your own "investment" in strategies that are needed to support the growth of youth mentoring and tutoring programs in every city.