June 15, 2010

Golf Benefit - Sign Up Now at
www.cabrinitmcgolf.org  

Cabrini Videos
Take a look at these.
 

Contact Information

  • By Phone: 312-492-9614  
    By Fax: 312-492-9795

  • By Email:


El Da' Sheon Nix, Administrative CoordinatorEldasheon.nix@gmail.com
http://cabriniblog.blogspot.com

Bradley Troast, Assistant Program Coordinator;
BradleyTroast@gmail.com
 http://cabrinipip.blogspot.com/  

Dan Bassill (fund raising, events)
tutormentor2@earthlink.net



 

Annual Year-End Dinner celebrates work of students, volunteers, parents and alumni

More than 200 people attended last week's annual celebration, including students, volunteers, parents, board members, and staff.

One of the guest speakers was Tangela Smith Marlow, who was a student at Cabrini Connections from 1993 to 1997 when she graduated from high school. Since then she finished college, started a family and is holding a good job.

She said "Cabrini Connections had a transformative impact" on  her life.  See video at http://vimeo.com/12512481

Another speaker was Ms. Caprice Mitchell, a parent. She described how Anne Davis has been part of her daughter's life for the past six years.  To me, she said, "Anne stands taller than the Sears Tower."

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Here are some other highlights...

Video Club showcased four new videos, which you can see at: http://cabrinifilms.blogspot.com/2010/06/video-showcase.html

Tech Club showcased a demo version of their video game, which you can view here: http://cabrinitechclub.blogspot.com/2010/06/tech-club-so-far.html

Writing Club read a jumble story, the result of one of their favorite collaborative activities, and Art Club shared stained glass pieces which were created since the Art Festival in April.

Nine graduating seniors were recognized, and each was given a cash payout for points earned at Cabrini Connections. Meet our seniors at: http://cabrinipip.blogspot.com/2010/06/student-spotlight-seniors.html

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Awards were presented for

Most Motivated: Arden Harris and Sean Mayfield

Most Improved: Brittany Murphy and Melissa Young

Best Overall Academic Achievement: NyShanell Freeman and Vontesha Stanfield

Jimmy Biggs Citizenship Award: NyShanell Freeman and Sean Mayfield

See photos and more at
http://cabrinipip.blogspot.com/2010/06/2010-year-end-dinner.html

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Summer Schedule:

Mondays: Video Club will meet from 3:30-7pm from June 21-Aug 16.

Tuesdays: Tech Club meets from 6-7pm.

Wednesdays: Open House Night!, open till 8pm - meet with your student, prepare for next year, hold meetings, etc.  While there are no official tutor/mentor sessions during the summer, we encourage you to stay connected to your students and build momentum for the fall.

Edgewood College visit: July 12, 13, 14. Free meals, activities, scavenger hunt in the city, and more. Permission slips are due June 30.

For more about summer activities, read this blog post: http://cabriniblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/summer-schedule.html

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Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference attended by 140 people. See agenda, copies of workshops, videos, pictures, and list of attendees at http://www.tutormentorconference.org .

 

 

From the Leadership

Once in Cabrini Connections, Always in Cabrini Connections

Each year some of our seniors graduate, some of our volunteers move, and some people choose to end their formal connection with Cabrini Connections.  At the same time new students join the program, new volunteers join, and we continue on this journey.

In the past, we tried to say connected to veteran volunteers through a printed newsletter, and through this email list.  We had less success keeping track of former students.  Over the past two years this has changed dramatically. On Facebook and Linked in we now are connected to some of the people who started Cabrini Connections, such as Gena Schoen, Claudia Crilley, Sara Caldwell and Donna Giampietro Paretti, and staff who joined us in later years, such as Beth Galantha, David Whitaker, and Gita Rao.  We're connected to students from as far back as 1973. We're living in different parts of the country, but we're all connected via the Internet.

What does this mean?

First, it means that we can keep helping each other. While the kids were in 7th to 12th grade this was a lopsided one-way street, where we were trying to help teens make decisions that would determine their futures. Now, this becomes a two-way street. Everyone is suffering from the economy. Many people are raising kids, or have health issues.  Some of the young people are now adults. Most of our volunteers are just, "older adults". We can help each other. Our common bond is the time we spent with each other at Cabrini Connections.

The question is, "Will we?"

I received a call today from one former student, who asked if Cabrini Connections accepts 9-year old kids. I referred her to the Cabrini-Green Tutoring Program, and to a couple of programs in the Austin area, near where she lives. I asked about her brothers. She told me both are in jail.  I asked if they have kids. She said the did.

That means these former students now are raising their own kids, and those kids need help from as many extra adults as their neighborhood and community can provide them.  But, unless people step forward to advocate for programs like Cabrini Connections, and to provide leadership, and raise money, it won't happen and those kids will be more likely to repeat the steps of their fathers, than become a high school and college graduate.

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At the dinner, I talked about "Growing from Good, to Great, then Staying Great"
I posted this last week, but am repeating it because unless more members of Cabrini Connections share this vision, we'll never be as much of a force in the lives of our kids and volunteers as we need to be, and there will be few programs like Cabrini Connections in neighborhoods where our alumni are raising their own families.

Read the book by Jim Collins titled "Good to Great and the Social Sectors?" It talks about how organizations can become great.  This is our goal at Cabrini Connections. We have to be great in everything we do, to have an impact on lives of the teens, and volunteers, who give time to be part of Cabrini Connections.

What does it take to become good, then great?
It takes a vision, from many people, to do the work.  It takes a time, measured in years of constant improvement. It takes persistence. I  have been doing this work for 35 years. Because of that I've learned more about organizing and operating a tutor/mentor program than most people in the country. I'm doing all I can to transfer that knowledge into the rest of the organization. It's up to each of you to make time, or find time,  to read the articles I've posted on my blog and at http://www.tutormentorexchange.net

Successful non profits have passionate leaders, and a well defined vision.  
Do we have enough volunteers with a vision for what Cabrini Connections can be?  Or, with a vision for having programs like Cabrini Connections reaching more kids in other poverty neighborhoods?  I built my passion, understanding, and vision, through the work I've done every day for 35  years to keep the doors open for the kids and volunteers who were participating each year.

You may not stay directly involved with Cabrini Connections for 35 years, but you can stay connected to the ideas and the people at Cabrini Connections for the rest of your life. As long as poverty is part of America, the work we do to help end poverty through the network of learning and adult support provided by tutors and mentors will be needed in many places. Maybe it will be needed by you, someone you know and love, or someone else in your community.

Please consider  yourself an "agent" for Cabrini Connections. Look for ways you can encourage people in your network to become donors, sponsors and/or benefactors. Don't "hope" that someone else will take this role.

For Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection to be great, and stay great, we need everyone to think of themselves as the CEO responsible for our success.
 

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Opportunities to donate and become sponsors

*    July 15 Golf Benefit -  http://www.cabrinitmcgolf.org/sponsors.php  

*    Alumni Fund, at http://www.razoo.com/story/Cabrini-Connections-Alumni-Fund-2010-Campaign

*    August 29, Tutor/Mentor Jam (details to come)

*    Bequest support for Cabrini Connections - http://www.cabriniconnections.net/donate/bequests

See list of donors. Learn about fund raising opportunities -   http://cabrinitmcfundraising.blogspot.com/

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Thank you all for your help with the 2009-2010 Cabrini Connections program. Please stay involved, and connected, to us and our students, no matter where you may live, or what  you may do.

Contact El Da Sheon Nix or Dan Bassill
Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection
800 W. Huron, First Floor
Chicago, IL 60642
Phone: 312-492-9614
Fax: 312-492-9795

Read the blogs:

http://cabriniblog.blogspot.com 
http://cabrinipip.blogspot.com/ 
http://tutormentor.blogspot.com

Cabrini Connections on Facebook.
Fan page: http://www.facebook.com/cabriniconnectionsTMC
Writing Club page - http://tinyurl.com/FB-writing-club

Follow us on Twitter - http://twitter.com/tutormentorteam

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