[YL] Ophra Talks About Drop Out Crisis this Week! Is Volunteer-Based Mentoring/Tutoring a Solution?

[Dan Bassill]

To leaders, volunteers and supporters of Volunteer-Based tutoring and/or
mentoring programs.

On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week Ophra raised the issue of the high
school drop our
rate to her 47 million viewers. Two web sites that provide data and
solutions are found at:

Campaign for Youth:  http://www.clasp.org/campaignforyouth
Connect for Kids:  http://www.connectforkids.org/node/2776

Most of the strategies for reforming schools and reducing drop out rates do
not include policy or funding plans to support a network of comprehensive,
volunteer-based, non-school tutoring and/or mentoring programs in
neighborhoods with the highest drop out rates.

In addition, while shows like Ophra's focus on important issues, they don't
do enough to address the dysfunctional way non-profits are supported in
America. Funding is inconsistent, and not distributed to all of the
neighborhoods where youth need more help.  According to a CompassPoint
(http://www.compasspoint.org ) report titled "Daring to Lead", the
challenges of finding sustained funding actually are contributing to small
and medium size non-profits'  ability to attract and keep key staff in
place. While this is important for any organization, it is of critical
importance for tutoring/mentoring programs.  It takes many years for a
mentoring program to be a good mentoring program. For a youth who might join
a program when in 5th grade, or at age 9 or 10, it will be 12-15 years
before that youth might be joining a company where a mentor works.  Few
mentoring strategies support such a long-term connection of youth and
volunteers, and little public or private funding is in place at the same non
profit for that many years.

If we want to reduce drop outs, or poverty, we need to do more to build the
infrastructure needed for thousands of programs to mentor kids to careers.

You may or may not agree with what I've written here, or what I write in my
http://tutormentor.blogspot.com blog. However, if you're involved with a
volunteer-based tutoring/mentoring program, or if you're concerned about the
high school drop-out rate, I encourage you to budget time in May and June to
participate in one of the scheduled Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking
Conference forums.  This is where  you can share your own ideas, and be part
of an effort to support the growth of good programs in more places.

On May 25 and 26, a 25th Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference,
will be held at the Northwestern University Law School in Chicago. The event
is co-sponsored by the Tutor/Mentor Connection and the Family Justice Center
at Northwestern Law. Honorary chairperson for the conference is  Pat Quinn,
Lt. Governor of the State of Illinois, is serving as Honorary Chair for the
May and November Conference.

Find the agenda for the conference and econference at
http://www.tutormentorconference.bigstep.com.

Early registration for the May 25 and 26 conference in Chicago ends on April
15, but group rates will continued to be offered.  Scholarships and half day
registration is also available.  Email tutormentor2 at earthlink.net, or call
312-492-9614 for details/

There is no charge for any of the on-line discussions.  You do need to
pre-register for the May 17 eConference being hosted by University College
at IUPUI at http://econference.uc.iupui.edu/
 
Visit this LINK to see the complete list of speakers:
http://www.tutormentorconference.bigstep.com/generic27.html

Visit this LINK to see the current eConference schedule:
http://www.tutormentorconference.bigstep.com/generic54.html

To be a sponsor or advertiser visit this link:
http://www.tutormentorconference.bigstep.com/May06Conference.pdf

We're still filling in some speaker holes and don't have bios or workshop
descriptions for everyone. If you are a speaker and have not submitted this
information, please send it in over the next two weeks. If you want to do a
presentation in the May 17 forum, email tutormentor2 at earthlink.net  Thank
you all!!

Daniel F. Bassill
President, Tutor/Mentor Connection and Cabrini Connections
http://tutormentor.blogspot.com
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