tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24948983129513417912024-02-19T00:25:06.331-08:00Nicolecabrininicolewhite.cabrinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16973653535276010960noreply@blogger.comBlogger220125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494898312951341791.post-11607527987223860552010-06-10T08:03:00.000-07:002010-06-10T14:43:10.822-07:00But how do you plan a conference?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFhoArQH6nzKduXuqA_JjWr_U2yL9iK9_sUB06QfSQCRuxC4E67ZeNw5xj4zEFiiT6bm3lDBVzTvnDCa8KVNsKMS6vUmxI4DUu1tx14ueleKuo9geNsYiKcoNOruJSLG58c8oWtwEwzLl/s1600/Breakthrough.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 224px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFhoArQH6nzKduXuqA_JjWr_U2yL9iK9_sUB06QfSQCRuxC4E67ZeNw5xj4zEFiiT6bm3lDBVzTvnDCa8KVNsKMS6vUmxI4DUu1tx14ueleKuo9geNsYiKcoNOruJSLG58c8oWtwEwzLl/s320/Breakthrough.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481257920540255986" border="0" /></a>With one week left at <a href="http://www.cabriniconnections.net/">Cabrini Connections</a>, <a href="http://www.tutormentorconnection.org/">Tutor/Mentor Connection</a>, I feel like I need to share some of the things that I have learned these past three years. Since planning a conference is fresh in my mind, my first entry will be on how to plan the <a href="http://www.tutormentorconference.org/">Tutor/Mentor Conference.</a>
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<br />You really should start to plan the Tutor/Mentor Conference almost as soon as the last one ends. Since there are two a year, you should start planning the November starting in May and the May one starting in November.
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<br />The first thing you need to do is to form your committee. Usually you will do your networking for your committee at the Conference. Talk to people who seem really enthusiastic about the conference and who seem to be good at networking. We have a conference e-mail list that you can build your committee around. Start having committee meetings about 5 months in advance of the conference. See if anyone has any leads to an affordable site for the conference. 5 months is usually the latest optimum time to book space. We've found that many universities will have special non-profit rates for rental space and are very accommodating for holding conferences. We usually try and have the conference at different sites in the city in order to attract different groups and organizations. Usually the conference will be host to 150-200 people and you will need one large room fo<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1wH7OaLRzaIF7zSTQRFk_8EsfgGV-P97HfoRUUri5S66RHHyGrDVCp39bBPZuuh4pTcAbxbbCTei397gG7nD06xG5IrxaCa-zk5yTH3U-kZKBWpGghcOtfT9iZiCF_XM-6tgfTL3kVj6f/s1600/Group+Two+059.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1wH7OaLRzaIF7zSTQRFk_8EsfgGV-P97HfoRUUri5S66RHHyGrDVCp39bBPZuuh4pTcAbxbbCTei397gG7nD06xG5IrxaCa-zk5yTH3U-kZKBWpGghcOtfT9iZiCF_XM-6tgfTL3kVj6f/s320/Group+Two+059.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481258069462805666" border="0" /></a>r keynotes and meals, and 4-5 breakout rooms for workshops.
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<br />Once you have your space and your committee, start putting together your schedule of speakers and panelists. Repeat workshops from past conferences, especially those that were well-reviewed are where you should start, but also start looking through the news and see what organizations and experts (such as university professors) are featured in news stories about poverty, violence, education, etc. The sky's the limit on what workshops and speakers to have as long as it has something to do with running a quality volunteer tutor/mentor organization. Panels are often a good idea so you can get a variety of perspectives on a subject. Definitely use your conference-planning committee to find potential speakers, or have them be speakers or panelists themselves.
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<br />After you have your speakers, you need to make sure your conference is well-attended. We try and make sure everybody in our Program Locator Database is invited as well as those who attended the two previous conferences. Also, use any media sources that you have to post information about the conference in the news. If anything, most newspapers have community calendars that you can post the conference information in. If anything, social networking sites such as <a href="http://www.facebook.com/">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.ning.com/">Ning</a>, and <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/">LinkedIn</a> are great ways to spread the word about the conference.
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<br />As the conference draws near, you need to deal with the detailed stuff. Are all the speakers and panelists registered? Is everybody who is registered on the <a href="http://www.groundspring.org/">groundspring </a>e-mail list? Are they entered into FileMaker pro for the attendance list? Do they have their bios in for the program? Are all of their technology needs taken care of? Is catering ordered? Is parking taken care of? Have you created the forms that need to be photocopied? Have you assigned the workshops to different rooms? Have you created room grids for both days? Workshop Evaluation forms? Conference evaluation forms? Have the folders been stuffed?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOdU9U81ONXdNFJBMLpQwj13aQ-gEIah5fWvH-s_ToyoR4lTLXO8e3fpdrZpuNmnmStJusjWtUV_ruGSaYD4zoWaKB01te3Ggv_S_PgOdKxxW29Bu2rXKVAUsfZSi3QN82_Qymg5CigMh/s1600/Recruitmentpanel_PEAK.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 224px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOdU9U81ONXdNFJBMLpQwj13aQ-gEIah5fWvH-s_ToyoR4lTLXO8e3fpdrZpuNmnmStJusjWtUV_ruGSaYD4zoWaKB01te3Ggv_S_PgOdKxxW29Bu2rXKVAUsfZSi3QN82_Qymg5CigMh/s320/Recruitmentpanel_PEAK.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481258199501848322" border="0" /></a>
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<br />After all of this is accomplished, all you need to worry about is making sure all the necessary supplies are gathered (pens, tape, scissors, paper clips, etc.), in addition to the maps, easels, folders, and other stuff and taken over to the conference site.
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<br />Hopefully this guide will make everybody who plans the Tutor/Mentor Conference have an easier time. After you figure out how to time everything, it becomes one of the most fun and rewarding aspects of working at Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection.
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<br />nicolewhite.cabrinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16973653535276010960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494898312951341791.post-57554058377310060962010-06-08T09:49:00.000-07:002010-06-08T10:45:27.855-07:00The End of the Year and Your Donations are Urgently Needed<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM50Y0wNNUvrDzURk-Y1PaLKRz37Txa7Xje8eHYDwyn3JjTYYD9dfei4cVeSmm5YeH6_L6pJYI3-yf-Wl9iHcSkI0Nv-JGK5jqikv37Tqy6tGFCJoTqk5uuCF6FQbydL_r6Gp2peZ2uBtP/s1600/Dan_Darrel.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 224px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM50Y0wNNUvrDzURk-Y1PaLKRz37Txa7Xje8eHYDwyn3JjTYYD9dfei4cVeSmm5YeH6_L6pJYI3-yf-Wl9iHcSkI0Nv-JGK5jqikv37Tqy6tGFCJoTqk5uuCF6FQbydL_r6Gp2peZ2uBtP/s320/Dan_Darrel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480460233125620210" border="0" /></a>
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CWHITE%7E1.NIC%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PostalCode"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s been a great year at Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection. 80 kids and 100 plus volunteers have made the Cabrini Connections program an award-winning success. Both the November Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference and the May Conference saw well over 100 people attend. It would be nice to say that the year is ending with a bang and if financial issues weren’t a part of the picture, we indeed are.</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately, just as we’re ending a stellar year with both programs, we’re seeing funding dry up to pay payroll, rent, insurance, electricity and much more. I will be leaving Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection in two weeks, and the fact that this is the current situation deeply saddens me. Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection has been the best thing to happen to me and I am so deeply grateful to have worked here. Please help continue this award-winning program and send a check payable to “Cabrini Connections” to Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection, 800 W. Huron, First Floor, <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Chicago</st1:city>, <st1:state st="on">IL</st1:state> <st1:postalcode st="on">60614</st1:postalcode></st1:place> or you can donate on PayPal: http://www.cabriniconnections.net/donate-online1</p> nicolewhite.cabrinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16973653535276010960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494898312951341791.post-68388600197422217922010-06-01T09:26:00.001-07:002010-06-01T12:42:33.653-07:00Great Conference - What People have to SayHello Everyone! I hope you all had a pleasant and relaxing Memorial Day Weekend. I just want to thank everybody who came to the conference last week. It truly was a great conference and I am so part to have been a part of the Tutor/Mentor Conference these past three years. It's comments like these that have made it so worthwhile:<br /><br />- All of the speakers were excellent<br /><br />-Great! Looking forward to attending next one. In the meantime, plan to incorporate knowledge gain through out organization.<br /><br />-Keep up the good work in networking and connecting people!<br /><br />-The keynotes were valuable.<br /><br />- Great job!<br /><br />-I think this conference is an excellent tool for networking. I'm really happy I was able to be a part of it. I liked the variety of topics, etc. Great time!<br /><br />-Excellent Opportunity! I enjoyed everything and I am so happy to have been a part! Very professional and organized!<br /><br />-This was my first time at the conference and I truly enjoyed all of it! I have so much information and ideas that I will be taking back and trying to implement where I can. It was also inspiring for me (as a new"ish" program coordinator) to be around people doing the same things I am doing and also helps to know the issues I face, good or bad, are mostly across the board with other. [I] feel that I was truly given a toolbox to walk away with, filled with new ideas, concepts, people, and resources that will help as an individual, as a mentor, and as a program coordinator. Thank you so much for this opportunity.<br /><br />-The Conference . . . was well planned. . . the presenters informative and the info obtained outstanding. I greatly appreciated all aspects of the conference.<br /><br />-Wonderful conference. Looking forward to the next one.nicolewhite.cabrinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16973653535276010960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494898312951341791.post-1049971876113349512010-05-24T11:13:00.000-07:002010-05-24T12:21:52.717-07:00Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference is this week!Hello Everyone! I just wanted to remind everybody that the <a href="http://www.tutormentorconference.org">May Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking conference</a> is THIS Thursday and Friday, May 27th and 28th. Registration, Breakfast, and the morning keynote will be held in the Simpson Hall Multi-Purpose Room, 6333 N. Winthrop Ave., however the entrance is on Sheridan Rd.<br /><br />One of the many exciting things about the conference is how many new programs are participating. I will highlight these programs in a future blog post. However, I would like to give a shout-out to the <a href="http://www.childrenshomeandaid.org/">Children's Home + Aid Society</a>, <a href="http://www.abelink.org/">the Abraham Lincoln Center</a>, Jeanette's Joy Community Services, the <a href="http://www.blackangelnetwork.org/">Black Angel Network</a>, and others that are recent additions to the conference network as well as the <a href="http://www.tutormentorconference.org">Tutor/Mentor Program Locator</a>.<br /><br />While we're so thrilled and excited about the conference, I must close on a more serious note. <a href="http://www.cabriniconnections.net">Cabrini Connections</a>, <a href="http://www.tutormentorconnection.org">Tutor/Mentor Connection</a> is currently in another funding crisis right now. We don't have enough money to cover rent and payroll this week. Meanwhile, we have a conference this week as you all know, as well as our <a href="http://www.cabriniconnections.net/dinner/113-dinner">Year-End dinner</a> next month, and our annual <a href="http://www.cabrinitmcgolf.org/">Jimmy Biggs Memorial Golf Tournament</a> next month. If you would like to help out, you could <a href="http://www.tutormentorconference.org/sponsor.asp">sponsor</a> a scholarship for someone to attend the conference, donate to the <a href="http://www.cabriniconnections.net/dinner/113-dinner">Year-End Dinner fund,</a> or be <a href="http://www.cabrinitmcgolf.org/sponsors.php">golf tournament sponsor</a>. Or, you could just mail a check payable to "Cabrini Connections" to Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection, 800 W. Huron, First Floor, Chicago, IL 60642 or just pay using <a href="http://www.cabriniconnections.net/donate-online1">PayPal.</a> It's been too wonderful and successful of a year for us to be short of funds now. Help us stay afloat and donate today.nicolewhite.cabrinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16973653535276010960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494898312951341791.post-31148885905813530812010-05-20T13:55:00.001-07:002010-05-20T13:59:39.017-07:00Year-End Dinner LinkHi Everybody! If you have noticed, in the upper-right hand corner of this blog is a new logo. That's the logo for the Cabrini Connections, Year-End Dinner, which will be Thursday June 10th from 6-8 at Cornerstone, just south of Wells and Division. If you click on the logo, you will be directed to a sponsorship page for the Year-End Dinner. If you believe that tutoring and mentoring as a way of helping at-risk youth succeed, the Year-End Dinner is a great celebration of the culmination of a successful year here at Cabrini Connections, and your sponsorship would be greatly appreciated.nicolewhite.cabrinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16973653535276010960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494898312951341791.post-37670469767045909992010-05-17T11:32:00.000-07:002010-05-17T11:34:31.316-07:00Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference is Next Week!Hello Everyone,<br />Just a friendly reminder that next week is our May Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference. It will be Thursday and Friday May 27th and 28th at Loyola University Chicago. The keynotes and meals will be held in Simpson Hall Multi-Purpose room and the work shops will be held in various classrooms in Mundelein Hall, across the street.<br /><br />What you can do in the time before the conference is help us find sponsors for scholarships for those who couldn't afford to attend the conference, otherwise. If you would like to help someone attend the conference, you can become a sponsor by going to this link:<br /><a href="http://www.tutormentorconference.org/sponsor.asp" target="_blank">http://www.<wbr>tutormentorconference.org/<wbr>sponsor.asp</a><br /><br />Thanks so much everybody! We can't wait to see you at the conference!nicolewhite.cabrinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16973653535276010960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494898312951341791.post-88966466358551040352010-04-27T11:46:00.000-07:002010-04-27T14:59:37.153-07:00Good News and Bad News<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1tEfIzdWHYAb07_8awhdb0Juvms3lOjfvbmaXWHjapXmOfzw31LUk0fxG094fQghEhU207xaC9C1vpV_UR3IXD3FWWvSZk7qxxyy4m0JWF2EnJmVTR1yTKpTJ5hyphenhyphenjYn5HPj93vTHHA5Xq/s1600/Tonya+and+Cierria.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 246px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1tEfIzdWHYAb07_8awhdb0Juvms3lOjfvbmaXWHjapXmOfzw31LUk0fxG094fQghEhU207xaC9C1vpV_UR3IXD3FWWvSZk7qxxyy4m0JWF2EnJmVTR1yTKpTJ5hyphenhyphenjYn5HPj93vTHHA5Xq/s320/Tonya+and+Cierria.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464940292109220274" border="0" /></a><br />While many wonderful things are happening with the conference, I also have very sad news to report on the Cabrini Connections front. Cierria Thomas, who was just 16 and a fourth year student in the Cabrini Connections program, passed away this weekend in a house fire. While most of my work has been with the Tutor/Mentor Connection these past two years, I did have the pleasure of knowing Cierria. The world has truly lost an incredible young woman and I hope that everyone keeps the Thomas family in their thoughts and prayers.<br /><br />The loss of a wonderful student like Cierria only makes us more determined to help kids in need. Students like Cierria are the reason why we do the <a href="http://www.tutormentorconference.org/">Tutor/Mentor Conference</a> - so that we can all better help these wonderful students.<br /><br />We have a two more workshops lined up for the conference - One on capacity-building with Tasha Robinson, Coordinator, Capacity Enhancement Program, Youth Network Council. The other is on tutoring tips and training skills with Jennifer Bricker and Devon Lovell of Family Matters.<br /><br />Another bit of good news is that Baxter Laboratories has become a $500 sponsor for the Conference. We really appreciate their support. If anyone knows of any other companies that would be willing to sponsor, please leave a comment below.<br /><br />Finally, the Tutor/Mentor Conference now has a <a href="http://www.giveforward.org/TMCConference/">GiveForward</a> page. If you would like to help support the Tutor/Mentor Conference yourself, you can donate at the link above.nicolewhite.cabrinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16973653535276010960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494898312951341791.post-82607845665523470152010-04-20T10:33:00.000-07:002010-04-20T14:56:14.933-07:00More Great Workshops and Panels for the ConferenceHello Everyone! I'm very pleased to announce some more workshops and keynotes that are scheduled for the May <a href="http://www.tutormentorconference.org">Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference</a>:<br /><br />-"Non-profits: How to get Mobile" - How texting can help non-profits presented by Brian Banks of Advatext.com<br /><br />-"Race, Language, and the Achievement Gap in America" presented by Michael Levesque, Executive Director at LEAP Learning Systems<br /><br />- "How to Help your Student Finance College" - presented by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission<br /><br />- "How to Effectively Train Tutors by Partnering with other Organizations who serve the same Population" presented by Alex Cornwell of Chicago Lights Tutoring and Day at Fourth Presbyterian Church and Erin McPartlin of Cabrini-Green Tutoring<br /><br />- "The Edgewood College/Cabrini Connections Partnership" presented by Thomas Holub, Professor of Education at Edgewood College, Madison, WI<br /><br />- A workshop presented by Darrell Finch of the Milwaukee Housing Authority, Milwaukee, WI<br /><br />- A keynote about the "Breakthrough Model - No Superstars Needed" by Bill Curry, Chief Operating Officer at Breakthrough Urban Ministries<br /><br />- "Engaging Athletes as Advocates for Tutoring and Mentoring Programs," with Kurt Kittner, former University of Illinois and NFL quarterback and current Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection Board Member, and El Da'Sheon Nix, former Northwestern University wide receiver, and current administrative coordinator at Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection.<br /><br />- "The Way to a Successful Tutoring and Mentoring Project" presented by Amos Carmeli, Perach - the national Tutoring and Mentoring Project of Israel.<br /><br />- "Creating your own Neighborhood Maps" presented by Mike Trakan, GIS and Mapping Coordinator of Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection.<br /><br />- "It takes a Village - Partnering with Others" presented by Sue Sowle, Social Worker at Project SOAR Mentoring at McGaw YMCA in Evanston, IL<br /><br />- "Mentoring Program Strategies" with Joel Newman of Big Brothers, Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley in Davenport, IA, Christy Beighe-Byrne of Chicago Youth Centers, and Rose Mabwa of Mercy Housing.<br /><br />- A keynote by Deanna Wilkinson, Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Science at Ohio State University<br /><br />- Trends in Tutoring and Mentoring by Rose Mabwa, Mercy Housing<br /><br />Hopefully these workshops, panels, and keynotes pique your interest. If you would like to present a workshop or register for the May Tutor/Mentor Conference, please visit the Tutor/Mentor Conference <a href="http://www.tutormentorconference.org">website.</a> And, just as a reminder, the conference will be held Thursday and Friday May 27th and 28th at Loyola University Chicago's Lakeshore Campus. I hope to see all of you there!nicolewhite.cabrinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16973653535276010960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494898312951341791.post-26870272399622105232010-04-01T12:27:00.000-07:002010-04-01T13:30:01.927-07:00Career Week Day 3<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU6OdxtJK7_Y2caRNvagXI1vq83erDN7lM3evVZngWqUp-9AY-IKKn2F7Qqw-vJh3Kq4VrL3zBDZ0s67LcJ-8yMLvc2eCcnwS31B5C6a2b9XlIQSco8M2uFZhbjT2hVRBv6wNArGE6KZHL/s1600/Career+Week+037.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU6OdxtJK7_Y2caRNvagXI1vq83erDN7lM3evVZngWqUp-9AY-IKKn2F7Qqw-vJh3Kq4VrL3zBDZ0s67LcJ-8yMLvc2eCcnwS31B5C6a2b9XlIQSco8M2uFZhbjT2hVRBv6wNArGE6KZHL/s320/Career+Week+037.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455268850676792002" border="0" /></a><br />This past week, since it's Spring Break for Chicago Public Schools, Cabrini Connections has hosted Career Week for our students. On Monday, Bradley took our students to Water Tower Place and De Paul University (<a href="http://cabrinipip.blogspot.com/2010/03/career-week-day-1.html">Day 1 Here</a>). On Tuesday, El Da'Sheon took our students to the home office of one of our volunteers, AJ Tyson (<a href="http://cabriniblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/career-week-day-2.html">Day 2 Here</a>). Yesterday, I had the great honor and privilege of taking one of our students, Christian Palacios, to see an accounting agency and to visit the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.<br /><br />Our first stop was to Grant Thornton, an international accounting firm, where one of our volutneer tutor/mentors, Torquil Carlisle, works. Torquil is originally from England and worked at their London office for two years, before being transferred to the United States. While both Christian and I discussed coming in with preconceived notions of how boring accounting is, Torquil and the wonderful staff at Grant Thornton made it quite exciting! Torquil helps international companies make sure that they're paying their taxes and all of their accounts are okay, even when say, a product is manufactured in one country, bought in another, and the company is headquartered in a third. Pretty cool! I think Christian was especially interested in forensic accounting where accountants try and figure out why money is being lost and where it went. We learned that if we were to give just a couple of facts about ourselves, a lot of accountants would have the tools to find out everything about you. Scary but interesting at the same time.<br /><br />Christian and were both really excited about going to the US Court of Appeals, where Lu Han, another volunteer tutor/mentor, works as a clerk. Christian wants to be a criminal defense attorney and I'm starting law school this fall at the University of Oregon law school. So it was career day for both of us! Lu explained to us the process of how people end up at the Court of Appeals and how it's different from regular trials you would see on tv. Did you know in a court of appeals there is no jury and there are thre<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8NEvF00kFj5bA-4IQOSUeXa8GCiT_1_vh45kMqUNuqDOKyUC5z6_uGRdLLuJyWn4_S2QogxygK8K9LuNZ-oPDfiPA3vWHYv2zclb_WodxzNFBzE6ZSatufKwPECATSZAVtf2pnFyP-kRr/s1600/Career+Week+042.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8NEvF00kFj5bA-4IQOSUeXa8GCiT_1_vh45kMqUNuqDOKyUC5z6_uGRdLLuJyWn4_S2QogxygK8K9LuNZ-oPDfiPA3vWHYv2zclb_WodxzNFBzE6ZSatufKwPECATSZAVtf2pnFyP-kRr/s320/Career+Week+042.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455268958612596530" border="0" /></a>e judges that sit on the trial? I didn't. Christian was really excited to find out that anyone can come and watch a trial at the court of appeals and Lu promised him that she would let him know when there was a really exciting case as well. I think I even might attend a trial and see how our law works in real life! Lu also was really kind in telling Christian about law school and answering my more specific questions about law school.<br /><br />In any case, I know I had a great time yesterday, and I'm pretty sure Christian did too. My overarching impression was how wonderful it was to talk to two people who really love and enjoy their jobs. Torquil and Lu were so wonderful in sharing with us what they do and their enthusiasm for their careers is infectious. Thanks so much Torquil and Lu and thanks to Christian for coming yesterday. I think we both learned a lot!nicolewhite.cabrinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16973653535276010960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494898312951341791.post-23157392386168974512010-03-30T10:57:00.001-07:002010-03-30T10:57:28.534-07:00The May 2010 Tutor/Mentor Conference is Shaping up Nicely!Hello Everyone!<br />The May 2010 Tutor/Mentor Conference is shaping up nicely. We already have a number of workshops and keynotes booked:<br />- James Garborino, a professor of psychology at Loyola-University Chicago will be giving the morning keynote on Thursday morning, May 27th. He wrote the book, "Lost Boys," and will talk about young men and violence.<br />- Tracy Swartz of the Chicago Tribune RedEye and Phillip Thompson of the Mash, will be talking on how the media treats violence and how it relates to tutoring and mentoring.<br />- Scott McFarland of the Serve Illinois Commission will be giving a workshop about partnerships between tutoring and mentoring program and Serve Illinois, the state of Illinois's Commission on Volunteerism.<br />- Katie Cusack and Sandy Reyes of Gads Hill Center will be doing a workshop about "Thinking outside the Box: Creative Ways to Foster Youth Development.<br />- Jordan Hestermann of Becoming "We the People," will be giving two workshops: One on leadership in tutoring and mentoring organizations, and the other on how tutoring and mentoring organizations are fighting poverty.<br />- Cynthia Townsend of Temple to the Classroom, will be giving a workshop on "Achieving more Effective Tutoring and Mentoring."<br />- A panel discussion on how tutoring and mentoring organizations can better get media attention is in the works.<br />- Leap Learning Systems is also putting together a workshop or two on brain development and learning disabilities<br />- As always, there will be a volunteer recruitment and retention strategies and a student recruitment and retention strategies panel.<br />If you would like to do a workshop or be a panelist, you can leave a reply to this post, and/or fill out a workshop proposal online at: <a href="http://www.tutormentorconference.org/forms/presenter_form.asp" target="_blank">http://www.tutormentorconference.org/forms/presenter_form.asp</a><br />Thanks so much everybody!nicolewhite.cabrinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16973653535276010960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494898312951341791.post-86411563447470396732010-03-26T11:34:00.001-07:002010-03-26T11:50:51.739-07:00Women of Color and FinancesWhile perusing the news this week, I came across a story that made me go "Huh?" Apparently, the <a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10068/1041225-28.stm#ixzz0ht4SAqpr">average single African-American woman in the United States is worth $5</a>. The findings were from a study by the <a href="http://www.insightcced.org/">Insight Center for Community and Economic Development</a>, titled “Lifting as We Climb: Women of Color, Wealth, and America’s Future.” When I started thinking about it and between credit card debt, student loan payments, mortgage payments, car payments, etc., plus having the lowest average income of any other ethnic/gender group other than Native American/Hawaiian women, it starts making more sense.<br /><br />However, this should not be a given. Those of us who work in tutoring and mentoring organizations work tirelessly to help empower low-income minority youth so that they have the tools to break out of poverty and find a career that they enjoy and that pays well. If many of the young women who we work with end up being worth $5, that's a problem for all of us and needs to be remedied.<br /><br />I encourage you to read this 5-part series on <a href="http://www.racialicious.com/2010/03/11/women-of-color-and-wealth-the-scope-of-the-problem-part-1/">Women of Color and Finances</a> by Latoya Peterson on the blog <a href="http://www.racialicious.com">Racialicious.</a> Please read the comments as well, because many of the comments, not just from women and not just from people of color, talk very frankly and intelligently about why they find themselves with financial problems.<br /><br />Many of the reasons that the study gives, and that Ms. Peterson and the commentors also talk about are the same problems that we are trying to combat working in tutoring and mentoring programs. Some talk about growing up in poverty, where their family lives from paycheck-to-paycheck. The idea of saving money is foreign and when money does come in, it is spent. Some individuals, if they do find themselves to be successful and making money, find themselves burdened with taking care of their parents, other family members, and friends who are less fortunate financially. There is also less of an emphasis on financial education (although I think so many of us need better financial education) and so oftentimes these individuals find themselves in credit card and/or student loan debt. Finally, when it comes to finding a job, these individuals oftentimes find themselves without a network and networking skills that can help them get a high-paying job after college.<br /><br />I believe that tutoring and mentoring programs have a duty to help all young people set themselves up well financially. I know many programs emphasize job-shadowing and network building, but I also believe we have a duty in helping educate our students financially as well. It's one thing to help our students go to college and find great jobs. It's another to help them actually spend money wisely so that they will be able to save it and invest it in their future.nicolewhite.cabrinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16973653535276010960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494898312951341791.post-87621714719366662772010-03-12T10:20:00.000-08:002010-03-12T14:13:46.958-08:00Exciting happenings at Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6SaedxbUnwNIy0cTf0fBbuOgOjJGhJ78W4zmK1oKVc550gnxxz4SB9iwnH1f0nuF0dZxMrVDbNWH3Fk3-3uZuExUcEwwtXTNiG9RK6co37JKFGuvGWBW5GL8Rm2vju5pDSZN4aOvkR8l/s1600-h/Cabrini+Madness+Logo.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 317px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6SaedxbUnwNIy0cTf0fBbuOgOjJGhJ78W4zmK1oKVc550gnxxz4SB9iwnH1f0nuF0dZxMrVDbNWH3Fk3-3uZuExUcEwwtXTNiG9RK6co37JKFGuvGWBW5GL8Rm2vju5pDSZN4aOvkR8l/s320/Cabrini+Madness+Logo.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447874013915187954" border="0" /></a><br />Cabrini Madness is truly in full-swing now! If you haven't been watching the videos that our PIP fellow, Bradley Troast has been making, please check them out <a href="http://vimeo.com/10107223">here!</a> Yesterday we had Tim Doyle, former Northwestern University basketball star and current Big 10 Network analyst be our bracketologist for Cabrini Madness.<br /><br />Also, Cabrini Madness is featured in this week's<a href="http://skylinenewspaper.com/"> Skyline newspaper</a> in a wonderful article by Felicia Dechter. <a href="http://skylinenewspaper.com/News/03-10-2010/Pitching_in_for_Cabrini_Connections">Check it out!</a><br /><br />Finally, my team, Passion's Team, is hosting a bar night tonight, Friday March 12th, from 7-10pm at the Galway Arms, 2442 N. Clark St., just north of Clark and Fullerton. $40 for all you can drink beer, wine, and call drinks (and appetizers). If you can't come, but still want to contribute, you can always donate at our <a href="http://www.giveforward.org/passionsteam/">GiveForward Page.</a> Or you can write a check payable "Cabrini Connections" and note that you want it to go to Passion's Team and send it 800 W. Huron, First Floor, Chicago, IL 60642.nicolewhite.cabrinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16973653535276010960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494898312951341791.post-41710699872880035372010-03-02T12:01:00.000-08:002010-03-02T12:32:09.016-08:00Vote for the Tutor/Mentor Connection to receive a Pepsi Refresh Grant!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZ-b-gUH_cxpHtwbfMRwkWw0YlPo6Z1gzJBxRwaIGg6u90Njc887ejoEYdHDroVwKo9fm93XvhHEzPYsK7OmZnclLSTY95IZlKppHupPQbd79r3uhfrDa0RJbbCZc1C3cRvpi4ijMRjDs/s1600-h/241209122031pepsi_refresh_project.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 263px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZ-b-gUH_cxpHtwbfMRwkWw0YlPo6Z1gzJBxRwaIGg6u90Njc887ejoEYdHDroVwKo9fm93XvhHEzPYsK7OmZnclLSTY95IZlKppHupPQbd79r3uhfrDa0RJbbCZc1C3cRvpi4ijMRjDs/s320/241209122031pepsi_refresh_project.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444136951192783522" border="0" /></a><br />Exciting news! <a href="http://www.tutormentorconnection.org/">The Tutor/Mentor Connection</a> has been chosen to compete for a $250,000 grant from the <a href="http://www.refresheverything.com/">Pepsi Refresh Project</a>. This grant will support the 12-month cycle of the Tutor/Mentor Connection. We are currently in 228th place for votes and need to be in the top-2 by the end of March. Please tell everyone you know to vote for the Tutor/Mentor Connection by March 31st.<br /><br />Please support the Tutor/Mentor Connection and all it does to support tutoring and mentoring programs throughout Chicago and vote <a href="http://www.refresheverything.com/tutormentorconnection?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=good_luck">here.</a>nicolewhite.cabrinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16973653535276010960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494898312951341791.post-44940550367298276272010-02-22T13:10:00.000-08:002010-02-22T13:18:55.931-08:00What Makes a Tutoring and Mentoring Program - This Video Answers that<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2YO0du2ZWFUILmqzqVqVog7i-9fvH4XP_8dRRUHHQ-N5kGZXVx_LAqXMrLvz4IGRctXP-YRlnVO-VQ4laHQx8D9z2bAip1TwFe1tJ5NhyphenhyphenIeNBqv4KVOMujYEJse5-XTRfclSbmgv6Ho4/s1600-h/breakthrough.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2YO0du2ZWFUILmqzqVqVog7i-9fvH4XP_8dRRUHHQ-N5kGZXVx_LAqXMrLvz4IGRctXP-YRlnVO-VQ4laHQx8D9z2bAip1TwFe1tJ5NhyphenhyphenIeNBqv4KVOMujYEJse5-XTRfclSbmgv6Ho4/s320/breakthrough.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441180378514214946" border="0" /></a><br />If you read the other blogs of my colleagues at <a href="http://www.cabriniconnections.net/">Cabrini Connections</a>, <a href="http://www.tutormentorconnection.org/">Tutor/Mentor Connection</a>, you may have seen the blog post by our president and CEO,<a href="http://tutormentor.blogspot.com/2010/02/tutormentor-through-eyes-of.html"> Dan Bassil</a>l on this <a href="http://breakthrough.org/video/55/network-model-video">video</a> by <a href="http://breakthrough.org/">Breakthrough Urban Ministries.</a> I had the great fortune of visiting Breakthrough Urban Ministries last summer. You can read about my visit <a href="http://nicolecabrini.blogspot.com/2009/07/breakthrough-urban-ministries.html">here. </a><br /><br />When people ask me what makes a tutoring and mentoring program, I could go on forever about how they're important and what they do. However, this video succinctly describes the importance of tutoring and mentoring programs in just seven and a half minutes. It's well worth the watch.nicolewhite.cabrinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16973653535276010960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494898312951341791.post-50090426605531268382010-02-17T10:31:00.000-08:002010-02-17T12:03:24.093-08:00The Tutor/Mentor Conference Needs Your Help!The May 2010 <a href="http://www.tutormentorconference.org">Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference</a> is well under way. The conference planning committee already has had one meeting and lots of great ideas were shared.<br /><br />However, in order for the conference to be a success, we need help from sponsors who will support us giving people scholarships, and providing food, beverages and materials for the conference. Our Tutor/Mentor Conference is not a unique one. Mentoring partnerships throughout the country have mentoring conferences every year. These conferences are well-funded by sponsors who believe in the possibilities and solutions that mentoring creates.<br /><br />For example, <a href="http://www.mpmn.org/">Mentoring Partnerships of Minnesota</a> has a mentoring conference every year. They also have a<a href="http://www.mpmn.org/Training.aspx"> training institute</a> that offers workshops to help mentoring programs become the best they possibly can be. Mentoring Partnerships of Minnesota is<a href="http://www.mpmn.org/AboutUs/Investors/CurrentInvestors.aspx"> generously sponsored</a> by several well-known national companies that are based out of Minnesota, such as <a href="http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/CommunityAffairs/CommunityGiving/">3M</a> and <a href="http://sites.target.com/site/en/company/page.jsp?contentId=WCMP04-031084">Target.</a><br /><br />Another example is <a href="http://www.wamentors.org/">Washington State Mentors</a> who also put on<a href="http://www.wamentors.org/resources/events"> trainings and events</a> similar to the Tutor/Mentor Conference. Washington State Mentors benefits from hometown supporters, <a href="http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Pages/home.aspx">The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation</a>, as well as <a href="http://www.bankofamerica.com/foundation/index.cfm?template=overview">Bank of America</a> and <a href="http://www.costco.com/">Costco.</a><br /><br />Why can't something like this happen in Illinois. First of all there is no Illinois Mentoring Partnership. The <a href="http://www.tutormentorconnection.org">Tutor/Mentor Connection</a> is actually the closest that we have in Illinois (that we know of at least) to a mentoring partnership. So why don't local or national corporations that are based in Chicago do the same thing to sponsor the Tutor/Mentor Conference? Hopefully, we'll be able to show what other states have done to foster partnerships and help mentoring (and tutoring in our case) programs become better and convince these corporations to sponsor the Tutor/Mentor Conference.nicolewhite.cabrinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16973653535276010960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494898312951341791.post-50435099768368656792010-02-12T07:05:00.000-08:002010-02-12T08:10:17.414-08:00The May 2010 Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference is Under Way<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVQkJJiYE2YqNiPExUoPC1DqnXYT_IwuojPlvUV8k08tcqyypfLiHJzH-xfMkbaSv0VMLK1BhtZoIrD0xju_W_d85SiYx5YzR7u7PT1voKUjVX6gu9LM1LE3udlke0LWKM3AorWQx7ryBY/s1600-h/Conference+Nov+2009+017.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVQkJJiYE2YqNiPExUoPC1DqnXYT_IwuojPlvUV8k08tcqyypfLiHJzH-xfMkbaSv0VMLK1BhtZoIrD0xju_W_d85SiYx5YzR7u7PT1voKUjVX6gu9LM1LE3udlke0LWKM3AorWQx7ryBY/s320/Conference+Nov+2009+017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437389960534190066" border="0" /></a><br />Does it seem like the November 2009 Tutor/Mentor Conference just happened? I know, me too. But, the May 2010 Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference is under way. This year it will be held at Loyola University Chicago's Lakeshore Campus in Rogers Park. The keynotes will be held in the Simpson Hall Multi-Purpose Room just off the corner of Sheridan Rd. and Sheridan Rd. (I know). Workshops will be held in classrooms nearby in a location to be announced.<br /><br />Right now, we want YOU to be involved in the planning of the conference. If you would like to be a part of the conference planning committee, leave a comment in the comments section below. You can also join the discussion about the conference on our <a href="http://tutormentorconnection.ning.com/group/tutormentorconferenceplanningcommittee/forum/topics/may-2010-conference-discussion">Tutor/Mentor Connection Ning Site.</a><br /><br />If you would like to submit a proposal for a workshop or a panel, you can submit a proposal<a href="http://www.tutormentorconference.org/forms/presenter_form.asp"> here. </a>You can also register online <a href="http://tutormentorconference.org/RegistrationStep1/index.php">here.</a><br /><br />I have a great feeling about this conference being the best one yet. But, we need your help and input. Get involved and make the Tutor/Mentor Conference the best one for you as well.nicolewhite.cabrinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16973653535276010960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494898312951341791.post-88450810165930641622010-02-04T11:46:00.000-08:002010-02-04T12:04:04.189-08:00Cabrini Madness - Support Passion's Team<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMY9oAbm12PSuGTZvX6bxXCvVN4ksFJHLVxx6g_Y_eZ305KoXeHaZJs8KpM8GYNatpNefB4i4GzWqkgYtTj2hhMsFQEjKNjXCpV4M1jCA6OVIAYCsHz6Qf-X6MQp_xIraJoSC71qTaTNF/s1600-h/Cabrini+Madness+Logo.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 317px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMY9oAbm12PSuGTZvX6bxXCvVN4ksFJHLVxx6g_Y_eZ305KoXeHaZJs8KpM8GYNatpNefB4i4GzWqkgYtTj2hhMsFQEjKNjXCpV4M1jCA6OVIAYCsHz6Qf-X6MQp_xIraJoSC71qTaTNF/s320/Cabrini+Madness+Logo.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434481555668318098" border="0" /></a><br />If you're a regular visitor to this blog, you might have noticed the little basketball cartoon in the upper right hand corner (it was a graphic designed by our tech club!). If you were extra curious and clicked on it, you would have been redirected to our <a href="http://www.cabriniconnections.net/cabrini-madness/">Cabrini Madness information page</a>.<br /><br />So what is Cabrini Madness? Well, in an effort to get everyone (students, volunteers, staff, board members, volunteer coordinators, club leaders, and outside friends and family) involved in raising money for Cabrini Connections Tutor/Mentor Connection, and to take advantage of the excitement of March Madness, we have created Cabrini Madness. Cabrini Madness is a bracket tournament-style fundraiser where teams are formed (there needs to be at least one student, one volunteer, one staff member/board member/volunteer coordinator or club leader, and one outside person. Teams can be up to 10 people), and compete against each other to see who can raise the most money.<br /><br />You can see which teams are raising the most money on our Cabrini Madness <a href="http://www.giveforward.org/CabriniTMC/">Give Forward Page. </a>You'll also see that my team, <a href="http://www.giveforward.org/passionsteam/">Passion's team</a> (why Passion's team do you ask? Well, our team leader is student, Passion Tucker, and we all thought her name was too beautiful and awesome for it not to be our team name) hasn't raised any money yet. You can help us out by donating to our give forward site at the link above or by writing a check payable to "Cabrini Connections" and noting that it's going to Passion's team and mailing it to:<br />Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection<br />800 W. Huron, First Floor<br />Chicago, IL 60642<br /><br />If you would like to help Passion's team fundraise in any way, please leave a comment in the comments section.nicolewhite.cabrinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16973653535276010960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494898312951341791.post-16889243476812245062010-01-29T14:21:00.001-08:002010-01-29T14:48:03.242-08:00National Mentoring Month Ends - Questions RemainIt's almost the month of January, which means the end of <a href="http://www.mentoring.org">National Mentoring Month</a>. If you haven't checked out our<a href="http://www.cabriniconnections.net"> Cabrini Connections</a> kids thanking their tutor/mentors as part of National Mentoring month, please do:<br /><br /><object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Bk2LDXEKccE&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Bk2LDXEKccE&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object><br /><br />Anyway, as part of National Mentoring Month, I have been researching mentoring partnerships in other states. Many states have coalitions similar to the <a href="http://www.tutormentorconnection.org">Tutor/Mentor Connection</a> that are recognized by <a href="http://www.mentoring.org">Mentoring.org</a>. What would it take to create a similar partnership in Illinois? How could we turn the Tutor/Mentor Connection into a recognized mentoring partnership? I encourage you to take a look at other <a href="http://www.mentoring.org/find_resources/state_partnerships/">states' mentoring partnerships </a>and see how they have done it. (I have to give a shout-out to my home state of <a href="http://oregonmentors.org/">Oregon</a> who has an especially informative and comprehensive website!)nicolewhite.cabrinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16973653535276010960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494898312951341791.post-31025176179460193962010-01-22T11:16:00.000-08:002010-01-22T14:04:43.008-08:00Greater Chicago Food Depository - A Great Ally<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaF0UhDHnh0iztiUJXxmE9FRab4WRI1pSJxEnditfrTvqZUKB3i515vOESLCkbiY4ZPpQmpSwL-4tkvn7gC6j_tNXXWvXEQ1vXCZGb446w8ojy57rd8BzR8zrOVCgeyvK60CElkNbvdSGm/s1600-h/meaning_greater_chicago_foo.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaF0UhDHnh0iztiUJXxmE9FRab4WRI1pSJxEnditfrTvqZUKB3i515vOESLCkbiY4ZPpQmpSwL-4tkvn7gC6j_tNXXWvXEQ1vXCZGb446w8ojy57rd8BzR8zrOVCgeyvK60CElkNbvdSGm/s320/meaning_greater_chicago_foo.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429688535985765458" border="0" /></a><br />The past week I've been researching new tutoring and mentoring programs that were not listed on the <a href="http://www.tutormentorprogramlocator.net/">Tutor/Mentor Program Locator</a> and deleting old ones that have closed. Along the way, I came across the <a href="http://www.chicagosfoodbank.org/">Greater Chicago Food Depository</a>, which is a fantastic organization that feed's Chicago's hungry at a variety of sites.<br /><br />Obviously the issue of feeding children is especially important in these tough economic times. Here at Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection we always try and have a snack ready when our kids come in after school because sometimes, that will be the first time the eat during the day. Kids can't learn when they're hungry and the Greater Chicago Food Depository is doing its best to make sure that there are numerous sites throughout the city where children can have access to a warm meal.<br /><br />That's why I was so happy to come across this <a href="http://www.chicagosfoodbank.org/site/PageServer?pagename=prog_children">list of programs</a> that Greater Chicago Food Depository has put up of programs that they have teamed up with in order to make sure as many children as possible have access to a warm meal. This is especially important during the summer months when kids don't have the benefit of a free school breakfast and lunch.<br /><br />Anyway, many of these programs that help make sure that the children of Chicago are fed year-round also happen to be tutoring and mentoring programs that are listed in our program locator. On behalf of the Tutor/Mentor Connection, I want to salute the Greater Chicago Food Depository for realizing the assets that these programs are in their communities and taking advantage of their sites in order to make sure kids are fed. I also want to commend the Greater Chicago Food Depository for making sure these programs are known and listed. I hope that other programs like the Greater Chicago Food Depository will take their example and team up with programs in order to better to serve their communities and give recognition to these programs, just like the Greater Chicago Food Depository has done.nicolewhite.cabrinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16973653535276010960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494898312951341791.post-15043365500237354962010-01-21T11:36:00.000-08:002010-01-21T11:49:50.837-08:00Students thank their Mentors at Cabrini ConnectionsAlso, here's a video of our kids here at <a href="http://www.cabriniconnections.net">Cabrini Connections</a>, thanking their mentors:<br /><object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Bk2LDXEKccE&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Bk2LDXEKccE&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object>nicolewhite.cabrinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16973653535276010960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494898312951341791.post-6361539389026523362010-01-21T11:28:00.000-08:002010-01-21T11:30:30.989-08:00Thanks to my Mentor.To continue with the theme of <a href="http://www.nationalmentoringmonth.org/">National Mentoring Month</a>, I thought I should take the time to write about the mentor who inspired me the most in my life. Today is National Thank Your Mentor Day. This is a repeat of last year, but I thought you can never thank someone too much.<br /><br />I have had many wonderful mentors who have guided me, but there is one that I think truly made me the person I am today. Her name was Merrill Watrous and she was my 5th Grade Teacher. Mrs. Watrous was one of those teachers that found a gift in every child and tried to bring out that gift. For the students that struggled in school, she did what ever was possible to bring them up to speed, whether it was staying with them after school to work with them on an essay or gave them extra materials to study for history exams. For the students who excelled, she gave them reading recommendations, news article recommendations, and extra credit assignments to push their ability.<br /><br />Mrs. Watrous was the one who encouraged my interest in history - she gave my assignments to write about great American women such as Abigail Adams and Sojourner Truth. She had me read the poetry of Maya Angelou and encouraged me to try and read the New York Times. For all of her students, Mrs. Watrous emphasized the importance of history, especially the history of minorities and the poor. She taught us spirituals and learned about the slave trade. She assigned us to read <span style="font-style: italic;">The Slave Dancer</span> by Paula Fox, about a slave ship, <span style="font-style: italic;">Lyddie</span> by Katherine Paterson about a young girl working in a factory during the 19th century to teach us about child labor, and <span style="font-style: italic;">Dragon's Gate</span> by Lawrence Yep to learn about Chinese-American history. The fact that I can remember these books 13-14 years later is a testament to what an impact they had on me.<br /><br />Ultimately, Mrs. Watrous wanted us to be informed, passionate citizens of the world. She encouraged us to know about those who were in need, but also to learn about great figures to become our personal heroes. To this day, I still say Abigail Adams, Sojourner Truth, and Eleanore Roosevelt are personal heroes to me - all figures that I studied in 5th grade. She also had us keep journals, telling us to write not about what we learning in class, but about what we were interested, and what we were feeling that day. She encouraged us to be editors to one another and always had us "Say one nice thing to someone everyday."<br /><br />Finally, as the tallest girl in the class (I know at 5'4'' this seems amazing now, but I was in the 5th grade), Mrs. Watrous encouraged me to stand tall and take pride in who I was. It helped that she was tall herself and carried herself with confidence but also with warmth. She also gave the best hugs, and I'm sure many of my classmates could attest that a hug from Mrs. Watrous could make any bad day better.<br /><br />Mrs. Watrous was most definitely the catalyst that led me to want to work in the public interest sector and led me to want to work at Cabrini Connections. I also think her emphasized on journaling has continued in my blogging - first when I was studying abroad in Paris, and now working at Cabrini Connections.<br /><br />If someone has been a great mentor to you, please let me know and I would love to publish your story. We all have mentors, and many of us have several of them. National Mentoring Month is a wonderful time to thank these mentors for making the world a better placenicolewhite.cabrinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16973653535276010960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494898312951341791.post-61275597125501578062010-01-15T09:15:00.000-08:002010-01-15T09:19:15.692-08:00Step 6 in Raising Money by Running a Race - Complete your Race!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHURdIh2i7AdWmLl94wVwaKdz1oeUj6UKa9E7pz_VPEvc6T-4NAOr71vd6-InB3DNopLIUSvOeYZaxycEu7MHZ141J-zX5bu6E7bpIFAbVQlE4cREBuvuZi4h5mrJ5enOb1LLxXGgdvaqq/s1600-h/Nick+and+me+after+the+marathon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHURdIh2i7AdWmLl94wVwaKdz1oeUj6UKa9E7pz_VPEvc6T-4NAOr71vd6-InB3DNopLIUSvOeYZaxycEu7MHZ141J-zX5bu6E7bpIFAbVQlE4cREBuvuZi4h5mrJ5enOb1LLxXGgdvaqq/s320/Nick+and+me+after+the+marathon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427017256247870018" border="0" /></a>
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CWHITE%7E1.NIC%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >You've raised your money . You've put in your training. This is the moment you've been waiting for:
<br />6. Run/walk/bike/swim your race! This is the fun part! Once you've raised all that money, you're going to be so pumped to actually complete your race. I ran almost all of the Chicago marathon with a huge grin on my face because I knew how many kids I helped support (I'll admit I didn't exactly have a grin on my face miles 22-26.2, more like a look of determination, but still) Also, tell people to come out and cheer you on. I saw several people who supported me throughout the training - both emotionally and financially - who came out and cheered me on. Make sure you have someone in the last couple of miles like my dear friends Nate and Bethany Sutton who were at the painful mile 23 with cheers and hugs.</span>nicolewhite.cabrinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16973653535276010960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494898312951341791.post-86134151700278523482010-01-14T06:59:00.000-08:002010-01-14T07:12:29.315-08:00Step 5 in Raising Money by Running a Race - Tell Everyone How You're Doing!<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CWHITE%7E1.NIC%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">When I was in the midst of my training, everybody was asking how I was doing. Some people would see me hobbling around after my 16 or 18 mile runs, but a lot of friends and family far away were very interested in keeping up-to-date with my progress. I noticed people were also interested in how our progress was in fundraising. So, in order to keep everybody up-to-date with your training and fundraising progress, here's what you do:
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<br />5. Blog about your progress! Fortunately I already had this blog to talk about how my training and fundraising progressed. If you don't have one, I encourage you to set one up because not only are you able to tell the world about how you're doing, but also are able to tell the world how much you appreciate everybody's donations. Include pictures and stories. People were also curious about what I was listening to as I trained (I'm sorry, but I just can't run 20 miles without some good music. The marathon itself was another matter because of the cheering crowds.) I was shocked about how curious and intrigued people were and how much they enjoyed reading my stories on my blog.
<br /></span>nicolewhite.cabrinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16973653535276010960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494898312951341791.post-15517974883719662592010-01-12T06:59:00.001-08:002010-01-12T07:07:24.821-08:00Step 4 in Raising Money by Running a Race - How to actually raise that money<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDMdmPTvHmNNQ-WyaApsfdy3ltn5gqSYpTffBJ3LJDsT05QwHgPnqAY7Kk-KW5p7y6j6wDjhIhTUWDhHRT2FIksWSVYvCQ-RmfagOrPQMbBZGYNMQx0crGoXQurDn5-QXV4XZTo_7uU8qN/s1600-h/ChicagoMarathon2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDMdmPTvHmNNQ-WyaApsfdy3ltn5gqSYpTffBJ3LJDsT05QwHgPnqAY7Kk-KW5p7y6j6wDjhIhTUWDhHRT2FIksWSVYvCQ-RmfagOrPQMbBZGYNMQx0crGoXQurDn5-QXV4XZTo_7uU8qN/s320/ChicagoMarathon2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425870034723069378" border="0" /></a>
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CWHITE%7E1.NIC%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">So you've dropped little hints that you're training for a race and doing it for charity. Now, it's time to actually ask. Here's how:
<br />4. Ask in a variety of ways. We noticed a two-pronged strategy worked best. A lot of our young friends donated online. We used <a href="http://www.firstgiving.com/">FirstGiving</a> as our portal for donations but there are a variety of great online fundraising portals that are safe and legitimate. I'd like to give a special shout out to <a href="http://www.giveforward.org/">GiveForward</a>, which has been a huge supporter of Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection in the past year. All of them will have a variation of a web page explaining what race you're training for and what the organization your fundraising for is. There also is a secure payment link where people can use their credit card to give a donation.
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<br />However, we noticed a lot of our older friends and family were a little leery of donating online. That's why we also sent out letters with all of the pertinent information in them as well. I'd say the number of mail donations vs. online donations was about 60/40 for mail to online. A lot of charities also have a paypal site which you can include in e-mails and other communication. Make sure to keep track of every donation you receive - I just printed out all of the donations and put them in a binder. This will make the charity's life easier when they get audited and the donor's life easier when they do their taxes.</span>
<br /></span>nicolewhite.cabrinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16973653535276010960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494898312951341791.post-13378242288710692152010-01-08T06:58:00.000-08:002010-01-08T07:03:12.065-08:00Step 3 in raising money by running a race- This might surprise you<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtwPDrKfELAkM73UlUd4TqrUfSRlG80wepL3YorQDFx__HdD6W11Vy0mj7zhNq7ubY0Dhr_rDKyQUeVpAt4qftoVsiNoB71fZjxIXpzaC_-XtpzeJjTsqhUJ9Ds0iMsLd6i_TO4IYpto7b/s1600-h/CanYouHelp+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 246px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtwPDrKfELAkM73UlUd4TqrUfSRlG80wepL3YorQDFx__HdD6W11Vy0mj7zhNq7ubY0Dhr_rDKyQUeVpAt4qftoVsiNoB71fZjxIXpzaC_-XtpzeJjTsqhUJ9Ds0iMsLd6i_TO4IYpto7b/s320/CanYouHelp+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424384683636515394" border="0" /></a><br />You've signed up for your race and found your training partner. Maybe you've started training a bit (quick bit of advice - do follow the training plan that the race gives out. Most races do. I really think that I didn't get injured/burnt out because I followed the Chicago Marathon's Training Beginner training guide to a T. Also, they usually do a nice job with making it doable while still having a life.)<br /><br />Anyway, you're ready to start fundraising. But before you begin asking, follow our Step 3 and people will be MUCH more receptive to your asking:<br /><br />3. Don't startle people with asking for money. Nick and I sent out letters to friends and family explaining what Cabrini Connections is and why they should donate in late-August/early-September, just a little over a month before the race. However, we had been telling people for at least six months that we were running the marathon and why we were running for Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection. Just drop it into casual conversation. Trust me, it's not awkward, if you don't ask right then and there. But if you talk about it initially as an abstract idea, potential donors will begin the thought process of "Oh hey, Joe's running the marathon for charity. He looks like he's training pretty seriously. I should donate to his efforts." When you do ask, they'll be more likely to give.nicolewhite.cabrinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16973653535276010960noreply@blogger.com0