Leadership, Connecting networks

This is a visual that you can find in the Tutor/Mentor Institute section of http://www.tutormentorconnection.org.

It illustrates how individuals can take actions that connect their network with information which is uses throughout an entire city to solve a problem, change behaviors, elect a favored candidate, etc.

We use it to try to draw volunteers and donors to non-school tutor/mentor programs, so that existing programs have the resources needed to maintain long-term mentoring and learning connections with kids and so that groups in neighborhoods without such programs can find the resources they need to start new programs.

Every August school starts in Chicago and other cities and every tutor/mentor program is looking for volunteers. We have hosted a campaign intended to build public visibility and draw volunteers to programs since 1995.

I invite you to take on this role as network weaver, and to teach your students and your alumni to also take this role. If you create maps or databases of youth serving organizations around your own school, or in poverty neighborhoods of your city, you can point to these organizations at strategic times each year, and help them all get the resources they need to connect with kids. Such connections can build motivations, aspirations, skills and even send kids back to school more prepared to learn every day. That would be a great help to teachers.

If you're already doing this, just provide a web site that points to your strategy so we can learn from you and connect to you.