Chase Community Giving is leveraging the power of social media to donate $5MM to various charities this winter. Facebook users worldwide are voting for nonprofits that they believe in, and charities with the most votes will win between $25K and $1MM!
It is incredibly easy to vote and will definitely make an impact.
Click below to vote for iMentor and your favorite organizations!
Chase Community Giving Contest on Facebook
Categories: iMi
iMentor and many other mentoring programs match pairs based on their compatibility (interests, personality, etc.). And iMentor Interactive allows mentees to include their preferences for certain compatibilities (career, academic, or personal) in its matching algorithm.
But what do you think about mentees getting to meet all potential mentors before choosing a match? Obviously, this presents a number of logistical challenges, especially for large programs. However, if you put those concerns aside for a moment, how would you feel about giving your mentees a choice?
For one program’s perspective, check out this short paper from the University of Texas San Antonio. As usual, thanks to the awesome YOUTHMENTORING listserv for bringing this to my attention!
GEAR UP Wyandanch
iMentor Interactive is excited to announce that GEAR UP Wyandanch is our inaugural Member of the Month. This accolade is designed to recognize organizations and program administrators that are leading the mentoring movement in this country by making mentoring relationships available to greater numbers of young people.
And thus, Frank Pomata and GEAR UP are a perfect first selection, given their hard work to bring mentoring to Wyandanch, a
working class community on Long Island. Despite limited resources and a tough economy, Frank, GEAR UP’s Assistant Director, has persevered in his recruitment efforts and has brought local students and community members together for the first time. And he’s got big plans to continue building the mentoring movement in the community.
Congrats Frank and GEAR UP!
Categories: Member of the Month · Members · iMiJeremy
Free Range Studios is offering $15,000 in pro bono design/strategic communications services, which iMentor would use to help recruit more male mentors. Over 400 organizations have applied. For the first round of the competition, users vote for grant applicants online. Free Range will give the grant to one of the organizations with the most votes.
If you have a moment, please click on this link to vote for iMentor:
Categories: iMi
Thanks to the excellent Youth Mentoring listserv, I just came across a feisty article from the UK that critiques the rapid expansion of mentoring programs there. Although the publisher has a definite ideological bent (it’s a Conservative think tank), I found myself agreeing with the larger argument: Mentoring is not a panacea that can be spread indiscriminately. Instead, it has to be done properly, with a focus on best practices (consistent communication, long matches, and family involvement).
From the back cover of the report:
Government support for youth mentoring has contributed greatly to its expansion as a way of helping vulnerable children and young adults.
Mentoring is an approach which can work for some people, particularly the closer it comes to replicating the role of a good parent. In too many cases, however, mentoring relationships fall below this standard. Inexperienced, lightly trained and supervised mentors are all too often expected to turn round the lives of troubled youths.
Check it out for yourself and let us know what you think!
iMentor Interactive (iMi) provides organizations with the unique opportunity to maintain and track relationships within peer-to-peer and alumni networks. Having launched in the fall of 2007, we are now providing our member organizations with this innovative and cost-effective technology, which instantly is providing participants and staff with all the tools and expertise necessary to run quality programs. The programs can be run locally, nationally, and even internationally.
iMentor Interactive’s current success is largely due by using technology to overcome the following challenges:
1) Difficulty In Recruiting Mentors
2) Laborious Matching Process
3) Keeping pairs engaged
4) Measuring impact
If you are an organization/company currently thinking about adding/enhancing a current mentoring program, then we invite you for a public, online demo:
1) Wednesday, November 18th at 3pm: https://cc.readytalk.com/r/aevob1zqi44b
2) Wednesday, December 2nd at 3pm: https://cc.readytalk.com/r/42pbdnx4crgl
3) Wednesday, December 16th at 3pm: Please email Maggie@imentor.org for more details
First Step: On the day of the Demo, please dial in at 866.740.1260 and please include access code: 4614330
Second Step: After dialing in, please click on the link of the appropriate date of demo. The link will take you directly to readytalk.com for online demo.
We are very excited to hear from you at one of our demo! Please let me know should you have any questions or concerns.
Best,
Jonathan
iMentor Interactive Partnership Manager
(Jonathan@imentor.org; 212-461-4330 ext.39)
Categories: iMi
Our members are producing some great results with their mentoring programs around the county. In the Best of the Best Practices column we will highlight one of our members that have solved some of the most difficult challenges associated with running a mentoring program.
SHIELD Mentor Program in Greensboro, North Carolina has a great practice for recruiting their mentors. Precious McKoy, the Executive Director of SHIELD Mentor Program, and her team have created a relationship with the University of North Carolina Greensboro’s Office of Leadership and Service Learning. Since posting their call for mentors on the University’s website, they have received numerous mentor applications! Congratulations to Precious and her team at SHIELD for kicking off their program and finding a great way to recruit mentors.
By Oscar the Grouch
Forty years ago yesterday was the debut of a little educational program, Sesame Street. After watching numerous episodes with my friends and family it has occurred to me that, at times, I was off-putting to so many people that came and visited me in my trashcan. With the help of a mentor, I believe I could have acquired the following skills:
Anger Management: Many times throughout the show I have lost my temper and raised my voice to my dear friends. Big Bird and Smiley did not deserve my rants and raves. If I had someone to help me break down my problems and issues then I think I could have appropriately responded to situations I found difficult.
Healthy Choices/Good Hygiene: No surprise here! If I had a mentor to help me better understand how trash and filth could affect the body then I wouldn’t have spent all those years in my can eating rotten and unhealthy foods.
Positive Outlook: In almost every episode my first reaction to a situation was negative and pessimistic. With the support of adult advisers, perhaps I could have seen how supportive, kind and understanding all my friends were of my moods and negative attitude.
Appreciation: With the support of a mentor, I could have understood the irony of Billy Joel and Marlee Matlin singing “Just the Way You Are” in this clip:
Some may say that I would not be Oscar the Grouch if I had attained all these skills but I think that, with the help of a mentor, I could have still found the balance between being appreciative, positive and healthy – and being Oscar.
Categories: iMi
Read the whole story here.
Categories: In the News · Members · iMi · iMiJeremy
Congratulations to Excel Academy in East Boston for ranking first in the state in English and fourth in the state in math for improving student performance over time. This is an amazing accomplishment! Read below to hear more about Excel and the new process in Massachusetts for determining student improvement.
