Effective Volunteer Recruitment for Mentoring Programs

On Monday, January 7, 2008, the Center for Schools and Communities, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Education, offered a one-hour live online session entitled, "Effective Volunteer Recruitment for Mentoring Programs." The session was presented by Craig A. Bowman, Common Ground Consulting LLC™. Mr. Bowman provided information about volunteer recruitment strategies which can be used by mentoring programs to secure a greater number and diversity of volunteers to serve children and youth at risk.

Marketing for the Recruitment of Mentors: A Workbook for Finding and Attracting Volunteers (PDF format)

Common Ground Consulting LLC™ Website

Download the session slides (PDF format)

View the recorded online presentation

NOTE: In order to view this recorded presentation, you must have the Elluminate Live! Java application downloaded to your personal computer. There is no cost to download the software. To configure your computer, visit the Elluminate support page at: http://www.elluminate.com/support/

Webinar To Discuss Youth Employment and Education Links

On January 15, 2008, at 1:00 p.m. E.T., the Division of Youth Services of the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Workforce Investment will host the Webinar "Linking Youth to Employment and Education through Community Service." This 90-minute session, which will feature John Foster-Bey, Corporation for National and Community Service and Sally Prouty, The Corps Network, will examine how community service programs can link disconnected youth to education and the workforce through community service. To obtain further information about the Webinar and register online, visit: http://www.workforce3one.org/public/webinars/details.cfm?id=257.

Education Mentoring Grantee, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lancaster County, PA, Inc. Receives Federal School-Based Mentoring Grant

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools recently announced its FY 2007 Mentoring Program Grant Awards. Four grants were awarded in Pennsylvania, including $122,000 awarded to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lancaster County each year for three years to expand the school-based mentoring program partnering Franklin and Marshall College and Reynolds Middle School made possible initially by an Education Mentoring grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The agency plans to expand this school-based model to Carter and MacRae and James Buchanan Elementary Schools, as well as Phoenix Academy Alternative School. These grants are awarded to local educational agencies, nonprofit community-based organizations, and partnerships between the two, to promote school-based mentoring programs. The goal of this grant award program is to serve children with the greatest need in grades 4 through 8 that reside in rural or high crime areas or troubled environments, or who attend schools with violence problems; goals also include a reduction in juvenile delinquency and involvement in gangs. For further information about the awards and a list of the FY 2007 grantees, visit http://www.ed.gov/programs/dvpm entoring/184b07awards.pdf.

National Dropout Prevention Center/Network National Conference: Guiding All Students to the Winner's Circle: Rigor, Relevance, Relationships: October 27-31, 2007

Pennsylvania will again present at the annual National Dropout Prevention Network - on October 30, 2007, in Louisville Kentucky, representatives of the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Center for Schools and Communities, and Successful Students' Partnership grantees from Shenandoah Valley and William Penn School Districts will share information about effective dropout prevention strategies currently being implemented. The school districts' presentations will focus on academic enrichment strategies, including tutoring, credit retrieval, summer enrichment, service learning, and a comprehensive district-wide reform approach. For more information about the conference, go to www.dropoutprevention.org

New Resources

"Diplomas Count: Ready for What? Preparing Students for College, Careers, and Life After High School," released June 12, 2007, states that "today's high school graduates are entering a world in which they'll need at least some college to gain access to decent-paying careers." The report draws on two national databases to examine the distribution of jobs nationally and within each state, as well as the related education and pay levels. For more information, go to: www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2007/06/12/40exec.h26.html?print=1

In conjunction with Communities in Schools, Inc., the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network published "Dropout Risk Factors and Exemplary Programs: A Technical Report" in May 2007. This extensive report, which included a literature review of 44 different studies related to school dropout, examines the key risk factors for school dropout and also provides information from exemplary programs and best practices. The report can be found at: http://www.dropoutprevention.org/resource/major_reports/communities_in_schools.htm

Education Mentoring Live, Online Session
Building the Capacity of Communities to Provide Mentoring Services

The Center for Schools and Communities, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Statewide Afterschool/Youth Development Network and the Pennsylvania Department of Education, offered a live, online session entitled Building the Capacity of Communities to Provide Mentoring Services. The session provided information about the value of mentoring, specifically for after-school and other school-related programs, as well as what individual and organizations can do to promote the development of mentoring programs within their community. The presenters were Lynda Terrell, Managing Director, Campaign for Mentors - United Way of Southeastern PA and Colleen Fedor, Executive Director, The Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern PA.

View the recorded online presentation

(Note: In order to view the recorded presentation, you must have the Elluminate Live! Java application downloaded to your personal computer. There is no cost to download the software. To configure your computer, visit the Elluminate support page at: http://www.elluminate.com/support/)

Presentation

View the PowerPoint presentation (PDF format)

Presentation Handouts (PDF Format)

Elements of Effective Practice - Newly revised and updated to reflect the latest in quality mentoring research, policies and practices

Center for Schools and Communities presents at 2006 National Dropout Prevention Network Conference

Center for Schools and Communities Education Mentoring/Dropout Prevention Coordinator Lynda Long along with Pennsylvania Department of Education Student Services Advisor Drew Schuckman presented a workshop at the 18th Annual National Dropout Prevention Network Conference. The workshop session highlighted effective dropout prevention strategies being implemented in Pennsylvania with particular focus on high school reform, truancy reduction and facilitating youth-school-parent-community connections. The conference was held in San Antonio, Texas October 21-25, 2006.

The following resources were referenced or used during the workshop:

Toolkit on Student Attendance and Truancy Reduction

The Pennsylvania Department of Education will be releasing a new resource – the Toolkit on Student Attendance and Truancy Reduction. The toolkit contains: a new Basic Education Circular (BEC) on the subject of truancy, best practices in truancy reduction, sample letters and brochures, job descriptions for truancy officers in school systems, examples of truancy reduction technology and student attendance systems, and quick reference materials that can be used by anyone interested in addressing truancy, including magisterial district judges, schools, community-based organizations, and parents. Specific guidelines are provided that focus attention on truancy reduction at the earliest level in an attempt to curb absenteeism from the start of every child’s education. This resource will be available as a CD-ROM and also through the Internet. Watch for further details on accessing this document.