Know your network. Use your Network.

This graphic is part of an essay that you can read at this link.  It describes a need to share ideas from the Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC with a growing number of people in Chicago and around the country if we are to achieve long-term success in connecting larger numbers of inner city K-12 youth with adult tutors/mentors through well-organized non-school and school-based tutor/mentor programs.

What is Network Analysis?
If you have not thought much about network analysis, or how networks of people need to work together to solve complex problems, the links below provide a path for your learning.

How does this impact youth?
If you would like to follow our progress in mapping and understanding the Tutor/Mentor Connection network which has grown since 1975 when founder Dan Bassill began his leadership of a volunteer-based tutor/mentor program in Chicago, follow the links below.

Understand Geographic Mapping, Too.
Tutor/Mentor Connection has piloted uses of GIS maps since 1994. See ideas here, here, and here.

Links to follow:
*  Social Network Analysis Workspace for Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC and Tutor/Mentor Connection - here

* Collaboration and Community building articles - library

* Social Capital articles and research articles - Library

* Articles on Tutor/Mentor Blog. a) Network Building,b) Network Analysis c) Networking

Work Done to Map Tutor/Mentor Connection Network Growth

* Tutor/Mentor Conference analysis - 2008-2009
* Maps showing Tutor/Mentor Conference participation
* Growth of Ning network from 2007-2012 - Intern project
* Building Networks of Purpose - Building Support
* Example of Network Analysis using Facebook Group . This also is an example of how SNA could demonstrate value of long-term tutor/mentor programs.
* Example2 of SNA of Facebook Group - looking at Social Entrepreneurs

New advances in network mapping - since 10/5/12
This is an interactive map showing participants of several Facebook groups that I'm part of. If you enter "Dan Bassill"  in the search box you can see where Dan is on the map and who he is connected with. http://www.q1000.ro/livingbridges/ Since Dan is founder and president of Tutor/Mentor Connection and Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC this map shows people he is connecting with to share ideas and build support for volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs in Chicago and around the world.

 See this and other OHATS introduction videos on the T/MC Ning forum

This graphic illustrates the purpose of Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection ( T/MC). We want to support the actions of people throughout the Chicago region who help inner city youth connect with adult volunteers who help them from birth to work. We started in 1993 with no money and seven volunteers. This report shows the growth of the Tutor/Mentor Connection since then.  Visit the Cabrini Connections web site to see what this program is now, having been started from such a small base in 1993.

Decade of Challenges: 2000-2010. Read blog articles showing what T/MC  has achieved and challenges we've faced. View PDF report of 2000-2010

Since September 2000, the T/MC has been using OHATS (Organizational History and Accomplishments Tracking System) to document actions that lead to success in the organization's mission.  Visit this link to view a video showing how to use OHATS.

OHATS is an Internet-based system for organizations to easily record and report important events, actions and lessons that take place during the day-to-day work to improve the conditions necessary for all youth to succeed. The T/MC uses the information from OHATS to quantify and summarize key accomplishments and lessons. More than fourteen-hundred accomplishments, lessons, and activities were reported by T/MC staff between September 2000 and August 2010.

OHATS (Organizational History and Tracking System) is an organized and systematic way for a group, program or network of community organizations to record, observe, analyze and report contributions and key events that influence progress toward its mission and goals. For example, one can use OHATS to track accomplishments and results, organizational procedures, lessons and best practices, critical external events that influence the work, and service delivery details and statistics.

The idea behind OHATS is simple and proven throughout history: if a community group tracks actions, events, lessons and results important to their success then they can learn from them and be more successful.