MMP E-Bulletin 

May 2011

Trainings & Technical Assistance

Quality-Based Membership
 
Congratulations to the following programs that joined Membership or upgraded their status this past month:

 

New Affiliate Members

Not yet a member? Join today!  


Program highlights 
 
Statewide
Congratulations to the following programs that are among the finalists for the 2011 Massachusetts Nonprofit Network Excellence Awards. Winners will be announced on June 13. Registration is still open, but seating is limited:











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Bill Russell, mentees steal the show at 7th Annual Champions of Mentoring

 


MMP's Champions of Mentoring Breakfast, held last week in the State Street Pavilion at Fenway, brought together more than 400 people who helped us honor leading champions of mentoring: Bill Russell, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award; the Boston Celtics and The Republican. 

Bill Russell Champions 2011

Bill Russell accepting his award. Photo courtesy of Scott Lacey

 

We were proud to grant KELLY educational awards to Shyanna, a mentee from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Mass/Metrowest, and Alpha, a mentee from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay. Emotions ran high when it was announced that the awards, initially valued at $5,000, had been increased to $20,000 each!

 

"I promise I'm going to make you proud of me," Shyanna told the crowd.

Through the James G. Connolly Tribute Award, dedicated to MMP's late Board Chair Jim Connolly, grants to support expanded mentoring in schools were awarded to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampden County and Family Service Inc. of Lawrence. Recipients of the KELLY and Connolly awards were selected through a competitive process.

Rounding out the event was emcee Tom Caron from NESN, guest auctioneers Ron Shapiro, negotiations expert, and Red Sox Manager Terry Francona, a featured guest at all of MMP's past Champions of Mentoring breakfasts. Francona is the spokesman for the Red Sox Mentoring Challenge, and the newest TV ad debuted at Champions.
 
Before the Champions breakfast, a press conference was held to discuss the Bill Russell Legacy Project, which will include a statue of Russell in Boston and a mentoring grant program in his name to celebrate his achievements as the greatest champion in the history of professional sports, as a national leader in human rights and as a dedicated advocate for youth mentoring. Mass Mentoring is partnering with the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation and the City of Boston on the project to administer the annual grants program for youth mentoring organizations in Boston so that more local children have access to quality, structured mentoring.  

 

Attendees helped raise more than $250,000 in support of MMP's goal to double the number of youth in mentoring relationships - to 40,000 - by 2013. Check out our event photos! 

Match activity and mentee opportunities 

 

There's still time to register for two amazing summer activities hosted by MMP's Highland Street Corps Ambassadors of Mentoring!

Please also visit our match activity page for information on new events and activities:

  • scavenger hunts and tours of TD Garden through its "Score With Character" program
  • an inspiring, motivating leadership program for teens to be held July 15-17 at Endicott College in Beverly 
Welcome MMP's newest staff members 

  

Director of Development Amy Howard
Amy joins us after three years as the director of development for the Elizabeth Stone House, where she oversaw all aspects of their individual giving program and provided strategic oversight to development initiatives. Her previous experience has been with organizations directly connected to women's and children's issues. Amy can be reached at ahoward@massmentors.org or 617.695.2438.

 

Manager of Training & Technical Assistance Nicole Cleckley 

Nicole comes to us from Families First in Cambridge where she was the curriculum coordinator for the last four years working with the program content, creating curriculum and working with trainers and consultants on parent and family education and engagement. Nicole can be reached at ncleckley@massmentors.org or 617.695.2432. 

Goal management skills for youth 

  

Would you like free, research-based tools that will help the youth in your program learn the skills necessary to achieve their goals?

In her review of evaluations of quality mentoring programs, Dr. Jean Rhodes emphasizes the importance of mentor training and of the use of evidence-based tools in enhancing quality mentoring of youth.  

 

Building on this work, Richard Lerner and his team of researchers at Tufts University have created a set of tools to help programs foster goal-management skills in young people. Included in this set of tools is a series of quick surveys that will help you guide youth in focusing in on their goals and gather valuable data about your program at the same time.  

 

Youth and mentors will receive incentives for participating in this research project and completing these surveys at three time points over the course of the summer, and some program sites may be eligible for additional compensation. Furthermore, all participants will get complete access to this suite of educational tools. Use of these additional tools is completely optional.

For more information, contact Mimi Arbeit at (617) 627-6084 or tuftsgps@gmail.com. 

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