Theory of Change - Success Steps
Connecting a volunteer with a youth is just the beginning of the tutor/mentor process. A program like Cabrini Connections needs to keep volunteers and youth connected from week-to-week throughout the school year, and from year-to-year as youth go from 7th grade, then 8th grade and then high school graduation, and then through continued education to the point where they are looking for jobs and starting careers. Each week we need to provide coaching to youth and volunteers and provide many learning activities that they can build their relationships around. This web site is used to support this type of long-term volunteer involvement.
At every stage of the way the role of volunteers is to coach this process, serve as mentors and tutors, or be friends and advocates. We outline this Theory of Change in the Success Steps that are shown on this page. However, we also outline this thinking in a series of illstrated essays that can be found in the Tutor/Mentor Institute , which is a service of Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection.
As youth move through Cabrini Connections, and other tutor/mentor programs, we want to build habits that make them successful in work and in life. We also want to motivate students to become future leaders in community service and philanthropy. We hope to reinforce these habits in our volunteers as well.
Furthermore, we hope that our student and volunteer alumni will stay connected to our program throughout their lives and that many will support us as volunteers, leaders and donors in future years.
We encourage other volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs in Chicago and other cities use these seven steps to success to improve their existing programs. In addition, we encourage leaders of other programs to share their own success steps on their own Web sites. Furthermore, we encourage programs, donors and youth development advocates to connect with each other and share their own tips for success via the Tutor/Mentor Connection portal.
Our first priority is to encourage students to commit to regular, long-term tutor/mentoring. Students participate in the program voluntarily. They are not selected by teachers or mandated to participate. They come because they and their parents value what Cabrini Connections has to offer.
Our goal is to expose students to the many careers and life choices that are available to them. These types of models may not otherwise be available in the high poverty neighborhood where the students live.
Our students come from a low-income neighborhood where there are few people to provide leads to jobs or model a wide range of career choices. By the time they are in 10th grade, many students are looking for jobs to help support their families. Cabrini Connections seeks to be the channel through which students find their first job and develop their long-term career goals.
The connections between students and volunteers are very valuable. These connections provide a support system for our youths even after they have graduated from high school and the Cabrini Connections program. Students can use the network of volunteers to ask for advice and support, find jobs and open the door to other opportunities.
Cabrini Connections knows that youths need certain skills to succeed in today’s world. Activities in this stage focus on the communications, critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork and interpersonal skills required in most of today’s workplaces. These skills are not consistently taught in inner city schools.
By high school graduation students should be motivated and prepared to pursue further education or vocational development. We provide opportunities that challenge students to take responsibility for their futures and inspire them to think big, including:
