Midlands Mentoring Partnership Annual Summit January 2014

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youth development

one life at a time

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mentoring AWARENESS

midlands mentoring partnership

center stage THE MERITS OF mentoring

through the vision and collaboration of its founders to the dedication of its members, advocates, and supportive businesses, midlands mentoring partnership is helping pave the way for individuals and organizations who understand and embody the many merits of mentoring.

We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone. ~ RONALD REAGAN

three quotes

BY SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT WALKS OF LIFE, ALL EXPRESSING SOMETHING ABOUT THE MERITS OF GIVING TO ANOTHER. WHILE THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO AID OTHERS, MENTORING IS A TIMELESS ONE. Traditionally, mentoring involves guiding or encouraging someone less experienced than you to reach their potential. In the process, you grow as a person.

Midlands Mentoring Partnership (MMP) honors mentoring in the metro. Mentoring happens every day around the metro in formal and informal ways. Usually, it’s a caring adult nurturing a youth.

Midlands Mentoring Partnership is a local collective impact organization that provides area mentoring programs with strategies for achieving improved outcomes with at-risk youth and with approaches for reaching ever more young people in need.

Summit at the CenturyLink Center will honor the Mentor of the Year and Advocate of the Year and will present youth mentoring best practices.

joined at the hip Dakotah anD Peggy: Mentor anD Mentee First National Bank of Omaha employee Dakotah Taylor doesn’t mentor for any recognition it brings.

Nevertheless, her work with the young woman she’s matched through Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands has netted her MMP’s Mentor of the Year award. Her 16 year-old mentee, Peggy, nominated her in a heartfelt letter. The two have been matched for five-and-a-half years, a period that saw Peggy battle severe addiction and behavioral problems that tested everyone in her life, including Taylor.

Peggy’s letter describes why her “Big” is such an important figure in her life:

“She has showed me unconditional love and I couldn’t ask for anyone better. I’ve told her omaha’sEach 2013 of the year, things I would never tell anyone. The most year mentor MMP recognizes individuals andtess larson with mentees: gabrielle and hawa important thing toibrahim me though is she has never organizations whose jones, mentoringdanaya is making johnson, a difference in the community. The March 19 MMP given up on me. She helped me get off the

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ground and onto my feet again when I couldn’t do it myself. Not only am I blessed with another friend but she’s a friend I can call my sister and I love her with my complete heart.”

Taylor tears up when the letter is read back to her, saying, “It’s incredible.” About the award, she adds, “I never in my wildest dreams thought I would get something like this. It’s so humbling, it’s so great.”

Peggy says, “Dakotah is really a blessing because I’m a handful. She deserves this.”

Taylor’s gone the distance with Peggy, a junior at alternative Millard Horizon High School, through thick and thin. Peggy became a substance abuser before her teens and eventually dealt illegal drugs. She got caught up in things that put her in danger. She’s been in the juvenile justice court system for six years.

She spent time at the Douglas County Youth Center and at Boys Town.

Now the once troubled teen has found stability.

She’s sober, she’s back home, she’s expected to graduate early from high school and she’s

metroMAGAZINE • JAN 2014

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STORY BY LEO ADAM BIGA | PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MMP

metroMagazine • The Spirit of Omaha

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. ~ LEO BUSCAGLIA

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. ~ MAHATMA GANDHI

CHANGING ONE life AT A TIME planning to get an early start on her associate degree in nursing at Metropolitan Community College in preparation for studying to become a registered nurse and ultimately a physician. She knows without question she always has a friend to turn to in the 30-year-old Taylor, who’s married with a pre-school child.

All the way down the line

other. You’ve got to take the good with the bad and you’ve got to keep walking.”

MMP experts say Taylor embodies what it means for mentors to stay the course when matches prove difficult. Just to stay in contact took extra effort when Peggy was not living at home.

Taylor acknowledges she wasn’t always sure what to do when Peggy acted out or relapsed.

“Through everything, even when I was at my worst, Dakotah still was there, writing me, “It’s been hard for me to understand what Peggy giving me hugs, telling me she cared, and that’s has gone through because I didn’t have to face all anybody going through something like that those things. Any time we were together I wants,” says Peggy. “They want someone to just would ask her questions and drill her about, OK, reassure them that everything’s going to be OK. why did you do this? I think I needed to Whether you believe it or not it still gives you somehow put myself in her shoes and some hope and I didn’t have any hope. Dakotah’s understand her thought process. Unfortunately messages were so happy they brought my spirits she did make some bad decisions but she’s up that I can do this, I can get out of this.” rectified those and she’s a strong woman now.”

Everybody felt so hopeless. There were times I reached out to Big Brothers Big Sisters when I didn’t know what to do. But I knew this young woman needed guidance, she needed someone to stick by her side no matter what, even if we didn’t get to see each other. She always knew I was only a phone call away.”

sisters For Taylor, there’s nothing better than seeing how far Peggy’s come.

“She’s in great place now. She looks so great and all grown up. Seeing her smile makes my heart smile.”

She expects great things ahead for her Little.

Taylor wasn’t about to go anywhere when the going got tough.

Taylor also knew she was not alone but part of a team helping Peggy.

“Everything—the moon, the stars, anything she wants. She’s so smart. Her true passion in life is to help other people. Once she puts her mind to something she’s going to do it and now I’ve seen that.”

“There’s those times when it’s somewhat challenging and it could be very easy to walk away, but sisters don’t walk away from each

“Her mom and dad and I had some very hard conversations. We cried on the phone together when they didn’t know how to handle her.

Peggy finally turned the corner when she stopped resisting getting help and surrendered to her Higher Power and to caring adults in her life.

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mentoring AWARENESS

midlands mentoring partnership

Peggy has shared her experience with peers, who often come to her for advice. “I love helping people,” Peggy says. “As long as I help one person it’s going to make a difference in the world.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters Ceo nichole turgeon says Dakotah and Peggy embody what mentoring’s all about.

“They have faced incredible challenges together and Dakotah gave Peggy hope for her future which has allowed her to persevere. I am confident Peggy is on the path to becoming a successful and happy adult and I know Dakotah will be with her every step of the way.”

More than sisters in name, Dakotah and Peggy believe they’ve developed an unbreakable lifelong bond.

“I have no doubt it’s going to be a sisterhood for the rest of our lives. We’re sisters not by blood but by choice,” says Taylor.

passing it on Taylor encourages anyone wanting to make a positive difference in a youth’s life to become a mentor. Just be prepared to make a deep commitment and enduring connection the way Dakotah did with Peggy.

Says Taylor, “Our paths would have never crossed if it wasn’t for Big Brothers Big Sisters. It has changed my life. It’s brought someone into my life I deeply care about. I would do anything for her and she would do anything for me.”

Peggy sees herself following Dakotah’s footsteps. “I probably will end up being a Big myself.” She advocates the benefits of mentoring, saying, “There is a match out there for someone, there is.”

mentor of the year dakotah with mentee peggy

Many employers encourage their employees to serve as mentors. Taylor says her employer, First National, supports her volunteering. Mentees like Peggy are the beneficiaries.

someone to turn to Mutual of oMaha anD Mutual of oMaha founDation: aDvoCate of the year Mutual of Omaha is another employer that supports mentoring in Omaha.

More than 50 Mutual staffers serve as mentors with seven MMP partner organizations. Among its mentors is Mutual of omaha foundation Program Coordinator kim armstrong. Armstrong mentors two young women, including one through Youth Emergency Services (YES), on whose board Armstrong once served. Much like Dakotah’s relationship with Peggy, Armstrong’s been transformed by the experience of working with her mentees.

“At the end of the day, just having someone to turn to is the greatest benefit for them—at least that’s how I see it—and I’m honored to play that role,” Armstrong says of her matches. “Most mentors will say that they benefit more from mentoring than their mentees and I am no different. I have realized unexpected benefits. I feel I have become a better mother, a better employee and a better person.”

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She says each of her mentees has “played a role in opening my eyes to so much, and for that I am eternally grateful.”

Mutual has been a champion of MMP’s efforts since the catalyst organization’s formation in 1999. The insurance giant’s ongoing work as a partner and advocate of Youth Emergency Services and other mentoring providers is being recognized this year at the summit.

going the extra mile MMP executive Director Deborah neary says, “the Advocate of the Year award honors a business or organization committed to helping young people achieve their potential through mentoring.”

Christine Johnson, president and Ceo of the Mutual of omaha foundation, says she encourages mentoring in part because “it helps to build a cohesive, motivated, engaged workforce, which we know is shown to increase employee performance and productivity.” metroMAGAZINE • JAN 2014

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THE MERITS OF mentoring

metroMagazine • The Spirit of Omaha

centerstage

In addition to their involvement with YES Mutual employees serve as board members for various mentoring organizations and encourage fellow employees to mentor. The Mutual of Omaha Foundation provides financial support for mentoring efforts. yeS executive Director Mary fraser Meints says anything that bolsters mentoring is a net gain for participants and for society.

Community outreach is an important part of the Mutual culture, says Dan Neary, Mutual of Omaha chairman of the board and CEO, “Our youth are the future. One day, the community and even our company will be in their hands. So, mentoring is truly an investment in the future and it will provide returns we can’t even imagine.”

“Youth who have a mentor have better attendance at school, a better chance of going on to higher education and better attitudes toward school,” she says–adding, “The leadership role Mutual of Omaha has taken with the mentoring program offered by YES has made a huge impact in helping our youth become more self-sufficient.”

Foundation President Christine Johnson says, “We understand the importance of the quality and length of a mentoring match. We think it’s important to educate our employee volunteers about mentoring and the importance of that commitment. By providing time during the work day to grow their mentoring relationship, we hope we can help them succeed by being a positive and long-standing force in the lives of the children they mentor.

Mutual sponsored a May party for eight college-bound YES youth.

Each graduate received luggage and a laptop.

“It is a great honor for us to receive this recognition from MMP. We value their commitment to our community and have great respect for their work.”

“Our youth were beyond thrilled to have their own laptop. That simple gesture alone will never be forgotten by our youth,” says Meints.

for MMP Summit details and tickets, call 402-715-4175 or visit www.mmpomaha.org.

supporting mentoring In 2013 Mutual employees volunteered beyond YES to support the Kent Bellows Mentoring Program, hosted engineering workshops for Girls Inc. of Omaha and participated in Kids Can Community Center’s Day of Caring.

to inquire about becoming a mentor, call or visit Midlands Mentoring Partnership: mmpomaha.org | 402-715-4175

advocate of the year mutual of omaha and mutual of omaha foundation

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mentoring AWARENESS

youth development summit

keynote

What implications does “How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character” have for parents or anyone spending a significant amount of time with youth? I hope the book will inspire parents, educators, and others who work with children to rethink what I call the cognitive hypothesis: the idea that the one factor that matters most in the success of a child is his or her IQ. The educators and scientists who I wrote about in “How Children Succeed” have identified a very different set of skills that they say are at least as important as IQ, and possibly much more so. The list includes qualities like grit, curiosity, conscientiousness, self-control, and optimism. As a category, these qualities are often referred to as non-cognitive skills or character strengths.This research has a clear message for parents and those working with children: We need to be much more conscious of whether and how the children in our care are developing these character strengths. These strengths are shaped in large part by the environment in which children grow up, which means that we need to work to improve the home and neighborhood environments that children experience every day.

And that need is most acute when it comes to children who are growing up in disadvantage.

What do economists say are the most important character skills that will be required for jobs in the 21st century? Economists have identified two sets of character strengths that are especially important in the 21st-century workplace. One set is interpersonal: being able to communicate effectively, work well in teams, and deal well with cultural differences. The second is more internal: being able to focus on long-term goals, handle setbacks, and persist at difficult tasks.

Why is mentoring an important support or component for the non-cognitive development of youth? We still have a lot to learn about precisely how non-cognitive skills are developed in youth. But one thing we do know is that when young people go through a positive character transformation, it is almost always due, at least in part, to the intervention of an adult – a family member, a teacher, or a mentor who is able to support and motivate and inspire young people to change their habits and patterns, which really means to change their character. Mentoring is an inexact science, and the chemistry between mentors and youth is often unpredictable. But when children are able to find the right mentor at the right time, especially in adolescence, it can give them the stability and connection they need to turn their lives around.

You refer to the “adversity gap” in your book.

How is it that youth living in poverty can have the same skill deficiencies as youth that have been born into privilege? When I talk about the adversity gap, what I mean is this: In the United States these days, there are some children, especially those growing up in poverty, who have way too much adversity in their lives. And then there are other children, often those growing up in affluence, who are so protected from adversity (by their families, their schools, and their culture) that they miss out on the character-building opportunities that experiencing failures and setbacks can provide. Children who grow up in poverty often have difficulty with character strengths like grit and perseverance because they’ve been so beaten down

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New York Times best-selling author, Paul Tough, will be the keynote speaker on March 19, 2014, at the CenturyLink, and will present his research on the factors necessary to make children successful in life.

His latest work, How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity & the Hidden Power of Character, spent 12 weeks on the New York Times Best-Sellers list.

Q&A

PAUL tough

summit keynote speaker paul tough

by adversity that they’ve given up hope. Children who grow up in affluence often struggle with grit and perseverance as well – but in their case, the problem is that they’ve never had to meet any real challenges, since their parents and others have shielded them from those challenges. So they’re scared to take on anything they can’t immediately master.

What are Mr. Tough's thoughts on the value of starting this type of character development early in the life course? What are the implications of his thinking for early childhood? The research shows that if we want to intervene in the lives of children in this non-cognitive or character dimension, one of the most fruitful times to do so is in early childhood, when the brain is especially malleable. Researchers have shown that the experiences we have in infancy – how much stress we endure; how close a bond we feel with our parents – have a direct effect on how we function as adults: on everything from our immune system to our short-term memory to our ability to control our impulses. Scientists and advocates have made a powerful case that this research should compel us to take early childhood much more seriously than we do today – not just as parents, but as engaged citizens. Children who grow up in fractured, chaotic, disadvantaged homes are profoundly shaped by the experiences of their earliest years. If we want to help them succeed, we can’t wait until kindergarten to deliver that help; we need to find more robust and comprehensive ways to improve their environments, beginning at birth.

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Share Life!

Release M I N I S T R I E S MENTORING

Touching lives‌ building relationships

Volunteer today!

(402) 455-0808 info@releaseministries.org

Sometimes you need someone who has been there.

402-505-3022 Mentor4GLBTQ@gmail.com Facebook.com/AllyMentoring special edition

MIDLANDS MENTORING PARTNERSHIP

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mentoring AWARENESS

youth development summit

focus:youth

A CONVERSATION WITH dr. sam meisels on june 1, 2013, dr. samuel j. meisels became the founding executive director of the buffett early childhood institute, bringing with him a national reputation for early childhood assessment and development. previously, dr. meisels served as a professor and research scientist at the university of michigan and president of erikson institute in chicago, the nation’s leading graduate school for early childhood development. he has long been involved in efforts to improve the learning and developmental outcomes of young children. in this interview with metroMAGAZINE, dr. meisels lays out his vision for the buffett institute and what’s at stake for nebraska’s children and its future.

What is the Buffett Early Childhood Institute and why was it created? The Buffett Early Childhood Institute is a four campus, university-wide, research, training, outreach, and policy institute of the University of Nebraska. Its purpose is to help transform early childhood development and education for at-risk and vulnerable children, birth to age 8, in Nebraska and across the nation. The Institute’s endowment was established by a generous gift from philanthropist Susie Buffett and by funds from the university and other sources.

Why is the Institute part of the University of Nebraska? The Buffett Institute is envisioned as a new model for how public higher education can be engaged in the first years of life. It combines interest in applied research with training, policy development, and outreach to all corners of the state—urban and rural—and all of this focused on birth to eight year old children at risk. In short, the Buffett Early Childhood Institute offers a rare opportunity to use the resources of the university to change the lives of children in need, both within the state of Nebraska and beyond.

Business leaders are increasingly What do you hope to accomplish through the Institute? My vision for the getting on the “early childhood bandwagon.” Why is that?

Buffett Early Childhood Institute is Evidence has been accumulating for decades straightforward and, I believe, easily understandable: Nebraska will become the best about the social capital benefits of early childhood intervention. This is the best time of life in which place in the nation to be a baby. to invest our efforts and resources. Estimates are To bring this vision to reality, we’re going to that every dollar invested in the first five years of focus the initial work of the Institute on two life for children living in poverty returns $7 over sets of activities that we’re calling “Signature time on reduction in special education, decrease in Programs.”The first is the Nebraska juvenile crime, increase in high school graduation, Achievement Gap Challenge and the second is and contributions to wages and taxable income.

Roughly 85% of a person’s neurons are formed in the Early Childhood Workforce Development the first five years of life. This is the time to try to Project. Our goals are to reduce the disparity in opportunity and achievement for children living get it right; efforts at remediation later are not nearly as successful or as efficient. in poverty compared to those coming from more advantaged backgrounds by beginning Why is Paul Tough's research on early and working consistently across the first non-cognitive skills important eight years of life. We also intend to increase the in your work? Paul Tough’s description of quality and quantity of highly qualified “grit” or character development overlaps with professionals who interact with young, at-risk what many of us in early childhood call selfomaha’schildren 2013and mentor of the year,colleges tess larson their families by engaging regulation and autonomy—elements that are with mentees: gabrielle jones, andto hawa ibrahim and university campuses acrossdanaya the state tojohnson, critical early learning and that are formed in strengthen, broaden, and coordinate their the first 8 years of life. Characteristics such as these enable children to respond to direction, programs of preparation.

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pay attention, communicate effectively with peers and adults, cope with stress, and feel motivated to learn.

Children who display these qualities typically have success in the classroom. They’re at lower risk of disrupting the school environment, becoming ostracized by their peers, falling behind in academic skills, or experiencing problems that can lead to academic failure and school drop-out. These qualities are critical building blocks of future life success and their foundation can be found in the early years.

Why is it so important for a university system and the larger Nebraska community to dedicate itself to the education and wellbeing of our youngest children?

It’s easy to say that young children are our nation's future. It’s much more difficult to act on that belief and do everything in our power to safeguard the lives of every child we encounter.

By creating the Buffett Early Childhood Institute, the University of Nebraska is engaged on a unique course. No other public university in the nation has committed itself to young children at risk and their families as has this one. It’s something for all of us to be proud of and to help bring to fulfillment. As these children grow into maturity they will become the students of the future at the University of Nebraska and elsewhere. It’s our job to prepare them to participate fully in the challenges awaiting us in the coming decades.

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metroMagazine • The Spirit of Omaha

AS AN educator

finding success for a beginning teacher, navigating the world of a new school environment can be difficult. the experience brings up a myriad of questions and concerns for new educators—from how to inspire students to adapting to unique student needs. how does a new educator address these issues, and how do they find success?

At the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), the College of Education’s partnership with the Metropolitan Omaha Educational Consortium (MOEC) is doing just that. MOEC brings together K-12 educators from school districts across the metropolitan Omaha/Council Bluffs area to share ideas and work together to improve educator quality. The resulting synergy makes MOEC a powerful tool for improving education.

One of MOEC’s signature programs is Career Advancement and Development for Recruits and Experienced Teachers (CADRE). The CADRE Project is a nationally recognized program tailored to provide newly certified elementary, secondary and special education teachers with multi-level support as they experience the diverse challenges of entry into the education profession.

Still serving as fully licensed teachers in classrooms throughout the MOEC districts, CADRE participants have the opportunity to earn a master’s degree through a purposeful sequence of course work that aligns with the stages of teacher development. This parallel learning and teaching experience immerses the CADRE teachers in instructional support, best practice research, and ongoing reflection.

Dr. richard Christie, executive Director of MoeC, elaborates on the collaboration, “Educator quality is a major priority for MOEC—the CADRE program significantly contributes to achieving that goal and directly improves metro schools through these participants.”

The success of the CADRE experience is visible through MOEC’s collaboration with UNO’s graduate studies, district-provided mentors, and a cohort of first-year teachers. While each of these components is important, the intense mentoring support provided is a key factor in achieving a positive impact. The districtprovided “master teacher mentors” work as CADRE associates and are involved in classroom support roles ranging from induction to instructional coaching. In addition, the CADRE associates serve in district-designated roles and

support university-related work.

How exactly can a child benefit from having an educator as a CADRE participant?

Char riewer, CADRE coordinator, expands on their development, “National research has indicated that teachers who are mentored receive higher ratings from their principal, develop better lesson planning skills, conduct more productive classroom discussion and remain in the classroom longer. These benefits are especially prevalent when compared to an educator who has not received similar training.”

Together they work to positively impact the CADRE teacher’s learning environment and instruction, further improving student achievement. The CADRE associate also models and facilitates reflective practice, responsible citizenship and a dedication to the practice of teaching, which in turn, helps the CADRE teacher embody the qualities of teachers who positively make a difference in the lives of students. The result of this project is a strong, focused community of educators that ensures professional excellence in the classrooms of today and in the future.

special edition

Metropolitan Omaha Educational Consortium (MOEC) Partners Current MOEC membership includes 12 school districts and two educational services units: Bellevue Public Schools, Bennington Public Schools, Council Bluffs Community School District, Douglas County West Community Schools, Educational Service Unit #3, Educational Service Unit #19, Elkhorn Public Schools, Gretna Public Schools, Millard Public Schools, Omaha Public Schools, Papillion-La Vista Public Schools, Ralston Public Schools, Springfield Platteview Community Schools, and Westside Community Schools.

About the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) UNO is Nebraska’s metropolitan university.

The core values of the institution place students at the center of all the university does; call for the campus to strive for academic excellence; and promote community engagement that transforms and improves urban, regional, national and global life.

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mentoring AWARENESS

mentoring directory

One-tO-One MentOring places one adult in a relationship with one youth 100 Black Men of omaha ally Mentoring Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands girls inc. of omaha hope Center for kids kids Can Community Center release Ministries teamMates Mentoring youth emergency Services

teaM MentOring involves several mentors working with small groups of mentees, with the mentor-to-mentee ratio of no more than 1:4. the same group of mentors must be matched with the same group of mentees 100 Black Men of omaha

MENTORING types

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grOup MentOring involves a mentor-to-mentee ratio of no higher than 1:4, with the same one mentor being matched with the same mentees

peer MentOring places one high school youth in a structured mentoring relationship with another high school youth ollie webb Just friends

kent Bellows’ Mentoring Program at Joslyn Partnership 4 kids

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metroMagazine • The Spirit of Omaha

midlands mentoring partnership

100 Black M

Faith based mentoring programs have a strong faith element that is incorporated into program activities hope Center for kids release Ministries

MENTORING focus

COMMunity-based mentors and mentees meet out in the community at a time of their own choosing 100 Black Men of omaha ally Mentoring Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands girls inc. of omaha ollie webb Just friends release Ministries youth emergency Services

speCial pOpulatiOns mentoring programs focus on serving youth with certain interests or characteristics 100 Black Men of omaha – african american, male youth ally Mentoring – glBtQ youth girls inc. of omaha – refugee youth, youth living in foster care kent Bellows’ Mentoring Program at Joslyn – art focused ollie webb Just friends – Disabled youth youth emergency Services – homeless youth and/or teen parents

site-based mentors and mentees meet at a specific site, usually at a set time each week hope Center for kids kent Bellows’ Mentoring Program at Joslyn kids Can Community Center Partnership 4 kids teamMates Mentoring

MENTORING locations

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midlands mentoring partnership

mentoring AWARENESS

why mentor?

Why Mentoring? Mentoring is a resultsoriented strategy that improves the lives of young people. Midlands Mentoring Partnership (MMP) is dedicated to increasing the number Mentoring is important because when a child andadult quality matchescares in the Omaha knows that an in mentoring their life really and wants the best for them, they on strive to be community with a focus the long-term the best theyprocess can be.ofStudies collectiveshow socialthat change to improve children who are mentored have better grades, at-riskpotential youth. to stay in schoolopportunities and have afor higher go on to college. ~ ESTHER G. MEJIA, E CREATIVE We can't really make families stay together.

We can't legislate that every child has a father…but we can provide a mentor.

And the data is very powerful in that regard in terms of kids that just do so much better academically and in so many other ways. ~ DR. TOM OSBORNE, TEAMMATES It's one of the most rewarding things I've ever done in my life, and I mentor children myself.

It really touches your heart when you start seeing them really wanting to get advice, counsel and also cry to you about things that aren’t going right for them. I think everybody should be a mentor. ~ MICHAEL YANNEY, PHILANTHROPIST It’s important for kids to have mentors they can look up to as role models for what they can aspire to in life. This includes seeing someone who looks like them achieve success.

After all, you can’t be what you can’t see. ~ MICHELLE ZYCH, WOMEN’S FUND OF OMAHA Mentoring is an investment in the future. It fosters relationships, builds self-esteem and identifies talents. Mentoring partnerships also keep employees and students engaged in their development, with an eye on improving the future. An emphasis on mentoring benefits OPPD and the communities we serve. ~ TIM BURKE, OPPD If we can help these kids grow up to be productive and responsible citizens, our community will be a better place. Thousands of kids are still waiting for a mentor, though.

We still have a lot of work to do. ~ BRUCE GREWCOCK, KIEWIT

Why Do Businesses Invest In Mentoring?

Company Benefits Development of a larger, more highly skilled future workforce Enhanced public relations and corporate social responsibility Strengthened employee base and recruiting edge Alignment between company’s values and resource allocation

Why Do Businesses Invest In Mentoring? (cont’d.) economic Benefit of Mentoring (cont’d.)

More than $84,000 is spent per year for one youth staying in prison. Mentoring research shows that a mentee can be matched (including mentor recruitment , training, background checks, monitoring, etc.) for $1,500—and mentors are proven to help prevent a youth from repeating behaviors that land them in a correctional center.

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employee Benefits Improved job satisfaction & loyalty, stronger company impact on employees’ connection to the community National studies have found that employees who mentor return to work happier and feel more productive, are more loyal and have increased pride in their company Employees accept more challenges at work and at home Employees learn leadership skills through being a mentor

Be a Changemaker! top 10 ways you can make a difference!

Mentor a child: Make a difference in a child's life, as well as your own. Mentoring offers benefits like improving self-esteem, keeping kids in school, and preventing risky behaviors.

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• attend the annual

Mentor Summit: On Wednesday, March 19th at CenturyLink—or just attend the awards luncheon that day!

• thank a Mentor and send a Thank You note Community Benefit Strengthened academic and life achievement of local youth Increased support available to the local schools and youth-serving organizations

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economic Benefit of Mentoring A recent study shows that for every dollar spent on mentoring, the social return on investment is $18. The study shows that the mentees will earn on average $315,000 more than those in a control group over their lifetime.

Mentees were “also significantly more likely to give generously to charitable causes and volunteer their time to community work.

They also achieved more positive life outcomes in the categories of life skills and personal well-being.”

Focusing on the tax dollars alone that are spent on incarcerating youth—More than $65,000 is spent each year to support one youth staying in the Douglas County Youth Detention Center. .

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to someone that has mentored you and made a difference in your life!

• Sponsor programs: Whether you donate as an individual or your company supports mentoring, your donations will make a difference!

• “like” MMP on facebook and help

promote our activities with your friends.

• follow“MentorOmaha” or “MentorNebraska” on Twitter.

• attend a Mentor orientation on

March 27th at 5:15 or April 3rd at Noon, at the MMP Office.

• volunteer at the Mentor Summit with

registration, lunch seating, selling books, setup, etc.

• take the survey:“Find the right program for you” at mmpomaha.org/mentoringprograms/find-your-program.

• visit www.mmpomaha.org to learn more!

metroMAGAZINE • JAN 2014

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the 5 CONDITIONS OF

metroMagazine • The Spirit of Omaha

collective impact Peter Buffett, in a recent discussion of philanthropy, was quoted in the New York Times as saying, “Money should be spent trying out concepts that shatter current structures and systems that have turned much of the world into one vast market.”

As Mr. Buffett suggests, in our community’s effort to improve educational outcomes for Omaha children raised in poverty, attention must be paid to strategies that bring about systemic change. The Collective Impact model is a strategy that includes businesses, policymakers, nonprofits, and education systems working together. Midlands Mentoring Partnership is in a unique position to initiate systemic change through its network of organizations looking to make a powerful impact on youth, together.

why Mentoring? In what charitable work could you invest the equivalent of $1 today and expect a social return on investment down the road of approximately $18? According to study results published recently by the Boston Consulting Group in Canada, the answer is mentoring programs. The mentees in the study were forecast to make significantly more income, pay more taxes, give more charitably and develop life skills and “personal well being” at levels unmatched by peers who did not have mentors in childhood.

why ColleCtive iMPaCt? According to the father of “collective impact”, Stanford University researcher John Kania, “the expectation that collaboration can occur without a supporting infrastructure is one of the most frequent reasons why it fails.” Collective Impact is more than a routine cross-sector collaboration. Its key characteristics include: a common agenda, agreed upon measurement system, centralized infrastructure, mutually reinforced activities and ongoing communication among participants.

how is Collective impact more than simple collaboration?

Collective Impact is a commitment of a group of actors to a common agenda for solving a social problem, and is deemed to be a much more structured form of collaboration.

Collective Impact work hinges on the idea that in order to create systemic change, organizations must coordinate their efforts and work together around a clearly defined goal.

The Collective Impact approach encourages organizations to no longer work in isolation, but work together to create solutions for the social problems that plague society. In order to be considered a Collective Impact organization, five conditions must be met. They include: a common, shared agenda, an agreed upon data measurement system, a centralized infrastructure to see the big picture and coordinate activities, mutually reinforcing activities, and ongoing communication.

how did this catalytic effort get started?

MMP’s innovative Collective Impact work is a direct result of the visionary efforts of Mike & Gail Yanney, Tom & Nancy Osborne, William & Ruth Scott, Richard Holland, Mike Fahey, and all of the Building Bright Futures board members and advisory board members. However, among this large group of philanthropists and visionaries, MiChael yanney stands out as one the leading forerunners for city-wide mentoring advocacy efforts. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Yanney determined mentoring was the best way for business leaders to become invested in the future of Omaha youth. He and others teamed together with the Chamber of Commerce, United Way of the Midlands and the National Mentoring Partnership to create and support high quality mentoring activities in Omaha.

These early efforts led the way for the incorporation of “Yanney’s Kids” in 1986 (now known as Partnership 4 Kids),

special edition

TeamMates Mentoring program in 1991, and the incorporation of MMP in 1999. Over the years, Mr. Yanney partnered with Tom Osborne and with many local and national policy makers to advocate for the needs of our young people.

Ten years after MMP was founded, in 2009, Building Bright futures (BBf) board members provided funding for the first paid staff member to be hired. This support came as a part of BBF’s overall “cradle to career” strategy to improve graduation rates and increase positive outcomes for youth in Omaha.

Today, MMP continues its partnership with TeamMates Mentoring, Partnership 4 Kids, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands, and with numerous other mentoring partners, to strengthen the mentoring movement in Omaha.

MIDLANDS MENTORING PARTNERSHIP

CONTINUED

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SHARING AND GROWING TOGETHER.

special edition

MIDLANDS MENTORING PARTNERSHIP

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metroMagazine • The Spirit of Omaha

midlands mentoring partnership

about MMP mission: because mentoring is a results-oriented strategy that improves the lives of young people, midlands mentoring partnership (mmp) is dedicated to increasing the number and quality of mentoring matches in our community. MMP is focused on the long-term process of collective social change to improve opportunities for at-risk youth.

Midlands Mentoring Partnership is a unique city-wide “collective impact” organization that seeks to increase the number and quality of mentoring programs in the Omaha Metro and support training opportunities for mentoring efforts in the state of Nebraska. In Douglas and Sarpy Counties alone, MMP has 12 mentoring agencies that are full members and more than 40 mentoring programs that attend training sessions. MMP creates a forum for mentoring professionals across the community to collaborate, share and leverage resources, and work together in the areas of research and service. The resulting synergy of ideas and resources makes MMP a powerful mechanism for creating systemic change that will more efficiently improve outcomes for youth and increase the number of high risk youth being served. what services are provided by a mentoring partnership? There are 25 mentoring partnerships like MMP across the country and are all public/private initiatives that support direct-service mentoring programs and generate solutions to the challenges of bringing mentoring to scale. the valuable services provided

by Midlands Mentoring Partnership are: Creation of required background check policy standards.

Leverage background check purchases for volume discount for all partner agencies.

Free training for all members on best practices and new research in order to ensure quality and safety.

Support for new mentoring programs.

Support for existing mentoring programs to help them reach new needs/audiences.

Data collection to determine gaps in service and to measure impact of programs.

• • • • • •

Assessment tools and peer • Quality review process.

Evaluation process to ensure • Developmental changes result from evaluation results.

Annual Mentoring Summit is a cost • The saving way to increase collaboration between

•

youth providers, raise mentoring standards, improve communication between nonprofits, and focus on the common agenda. It also provides an avenue for engaging the business community and policy makers in the mission of mentoring.

With the Annual Recruitment Campaign MMP was able to leverage marketing dollars towards our common goal. In August 2013, $71,000 of in-kind advertising and support was raised to support recruitment efforts by our 12 members.

what are some examples of the ways that MMP is making a difference?

Girls Inc. of Omaha: went from 30 mentors to 150 mentors in 2 years.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands: expanded support and mentoring opportunities for foster care youth and juvenile justice youth.

TeamMates: expanded college support activities for all mentored youth and expanded mentoring activities at Blackburn.

Kids Can: started a new mentoring program and is now utilizing best practices.

Kent Bellows Studio of Joslyn: is now utilizing all of the mentoring best practices.

Ally Mentoring: a new mentoring program for GLBTQ youth was incubated.

100 Black Men of Omaha: recruited 17 new mentors in one month—doubling the size of their mentoring program.

Partnership 4 Kids: increased mentoring meetings from 2 to 3 times per month for middle school students.

• • • • • • • •

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metroMAGAZINE • JAN 2014

Board of Directors AShleY ROBINSON, J.D. Board President • Baird holm llP JUlIe hefflINGeR Board Vice President • Community Volunteer JOSh BARTee Board Treasurer • enterprise Bank GeRAlD BYeRS Board Secretary • Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska KAThY ClARK Board Member • fBG Services JOhN ewING Board Member • Douglas County Treasurer KeNNY MCMORRIS Board Member – Charles Drew health Center RICK SPellMAN Board Member • UNMC DANIel PADIllA Past President • first National Bank

Staff DeBORAh NeARY • executive Director whITNeY MASTIN • Director of Operations JUlIA KROlIKOwSKI • Program Coordinator

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Celebrating

to our Community...

alh p u b l i c a t i o n s

inform • educate •