Winning Futures – Inspiring and preparing youth to succeed through mentoring.

Archive for the ‘Great news!’ Category

Honor your mentor…post his/her name or a story!

A special thank you goes out to www.IwearYourShirt.com for adopting Winning Futures today!  They are doing an entire social media campaign about our workbooks for teens!  Check out some of the creative videos on their website.  Here are a few direct links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lynSKCfTKc&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFwhpxFec0Y&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0mntu3goZQ

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, came to our Greg Kelser – Winning Futures basketball camp today.  At the camp, Greg Kelser of the Detroit Pistons and his amazing team of coaches work with students 75% of the day on basketball.  Then, 25% of the day, students particiapte in the Winning Futures mentoring and goal-setting class to prepare them for ninth grade.

The camp is for Detroit Public Schools students who just finished eighth grade.  It is fully funded by Powerlink, Sodexo, and the Detroit Public Schools Foundation.

Watch the piece that aired today on WXYZ Channel 7.  Click here.

Winning Futures’ CEO, Kristina Marshall, received the Women Officials’ Network “Wonder Woman Award” for being a distinguished advocate for youth. The Women Official’s Network is an organization of elected officials, present and past, to promote women leaders in the public sector.  Past winners include Justice Maura Corrigan of the Michigan Supreme Court, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, and State of Michigan School Board Member Elizabeth Bauer.

At Winning Futures, we have secured $5,000 in private funds to be able to offer our life skills and goal-setting workbooks, handbooks, and training program to organizations focusing on youth development (mentoring programs, schools, and churches). Agencies interested in implementing our evidence-based curriculum into their program just need to fill out a very SHORT application on our website www.WinningFuturesBooks.org.

Selected programs will receive the workbooks, handbooks, and training at no cost! Samples of the books and topics are also on our website.

We initially developed the workbooks to be used internally to our organization with mentors, and now schools and non-profits in 30 states have integrated them into their agencies! The program has been deemed “evidence-based” by Saginaw Valley State University through pre- and post assessments with students, mentors, and teachers (these tools will also be provided to programs).

Applications are due June 1st. www.WinningFuturesBooks.org

Anna Prodin, Community High Mentor, was honored at an intimate award ceremony by The Metro Detroit Mentor Council for National Mentoring Month at the Palace of Auburn Hills.  She was one of nine award recipients.  Chris Edwards, WXYZ Channel 7 Meteorologist, and Amber Troupe, Mentor Michigan Director, presented her the award.

Mike Fitzpatrick, Community High Mentor, and his two mentees were selected by the Pistons to be interviewed during the event to promote mentorship and encourage mentor recruitment.  Mike’s interviews were conducted for the Palace audience on the Jumbo-tron and then they were interviewed live on Fox Sports Network…they did a stellar job and gave a great “shout out” to Winning Futures!

First Lady Michelle Obama speaking at the 2011 National Mentoring Summit

Yesterday I attended the National Mentoring Summit at the Library of Congress in Washington DC. Michelle Obama spoke and issued a challenge to companies to get involved by donating and having employees get time off during the day to mentor.

Pass the word!

During January 2011 we celebrate the everyday, ordinary people who are making a difference for kids…Mentors!

Winning Futures is celebrating National Mentoring Month by asking all mentees and teachers to nominate mentors for the “Mentor of the Year Award”.  The nomination letters are then presented on January 25th as a gift to the mentors.

Here are 10 things to do in January to help celebrate NATIONAL MENTORING MONTH:

1. Become a mentor in your community.
2. Learn more about mentoring.
3. Partner with a mentoring organization.
4. Tell 5 friends about National Mentoring Month.
5. Think about the mentors in your life and post a tribute to them online.
6. Read the latest research and find resources on mentoring.
7. Serve your community on MLK Day of Service by deciding to become a mentor.
8. Make a donation to a mentoring organization in your community.
9. Go to YouTube on Thank Your Mentor Day™ (January 25) and make the National Mentoring Month videos the most popular of the day.
10. Explore ways to help children succeed academically through mentoring.

To learn more about National Mentoring Month, Mentor Michigan is offering a 2011 Michigan Mentoring Month Tool Kit. The tool kit contains resources and ideas to help local mentoring programs promote their activities, thank their mentors, and recruit new mentors.  You can also visit the National Mentoring Parnership website for more ideas.

This week, our alternative high school students had the wonderful opportunity to meet Liz Murray and hear her inspiring story of growing up homeless in the Bronx.  At 17 while still homeless, Liz went back to high school, graduated by 19, and earned her degree from Harvard.  Lifetime made a movie about her life, “Homeless to Harvard“.  Liz released her book “Breaking Night” this month, which just made the New York Times Best Sellers List!  Her book can be purchased on online at Amazon.com - click here.

She made our students realize that they can take control of their lives by asking for help and choosing to graduate and going on to college.  Liz also had a dedicated mentor…her teacher Perry.

Liz is touring the USA with Blessings in a Backpack to promote the mission of the charity which is to feed children on the weekends by providing them with a backpack of food every Friday.  Please see their website to bring the program to your community.  www.blessingsinabackpack.org

Thank you Liz for inspiring all of us at Winning Futures!

Liz Murray and Winning Futures Mentee

Mentor and mentees having fun at our Bowl for Kids event!

For the first time in the 16 years we have been facilitating mentoring and goal setting programs for students, we had a bowling outing for our mentoring teams.  Words cannot express how awesome it was!  Some of high school students had never bowled before so watching their expressions and excitement was priceless:-)

For mentoring programs, I highly suggest you arrange an outing like this.  We are a school-based program where we spend 90% of the mentoring interactions at the school.  This is a great activity where the adults and students can all have fun like a kid – no matter their age.

Do you have any other great activities you would like to share?

Mentor of the Year, Anna, and her mentee at bowling