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

Posts Tagged ‘team building’

Having students create a coat of arms gives them the opportunity to describe qualities about themselves and to learn more about other group members.  Mentors should encourage the participants to use colors and writing styles that represent their personalities.

In space 1, have students draw something that characterizes a talent they posses. If working on a group coat of arms, each person will include their own  symbol in space 1.

In space 2, have students sketch out a something they are really good at.

In space 3, have students draw a symbol of how they like to spend their spare time (an interest).

In space 4, have students write something that reflects their personal motto.

Have pre-made Coat of Arms, color markers or pencils ready before class begins. You can download the handout at www.WinningFuturesBooks.org. Go to the Online Support
page and locate Coat of Arms. Remember to have your user ID and password.

Sometimes in a classroom time is limited.  But introductions should not be compromised due to the lack of time.  A quick and fun for the mentors and mentees to become familiar with all the adult  volunteers and for the mentees to become acquainted with their own mentors is to do “Mentor Speed Meetings”

Before the first class, mentors need to be alerted that they need to bring in interesting, physical items to show their teams. This is a great way to pull mentee(s) into a conversation. Mentors are required to bring in any of the following items to  help them obtain an accurate picture of what their companies do and/or to share who they are as a person.

SUGGESTED SAMPLES:
• Small parts or products your organization makes
• Organizational chart – with the intent of showing the relationship and support structure among various jobs within your organization
• Company brochures, newsletters, employee handbook
• List of entry-level jobs and a list of occupations that require continuing education (college or technical training)
• Awards or recognitions
• Photos
• Items that represent your interests and hobbies

Start the class out by letting students know that all the mentors in the program have different backgrounds and careers and it will be beneficial for students to meet all of the volunteers. Students are starting to build their professional network and  all the mentors in the room will become part of it.

Starting with their team, mentors will have four minutes to introduce themselves to the team and talk about their career.  When the bell rings, mentors are asked to stand up and walk to the next table.

Procedure:
1) Get all of the teams settled down and introduce the activity.
2) Time four minutes and ring a bell or announce that time is up.
3) Once mentors are back at their original table, move to the second part.

Once activity one is finished, mentors are asked to share a little bit about themselves and the company they work for with their team.  This includes what their company does and its inner workings.  And at this time mentors are asked to bring
out a physical object they brought in to represent the company or them personally.

Mentors need to be prepared about what they need to talk about with all of the mentee teams. Give them these tips before their first meeting by email, mail, or phone calls.

• Job title and primary duties
• Education and experience required?
• Salary and benefits?
• Current outlook for new college graduates?
• Interests and skills needed for occupation
•Advantages/disadvantages of working in this field?
• What type of work schedule does this field require?
• Main responsibilities associated with work in your field?

The purpose of this activity is for the mentors and mentees to become familiar with all the adult volunteers and for the mentees to become acquainted with their own mentors.

A quick way that this can be done is by asking each mentor/volunteer to stand and share (in 30 seconds or less) the following to the group:
• Your name
• Company
• What the company does
• Title and position
• Fun fact about yourself

The next portion of the class is an individual mentoring activity.  Mentors are asked to share a little bit about themselves and the company they work for with students. Mentors come prepared to talk about the inner workings of the company with a visual item(s) that represent them and the company.

Before the first class, mentors need to be alerted that they need to bring in interesting, physical items to show their teams. This is a great way to pull mentee(s) into a conversation. Mentors are required to bring in any of the following items to help them obtain an accurate picture of what their companies do and/or to share who they are as a person.

SUGGESTED SAMPLES:

• Small parts or products your organization makes
• Organizational chart – with the intent of showing the relationship and support structure among various jobs within your organization
• Company brochures, newsletters, employee handbook
• List of entry-level jobs and a list of occupations that require continuing education (college or technical training)
• Awards or recognitions
• Photos
• Items that represent your interests and hobbies

Gregory Kelser has partnered with Winning Futures to help teach students at his basketball camp, not only the fundamentals of basketball, but how goal setting and education can help in the game of life. The Gregory Kelser Basketball Camp is designed to be instructive, interactive, motivational, and FUN! He will also include daily messages emphasizing how extremely important the role education has been in his life and will challenge each child to pursue education with the same determination and energy used for sports.

Winning Futures “Goal-Setting Coaches” will work with 3-5 students on fun, hands-on activities based around goal setting, positive attitude, team work, and preparing for ninth grade. Each day, students participate in basketball activities and in the Winning Futures “Shoot for your Goals” sessions.  To be a goal setting career coach at Greg Kelser’s Baketball Camp go to www.winningfutures.org. 

 Greg Kelser:
.         Detroit Pistons Broadcaster on FS Detroit
.         MSU All-America & Academic All-America
.         Former Detroit Piston
.         MSU and Michigan Sports Hall of Fame Inductee

This program is funded by:
Powerlink, Sodexo, and the Detroit Public Schools Foundation

To help create synergy within a team, Winning Futures asks students and mentors to work together to develop a team sign at their first meeting. On the sign, teams will have their team name, logo, slogan as well as all the group members names.  Teams are encouraged to be creative and have fun with it. This brainstorming process is a great team building exercise and helps both the mentors and students to learn about one and other.

After designing the “blueprint”, mentors are asked to come up with the final product using common things that they have around their house (3-D materials, feathers, glitter, stickers, etc.), and bring it to each meeting with their team. This sign is a great reminder on what their team stands for!

Attitude is the way you communicate your mood to others, and a major part of job success. Teaching students the importance of a positive attitude can help them get a jump start on moving up in their careers faster!  Whether a student is looking for a part-time job while still in high school, or a recent graduate looking for an internship, it is beneficial to understand that a positive attitude is nowhere appreciated more than on-the-job.  There are four main reasons for this

1. For many people, work is not what they would prefer to be doing. Working near a positive person makes the work week more enjoyable.
2. Some co-workers have extremely difficult private lives. Work can be a place they find positive people and can forget about some of their difficulties.
3. Supervisors depend upon the positive attitudes of employees to establish a “team spirit.” Positive attitudes make everyone’s job a little easier.
4. Approximately half of a person’s waking hours are spent in the workplace. Without some positive attitudes, this amount of time could seem endless.

It is important that students relaize that both positive and negative attitudes travel quickly in the workplace. You either contribute or subtract from a better work environment through your attitude, and remaining neutral is impossible.

Attitude plays a role in your career success. Career success depends on both good work skills and human relation’s competencies. To be able to build good human relationships it must begin with a positive attitude. People who understand the importance of good human relationships and are willing to initiate repairs have a career advantage. When a person is successful at building and maintaining positive working relationships it helps keep that person’s positive attitude.

In some roles such as team building, selling, customer relations, etc. attitude is more important than talent. Everyone has the capacity to be positive under almost any circumstances. A positive attitude is the key to success in any problem-solving procedure or major lifestyle change. With a consistently positive attitude it is possible to win the game of life in all directions; personal satisfaction, strong relationships and success in a meaningful career.

Winning Futures requires all mentors to write an introduction letter home to mentees’ parents. These letters give parents self assurance that their child is in good hands and lets them know who they will be spending time with. This is also a great way to introduce the mentoring program and create discussion at home about what is happening at school.

Some examples of what a parent letter home could include are:

• Mentors name
• Where the mentor is employed and job title
• A brief paragraph on personal background (i.e. any children at home, where mentor went to high school or college, hobbies, etc.)
• Share goals to accomplish with mentee
• Things that the mentor has in common with the student
• A positive comment about mentee

For writing and grammar tips, visit the Library Online.

Becoming a Winning Futures mentor was a new experience for me. I was very excited to be involved but a little nervous to meet my mentees.

All my fears went away the minute my mentees came through the classroom door. They were as nervous as I was and yet within minutes we were all very comfortable with each other. The year flew by quickly and each month I watched their development, not just in our Winning Futures class but as young adults. With their knowledge and experiences expanding they were beginning to see themselves in a new light. I enjoyed watching this transformation week after week.

At the end of the year, as I read one of my mentee’s scholarship paper, I had my “Aha” moment. In the papter, she stated that she believed when she was scared and worried about making it in college, she would be able to rely on me, her mentor, her friend, to help her stay motivated and continue to work to be successful. I knew at that moment, that I had touched her life and we had built an everlasting bond.

All the work, time, and effort given were all returned to me at that moment.

Carol Visconti
~Winning Futures Mentor
~Extra Credit Union, Vice President Member Services

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!

Mentor Danielle Urbieta with mentees

My mentees and I joined the Harper Woods City Officials in ushering in the holidays at the City’s Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony at City Hall.

We had a really nice time singing holiday music and admiring the beautiful tree.  To top the festive event, we enjoyed cookies and chocolate milk.

~Daniela is a second year mentor with Winning Futures