Cabrini Connections' was Buzzing on a Monday Night

Most people who know about Cabrini Connections, know that the tutoring/mentoring sessions take place on Wednesday and Thursday from 6-8pm. But there is so much more taking place throughout the week that may go unnoticed. On Monday and Tuesday evenings we host several Enrichment Clubs and we also provide the opportunity for mentor/mentee pairs meet due to changes in their normal schedule.

On Mondays we offer an Art Club and a Video and Filmmaker's Club from 5:30-7pm, on Tuesday we offer a Tech Club from 6-7pm, and on Wednesday before the actual session we offer a Writing Club from 5-6pm. All of our clubs have dedicated and committed volunteer (and staff) leaders that teach the youth a variety of skills that could lead to current jobs/intern opportunities, and maybe even a future career.

Last night we had a lot of activity in the center with the clubs working hard, but we also had several Wednesday and Thursday night pairs working hard on a variety of academic and career based work. There were nearly 30 people present last night all working in various ways towards similar goals. And of the goals that was and is usually always universal here in the program, and that is the goals of learning something new, learning positive habits, and expanding your network.

We are an academic based program in the sense that each student should be bringing work each and every week to the program. But we are more of a program that looks to build and enhance the soft skills and positive habits to that any student that joins are program are prepared with the skill necessary pursue any career in the future.

But whether its a buzzing Monday night, quieter Tuesday night, or a packed house on Wednesday and Thursday nights....none of this can be made possible without the necessary resources. So instead of considering making a donation, consider making an investment. Invest in the future of our students today, who can and will be the leaders of tomorrow!

PS: PLEASE...if you read this article please post a comment or just let me know we have people actually reading these blog posts. Thanks SO MUCH!

Ideas for inspiring critical thinking and creativity

At Cabrini Connections we've more than 20 computer workstations. Volunteers and students can use these during weekly tutoring sessions, or can schedule time to come to the center on other days.

Volunteers who are not one-on-one tutors already host learning activities at the tutoring center on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before tutoring. These are the video, technology, writing and arts clubs.

Kids and volunteers are encouraged to join these clubs, or organize their own learning activities at the center.

Where do you get ideas? I've been looking at Animation web sites, or places where students learn computer animation. This is a growing industry, and if kids learn these skills it can lead to jobs and careers. So where do you start?

Visit the links on the T/MC site, here, and here. Scroll through the links and visit the web sites that interest you. Each has loads of ideas, lesson plans, and links to other related sites.

Many of our 2007-08 teens are in 7th and 8th grade. We even have some 6th graders. If volunteers can organize learning activities, based around some of the ideas you can learn from the links on the T/MC site, and keep kids involved in these activities all the way through high school, the doors you and your student will open will be life changing.

As you move into these activities, let us know what you're doing. If you're a volunteer intersted in teaching these concepts, contact us so we can help you get involved.

Today in Tech Club

Today in tech club we learned how to make a video, upload it to youtube, and publish it on our blog. If anybody has any interesting videos to publish on our blog please email danvoell@yahoo.com

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