NFL Star, Barry Cofield, Calls for Support for the Annual Golf Benefit

Northwestern University alumni and starting Defensive lineman of the New York Giants, Barry Cofield, will serve as the official Spokesman of the 2011 Cabrini Connections' Golf Benefit. After completing a very successful 2011 Year End Dinner, we are on to the next major event in the organization, the Annual Golf Benefit. The 2011 Cabrini Connections' Golf Benefit will be held Thursday, July 21, at Highland Park Country Club. This is one of the most important fund raisers of each year and we are looking for this year's event to be THE BEST one ever, and Barry and the Cabrini Connections' TEAM could use your help?

Mr. Cofield is a huge fan of youth and GIVING BACK to the community, and he has been a fan and supporter of the Cabrini Connections' program for several years now. In 2008 the Superbowl Champion Barry Cofield supported the Annual Golf Benefit by donating an autographed jersey to the silent action. And since that date, Barry has continued to follow highlights of the program and has continued to support the program in a variety of ways. After a recent visit to the program's facility in April, Mr. Cofield has since joined the Advisory Board and accepted a request to be the 2011 Golf Benefit Spokesman. Barry said, "I'm passionate about working with today's youth in order to make the future brighter, Cabrini Connections' is dedicated to the same goal and they are the best at what they do!"

Don't forget to visit the golf website and join the New York Giants', Barry Cofield and the Cabrini Connections' staff, by seeing how YOU can support the 2011 Golf Benefit and the Cabrini Connections' program. Barry Cofield recently stated that he will be in attendance at the golf benefit and is looking forward to assisting with the success of the event and with obtaining the necessary resources for the Cabrini Connections' program to be successful.

Barry Cofield at a Charity Basketball Game in Sandusky, OH.

Through Adversity Comes Success!!!

There are a few phrases in the NFL that nearly every coach and player have said atleast once in their career or has gone through it as a team or individually and one of those is "dealing with adversity." In the NFL that can mean so many different things to so many different people and teams; adversity could come in the form of an injury to a player, an interception late in the 4th quarter, or an unexpected coaching change. Quite simply adversity is usually when something unexpected happens that typically goes against the goals of a individual player or coach or the entire organization. And when those adverse situations take place teams and the members that make up the entire organization have to rally together, work harder, and fight through the adversity to reach success.

On Saturday August 7th the Cabrini Connections' team and several other tutoring/mentoring teams came together for an event...a one day tournament if you will. The name of the tournament was "Back to School...Make it Cool" and the goal of the tournament was for each team to come together and successfully inform, entertain, feed, and supply those that attended the tournament.

Just like in the National Football League the players and teams prepare by practicing, communicating, and doing all of the big and small things to prepare to be successful, and we all did the same heading into the event. But adversity struck on the day of the event. There were a series of adverse situations that worked against our teams and went against the goals we were working towards. About an hour before the tournament was suppose to start the location of the tournament was changed, supplies and materials that were necessary for the tournament was not in place (tables, chairs, performance stage, etc...), the power went out at one point, and some members of teams did not or could not show up to assist with the tournament and more. This is the adversity that we had to go through this past Saturday, but through adversity comes success and triumph!

The members of the various teams kept the faith, kept the end goal as the focus, took on different roles, supported each other, and continued to fight through the adversity throughout the day. We were able to to successfully feed each and every person who wanted to eat, we provided a wide range of games and activities for all in attendance, all of the scheduled performances performed successfully and entertained the crowd, each and every youth who needed a backpack with supplies got their backpack, and we did all of that and more with more than 5 minutes to spare before the 2pm ending of our tournament!!!

We know and understand that things will not always go as planned and their will be adversity on our route to success, but this is a great example of how various teams in the tutoring/mentoring league came together and successfully hosted the 1st conference wide Back to School event (tournament)! And very similar to the NFL we will look back at our individual and team preparation for the event and take a look at the game film to make the necessary adjustments to that we are even better prepared for adversity and even with the expected and unexpected adversity we'll be even more successful next year!

Fun Night at Dave & Busters!

Last night we were able to treat some of our upperclassmen to a pretty nice experience at Dave and Busters. Each year during the 3rd and final quarter of the tutoring/mentoring year (after spring break-end of the year) we reward our students who have 75% or better attendance to the program with some type of trip or prize during the summer months. Over the past several years we have been hosting the "GREAT AMERICAn Experience" where we provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner for our students along with a fun-filled day to Six Flags Great America.

This year we decided to switch things up, based on our financial status and because of different suggestions from our students. And we came up with two different incentives for our students who demonstrated outstanding attendance. Last night we took our 10-12th grade students to Dave and Busters and we had a GREAT night! We had a total of 9 upperclassmen who earned the trip, but only 4 were able to attend. The students that attended were De'Sean Hale (2010 graduate), Brittany Delaney (2010 graduate), Victoria Rivera (senior), and Melissa Young (junior).

We started the night with dinner and it was a great opportunity for all of the students to get to know each other and share their experiences inside and outside of the program. We have around 75-80 students in our program each year and they are coming from 30 different schools, so all of our students in the program may or may not be familiar with each other. We talked about the program, college (2 students are heading off to college soon), we talked about favorite tv shows, and just had a good time during dinner. Then the real fun started!!! We all were equipped with our game cards and entered the game room ready to play games, have fun, and of course...win tickets!

So just spent time playing the games, challenging each other, laughing, and having a good time celebrating the accomplishment of the students. One of the many highlights of the night was when Brittany hit the jackpot on one of the games, the lights and sirens went off, and she won 500 tickets!!! The students were able to cash in their tickets at the end of the night and get gifts, games, prizes, and candy that they 'SAID' they would share with siblings and parents...we'll see about that one (smile).

Overall it was a GREAT experience of not only having fun and celebrating their attendance accomplishment, but it was also another opportunity for us as staff to interact and engage the students. It was also a bonding opportunity amongst the students. Hopefully they will continue to show their dedication and commitment inside and outside of the program, but also I hope that they will share their experiences and continue to role model positive actions so that others will follow their example.

What's NEW at Cabrini Connections!!!

As the 2009-2010 tutoring/mentoring year came to an end a little over a month ago, we pretty much were already planning and brainstorming ideas of how to make Cabrini Connections bigger and better for the 2010-2011 tutoring/mentoring year. We are always looking for feedback from our students, volunteers, parents, and other staff on the team so we can continue to provide the best possible services that we can!

As the summer is continuing to wind down and the school year is quickly approaching we have already began making A LOT of changes that we feel will be well received! Here are a few of the many changes that we have made in the program so far:

-The computer lab in the program has been expanded with more laptops AND we have 2 DePaul University volunteers who have been cleaning up the computers and making sure all of the technology in the computer is working properly!

-We have updated our Student and Volunteer History and Tracking System (SVHATS) so our students now only have to complete their EXIT page before leaving the program on any given night.

-We have slightly changed the overall layout of the desk and big table patterns within the program to provide more space between rows and group sitting on tutoring/mentoring nights.

-We have been meeting with all returning volunteers and students (and parents) over the summer as "Annual Review Meetings" to discuss the pros and cons of the past year and to set goals and expectations for the upcoming year. These meetings have been extremely helpful and assist with promoting the new concept we're looking to incorporate in the program and that is getting everybody in the program to get in the mindset of Cabrini Connections being a job where the students are "employees" in their mentors are their "career coaches" or "supervisors."

-We have been recruiting more and more dedicated students and volunteers to join our team...so there are definitely some new faces in the program!

-Along with some new faces joining the leadership ranks in the program. By the first day of the 2010-2011 tutoring/mentoring sessions we will have 4 new Volunteer Coordinators in the program!!!

As you can see we are definitely doing a lot behind the scenes to continue advancing our program and provide the best possible services so that volunteer and students are not only getting the resources they need, but enjoying their experiences in the program also. We have Monthly Mixers coming, Monthly Engagement "Workshops," NEW College Tours ideas and MUCH MUCH MORE in store for the 2010-2011 year and beyond!!! If you would like to be a part of the change and/or know others that want to be a part or support that would only add to the program's success. Prospective volunteers and students and donors can visit our website to see how you can get involved.

Golf Benefit Success and Beyond!

What started off to be a day that was going to be filled with thunderstorms and damper on our 2010 Jimmy Biggs Memorial Cabrini Connections' Golf Benefit turned out to be a GREAT day! In a non-profit program where fundraising is essential to obtaining the resources needed to keep the program running, the golf benefit is our biggest FUNdraiser of the year and we made the most of the HOT and sunny day!

The team of staff, interns, volunteers, and students got the day started by meeting and greeting the golfers as they prepared for a fun-filled day out on the course. Thanks to 2nd year volunteer Shannon Murphy and her personal team of assistants, the golfers registered without a problem, received all of the information they needed for the day, and were greeted with a smile before heading inside to cool off and grab lunch. We decided to do a little something different during the lunch part of the day. We set up a small display of some of our more select silent auction items to entice our lunch goers to place early bids on the items even before the dinner events...and it worked!!!

After lunch it was time to hit the course!!! Around 1pm all of the golfers got on their carts prepared for the shotgun start. While the golfers enjoyed their day swinging the clubs looking to get a hole in 1, beat the members of their foursome, and/or just network and enjoy the benefit...the CC, T/MC Team spent our time accommodating the golfers and sharing more information about the overall organization. Another GREAT addition to this year's golf benefit was the presence and project of veteran Cabrini Connections' student Melissa Young.

Melissa Young will be entering her junior year at Josephenium Academy and inside of the program she is a member of the Video and Filmmaker's Club. Melissa took on the project of interviewing golfers and guest throughout the day just asking them who they are and why they have chosen to support Cabrini Connections through the golf benefit. Not only was the golfer more than willing to be in front of the camera, but Melissa was so inspired by this project and the experience of the golf benefit she is looking to make a career being behind the scenes in the entertainment industry. Here is a quote from Melissa that she put on facebook immediately following the golf benefit.

"I have a goal and my goal is 2 become a famous video/music producer. I have all these ways I can get there but I could not do it without Cabrini Connections. I had fun out there at the golf benefit. It was hot but we made it through. I had so much fun meeting board members and watching them golf."

The 2010 Jimmy Biggs Memorial Golf Benefit ended with a dinner and silent auction where all in attendance had the opportunity to eat, socialize, network, bid on some great silent auction items and hear some great stories about the organization and why it is so important to support. My wish is that everybody who attended the golf benefit makes an effort to tell just 3 people in their network what they did yesterday and why. Tell them how they attended a golf benefit and how the proceeds will go to assist students with getting into a college and a career, and how they should think about supporting as well!

Thanks goes out to all of those who made this event possible and there are too many people to name, but just know that we definitely appreciate all of the work and effort that went into the event and for all of those who will continue work towards making the program a success. Special Thanks again to tutor/mentor Shannon Murphy for going above and beyond the tutor/mentor role and helping us with this project. GREATLY APPRECIATED! If you missed the opportunity to support or be a part of the golf benefit, our next major event is our Tutor/Mentor Jam and we accept donations all throughout the year. Thanks for getting involved!

Summer Schedule

We are just weeks away from our “Cabrini Connections’ Summer.” We are looking to continue our clubs through the summer at the same days and times, and we encourage all students and volunteers to consider joining a club and having a little fun this summer!!!

Read these blog articles to see what type of activities were held in past summers. This gives you and ideas of what you can expect this year.

“Open House” night will be every Wednesday from 6-8pm for any mentor/mentee pair who would like to meet in the center.

The Annual Edgewood College “Experience” will take place July 12th-14th this year. We encourage all interested students to sign up before the end of the school year. More details will be announced during the tutoring sessions. View video from Edgewood Experience.

We will also be looking to meet with all returning volunteers, students, and parents/guardians throughout the summer to better review the 2009-2010 year and to prepare for the upcoming 2010-2011 school year. Please contact EL Da’ Sheon or Bradley if you have any questions.

Finally we will be looking to raise money, hopefully lots of money, so we have what we need to open the program in the fall. Recruiting sponsors for the Year End Dinner, or the July Golf Benefit are two ways to ask your company, your friends, and your network to support Cabrini Connections.

Another way to secure the future for Cabrini Connections is to encourage people to add us to their estate plans. Here is information about bequests.

We thank everyone for being part of Cabrini Connections this past year and hope you will all stay connected through the summer and into future years.

2009 Great America Getaway!!!

Hard work pays off! Just ask the 15 students who attended Cabrini Connections' Annual Great America Trip yesterday. All of the students who had 75% attendance or better during the 3rd quarter (Spring Quarter) of the tutoring/mentoring year earns the opportunity to attend the Great America Trip every summer! And I say hard work because although the students really enjoy and benefit from being in our program they have the options of joining other program throughout the year and/or they just might decide to enjoy the warm weather of the Spring months over attending the weekly tutoring/mentoring sessions. But I am proud to say that we had nearly 40 students who were eligible for the trip this year!!!

This opportunity was much more than just going to Six Flags; the majority of the student signed into the center around 8:30 or 9am and they were treated to a breakfast and free time in the computers before hearing some brief announcements and future opportunities. We then boarded the bus and headed to the park, and once there we provided the group with a complete lunch before the fun began inside of Six Flags Great America.

For over 5 hours the group rode rides, ate food, played games, watched shows, and just enjoyed all that Great America had to offer. This was also a great opportunity for students in the program who didn't know other students to get to know each other in a fun environment. And although the rain came towards the end of the trip and cut out outing a little short, I can say with confidence that this year's Great American Getaway was a success!

I call this trip the Great America Getaway because its just that; it's s getaway from the neighborhoods and communities that many of the students in our program are living in. The students get to get away from the gangs, guns, drugs, and other social evils they observe on a daily basis, to do what kids are suppose to be doing at their age...HAVING FUN!!! And that is what we aim to provide with this event, a fun-filled day at Great America, and although the trip is completely free for the youth that attend, it cost an average of about $80 per student to attend this trip. We would definitely like to continue providing this opportunity for all of the students in our program, and would greatly appreciate YOUR help by being willing to donate to the Cabrini Connections' program. Your generosity and support can and will lead to our youth doing what they should be doing at their age...having fun and being care free, if only for one day.

College Loan and Student Debt Problems?

The Cabrini Connections' program has been up and running for over 10 years and during that time there have been hundreds of former students AND volunteers who have become Cabrini Connections' alumni. One of our main goals in the program is to provide all students with the necessary resources to graduate from high school and to put themselves in a position to be in a job or career by the age of 25. If this model of success holds true, then it would suggest that many Cabrini Connections alums have graduated from high school and college and should be in or on their way to a job or career by that golden age of 25.

Even before the today's economic problems, there have been college students who have had to borrow more just to get into college, and have had to pay even more when leaving college. And with the Cabrini Connections' students and volunteers who have gone on to attend and graduate college, I'm sure that some if not many have or are going through a similar situation. Cabrini Connections is more than a program that assist 7th-12th grade youth while they are enrolled in the program; we hope that both student and volunteer alums will remain connected to the program and each other.

Here is some very helpful information for any Cabrini Connections' student and/or volunteer alumni who may be facing debt problems. But as the Administrative Coordinator of the program I would like to assist current Cabrini Connections' members with the prevention of debt problems and assist alums with getting out debt, but I will need a little assistance. If there were a person or a company that has expertise in this area and would be willing to share some helpful tips, tools, and techniques to our current participants, alumni, and community members that could be a service that would not only be greatly appreciated, but beneficial to all who attends.

We have a great space to host financial workshops, lectures, or meetings throughout the summer and during the school year. And with the state of the current economy and with debt being a situation that many people can relate to, if this type of service was made available it could work wonders the Cabrini Connections' family.

Please don't hesitate to contact Cabrini Connections if you can or know someone who can assist with providing this service.

2009 Super Bowl Champion, Pittsburgh Steelers, Support Cabrini Connections

As the Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection organization prepares for one of our biggest fundraisers of the year, several members of the Pittsburgh Steelers lend a helping hand. On July 16, 2009 we will be hosting our Annual Jimmy Biggs Memorial Golf Benefit at the Highland Park Country Club. After a fun-filled day of golf, the group will then head in-doors for the evening events that will include dinner, cocktails, and a silent auction that will be filled with a variety of great items.

This year we are proud to announce that members of the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers have added their support to this year's golf benefit. #79 Trai Essex, of the Pittsburgh Steelers and former Northwestern University star, provided a football out of his personal collection and got several of his teammates to autograph the football to support the Cabrini Connections' program. In October of 2008, I attended a charity event hosted by former Pittsburgh Steeler Alan Faneca at the Jerome Bettis Grille 36, which is owned by former NFL Great, Jerome Bettis.

I was out in Pittsburgh visiting my friend and former teammate Trai Essex, for the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New York Giants, and at the charity event I was informing Trai about what I do here in Chicago at Cabrini Connections. And following the conversation Trai provided me with an autographed football and we discussed how the football would be used to benefit the Cabrini Connections' program and youth that participate in the program. After further conversation I decided one of the best ways to use this donation would be to include it as a silent auction item for the next Jimmy Biggs Memorial Golf Benefit. The football has autographs from the following players: #86 Hines Ward, #83 Heath Miller, #79 Trai Essex, #78 Max Starks, #99 Brett Keisel, and about 7 other key members of the Super Bowl Champion team!!!

The Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection organization would like to thank Mr. Trai Essex and the entire Pittsburgh Steeler organization for their support of our program and the 2009 Jimmy Biggs Memorial Golf Benefit!!

You don't have to be a NFL player or a Super Bowl Champion to support the golf benefit. You can support the golf benefit and the Cabrini Connections' program by becoming a sponsor, registering a 4some to come golf, you can register as an individual golfer, attend the evening events, donate a silent auction item, or simply by donating to the organization.

The Upcoming 2009 Year End Dinner

Thursday June 4th, the Cabrini Connections' program will be hosting our annual Year End Dinner event! This is an event that takes place at the end of every tutoring/mentoring year that brings together students, alumni, potential students, mentors, staff and donors together and their guests, for an evening filled with food, entertainment and celebration of another great year at Cabrini Connections. Courtland Madock, who was the Volunteer in the Spotlight during the last week of our official tutoring/mentoring sessions, along with her Year-End Dinner Committee have put together what will we hope will be a truly memorable night and will provide the momentum needed for the summer and a successful 2009-2010 year!

The Year End Dinner is an event for those are, have, or would like to be a part of the program, and is a great opportunity to meet many of the people who make this program what it is. The 2008 Year End Dinner truly great and I can honestly say that this is one of my favorite program events of the year! The event is not only filled with the people who make the program possible, but the event is filled with so much emotion it really lets you know how much this program means to so many people. And as the Administrative Coordinator of the program it reassures me that we are making a difference in the lives of those who are connected to the program.

And this year's event should be as fun and as powerful as the previous ones. There will be students serving as MCs, there will be parents speaking, volunteers speaking, staff speaking, alumni speaking, entertainment from the youth, and much much more that the 2009 Year End dinner!!! Another special treat is our Youth Leadership Council will premiere a short documentary about the history of Cabrini Connections, shot with the assistance of professional videographers Matt Lauterbach and Dinesh Sabu. The theme of this year's dinner and the 2009-2010 tutoring/mentoring year is "Hope, Build, Believe, and Achieve."

If you would like to be a part of what will should be a GREAT night, you can easily RSVP online here, so please join us. The dinner will be taking place at the Cornerstone Academy banquet facility, which is located at 1111 N Wells. Dinner will last from 5:30-8 and those over 21 will continue the night at Spoon, located across the street at 1240 N Wells St. Hope to see you there!

For More information about the Year End Dinner visit the website.

*pictures from the 2008 event*

Summer 2009 Schedule

While the formal weekly tutoring sessions end this week, we hope that youth and volunteers will continue to meet with each other and take part in Cabrini Connections activities throughout the summer, so that everyone is back with us as school starts in the fall.

Here's the schedule of activities planned for this summer. Keep watching the web site and email newsletter so you're informed of new activities.

Art Club will continue throughout the summer: Mondays 5:45-7:15pm

Tech Club will continue throughout the summer: Tuesdays 6-7pm

Writing Club (TBD)

Open House Nights: Wednesdays 6-8pm
Very similar to tutoring/mentoring session for any student and volunteer who wants and needs to meet in the center throughout the summer

College Zone will be open (By appointment only during this time)

Edgewood Experience: July 6-8th (9-2:30 Monday and Tuesday 9-12:30 on Wednesday

Jimmy Biggs Memorial Cabrini Connections Golf Benefit, July 16 (http://www.cabrinitmcgolf.org )

Annual Great America Trip: Date (TBD)

Throughout the summer we hope volunteers will make time to review the planning wikis, and volunteer talent to help us update the plan for the 2009-10 school year.

We also hope you'll use SVHATS to keep us informed of contact with students off site.

Finally we hope you'll read articles on the Fund Raising blog and help us expand the network of donors who make Cabrini Connections possible.

Orlando Pace and Cabrini Make a Connections!!!

Who is the history of football has been so dominate that they named a block after them, the Pancake Block to be exact.... Orlando Pace! Sandusky, Ohio native, Orlando Pace battled traffic, the rain, and inaccurate directions as he made an effort to visit the Cabrini Connections' tutoring/mentoring session last evening!

For those who unfortunately don't know who Orlando Pace is, let me provide a little background. Orlando Pace was a 2 sport star (basketball and football) at Sandusky High School before going on to dominate the Big 10 at Ohio State University. After a few years of earning numerous awards, clearing the way for former NFL running back Eddie George, and being one of the only offensive linemen to be in the Heisman voting at Ohio State...Mr. Pace was the number 1 pick of the St. Louis Rams in the 1997 NFL draft. After a GREAT career with the Rams, filled with numerous Pro Bowl selections, Super Bowl championships, and other accomplishments, Orlando will begin is 13th season as a Chicago Bear!

Orlando Pace took some time to meet the staff, talk poverty and the history of the program with President/CEO Dan Bassill, and just observe all of the great work the the mentors and mentees were doing during Wednesday night's tutoring/mentoring session. Mr. Pace tried not to be a distraction so that the pairs could stay focused on their work, but when you're 6'7'' 325lbs its a little hard to not catch the eye of the students, volunteers, and staff.

Orlando took a minute to speak with Chicago Tribune's Vaughn McClure as the group 'patiently' waited for their turn to meet Big O. Shortly after, we proceeded with our regularly scheduled announcements, and following the announcements I had to honor of introducing NFL great, future Hall of Famer, and one of my good friends...Mr. Orlando Pace.

Orlando talked to the group about making the right decisions, taking advantage of opportunities that are available, the value of getting a great education, and valuing the opportunity to be a part of the Cabrini Connections' program. Orlando spoke very briefly about his success of being a football star, but he spoke more about how he developed a dream, worked towards that dream, and made the right decisions to obtain that dream of now being an NFL player. And he made it clear that every student in the Cabrini Connections' program can do the same, and that it starts with a dream!

When asked about his personal mentors, Orlando responded very similar to Tyrell Sutton (Green Bay Packer) who visited the program a couple of weeks ago, Orlando responded by saying that his mother was and continues to be his biggest supporter and mentor! Orlando ended the night by providing the students some words of encouragement for the upcoming summer and for life in general. Mr. Pace encouraged the students stay focused and to not take any time off this summer when it comes to working towards their goals, and encouraged the students to find something positive to do to avoid trouble. Orlando posed for pictures and signed autographs as the students celebrated the May birthdays before the group headed home for the night.

The Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection staff, students, and volunteers thank Orlando Pace for spending time with us and supporting the Cabrini Connections' program!

Go Bears!

Here is for the summer 2009

The weather is beginning to get warmer and the school year is almost done which means more people out on the street, especially teens. Every year many of Chicago Public Students are killed by violence majority of it being gun violence.Instead of hitting the streets why not find something that you enjoy doing to keep yourself busy and to stay out of trouble?

There are many summer programs that you can attend during the summer.There are summer camps, volunteer at places such as Cabrini Connections. Try to find a summer job, there isn't anything wrong with making a few bucks these days! Go to the beach, join a sports team, do some exercise, keeping yourself healthy and in shape is always great.Find something that not only do you enjoy doing but something that will keep you busy, help you stay positive, and will keep you out of trouble. No one likes to stay indoors in the summer granted were locked inside during the winter because of the freezing temperatures. Enjoy the summer by doing something fun, positive, enjoyable to yourself but at the same time something that is peaceful so that you are remaining out of trouble.

Remember to look at the board as well as the table to find job opportunities.Visit http://www.youthreadychicago.org/ to apply for summer jobs thought the city. I encourage all volunteers to keep students updated if you know of any job opportunities, even if it is for the summer. Enjoy your summer and be safe!!!!

~Stephanie Rogers~

Keeping OUR Students Safe This Summer

As we all know there have been over 20 CPS students slain this year, and violence has affected many more. If this violence is taking place in or around the school, we can only imagine what the summer is going to bring. This is why the staff here at Cabrini Connection, Tutor/Mentor Connection wants to be proactive in our efforts to protect our students this summer and provide them with a fun, education, yet safe environment to continue on the path to a successful summer. But we need your help!!!!

We are asking for you to keep in contact with students throughout the summer. Either over the phone, through email, on outings, or by taking advantage of our Open House nights here in the center which are scheduled for Wednesday nights from 6-7:30 p.m. Also encourage the student take advantaged of summer school opportunities, seek and obtain summer employment or interns, and encourage students to enroll in one of the many summer programming opportunities that we are offering this year. We also are asking and encouraging volunteers to get involved as well in the summer planning and programming opportunities this year. We feel that if more and more volunteers get involved in the summer programs then the students will get involved as well. Again, we are trying our best to take any measures to ensure that our students are safe this summer and they continue to learn, grow, expand their social network and skills, and obtain the necessary skills needed for a successful future. And together I know we can do it!!!

If you are interested in assisting with summer programming planning or implementation please contact me and I will gladly find ways in which to get you involved.

Lets Prepare for a Safe Summer,

EL Da' Sheon Nix
Administrative Coordinator
Cabrini Connections

PS: The Great America Trip will be July 26, with a rain delay scheduled for Aug. 2. See the complete summer event schedule.

Summer 2008 Activity Schedule

While the last offical 2007-08 tutor/mentor sessions will be the week before Memorial day, there will be activities between June and September that are intended to keep youth and volunteers connected with each other and with Cabrini Connections. For instance the Art Club will continue to meet, creating new projects such as the Peace Mural, which was created in Spring 2008.

Here are activities planned for June:

June 4, 2008: Cabrini Connections Summer College Seminars – Seminar 1 – Basic Information About College. To be held at Cabrini Connections offices, 800 West Huron, from 5:30pm – 6:30pm.

June 11, 2008: Cabrini Connections Summer College Seminars – Seminar 2 – The First Steps, Testing and Applying to College. To be held at Cabrini Connections offices, 800 West Huron, from 5:30pm – 6:30pm.

June 12, 2008: Cabrini Connections Year End Dinner, held at LaSalle Foundation, 1111 N. Wells. All youth, volunteers, parents and supporters invited.

June 18, 2008: Cabrini Connections Summer College Seminars – Seminar 3 – The Next Steps – How to Choose and Pay for College. To be held at Cabrini Connections offices, 800 West Huron, from 5:30pm – 6:30pm.

Formal Summer Programming begins June 23rd – August 16, 2008 (8 weeks)

Art Class – Mondays 5:45-7:15 p.m. (June 11-August20)

IYP (Film) Club – Tuesdays and Thursdays 7:00-8:00 p.m.(Starts June 28)
Volunteers needed to help organize summer video club activities

Tech Club – Tuesdays 7:00-8:00 p.m. (Starts June 5)
Volunteers needed to help organize summer tech club activities.

Writing Club – Wednesdays 4:30-6:00 p.m.(July 11-August 29)



Edgewood College Visit – July 7,8,9 2008

Jimmy Biggs Memorial Cabrini Connections Golf Benefit - http://cabrinitmcgolf.org – July 17, 2008, at Highland Park Country Club

Great America Trip will be July 25 (with rain date of Aug 2) for students with 80% or better attendance in April/May 2008.