Movie: The Ride Along

Dr. Lester Shaw of A Pocketful of Hope in Tulsa produced this video with students and in partnership with other agencies.

This is both instruction with five rules at the end and a model so you, too, can be creative.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uEQp_ZVRM8

From youtube:

Uploaded on Jan 14, 2012

What do you do when stopped by a cop? --- This short movie provides 5 easy rules for teens on how to interact with police. It is part of an initiative to reduce the number of youth -- particularly minority youth -- who have negative contacts with law enforcement. The initiative is supported by A Pocket Full Of Hope, Inc., The Community Service Council of Greater Tulsa, and the Youth Peace Initiative, and is called the Tulsa County Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) Reduction Initiative.

Mentors Make a Difference

Melynda Stone Presents...National Mentoring Summit 2013

Approximately 75 National Mentoring Summit guests attended my presentation of a session entitled “The 3Rs…Recruitment, Retention and the Rewards.”  Designed for mentoring program staff, the session covered successful recruitment strategies, support/recognition for mentors and the resulting improvement in mentoring relationship quality.  Even though it was the last session of a very long first day (4 - 5:15 pm), the room was packed with people who crowded in on extra chairs, sat on the floor, and even stood.  It was a highly energetic session with many opportunities for audience participation, and I rewarded helpful commentary and ideas with "Mentos" candy.   I also provided numerous handouts and "show & tell" items to further enhance the points made and the sharing of helpful ideas and tools.


Nineteen people approached me after the session and left their contact information asking me to follow up with them by sending my PowerPoint presentation or something else that I mentioned.  Their requests and the several others who complimented the session later that evennig and the next day helped me to feel that I had made a connection and presented information that was perceived as very practical and useful to a variety of programs and program personnel.  It was an honor and a privilege to be selected as a National Mentoring Summit presenter and an experience I will never forget.

Melynda Stone
Executive Director
Volunteers for Youth
...because they're worth it!
www.volunteersforyouth.com

Note in the photo on the right, Melynda cleverly used tools to reinforce the national "Mentoring Works" 2013 theme.

We are proud of all of Melynda’s accomplishments, creativity, leadership and contributions to Rogers County's and Oklahoma's mentoring communities…and now the national one, too. 

 

U.S. Supreme Court Justice: Mentor/Mentee Topic?

After listening to all the wonderful reasons why 35 Oklahoma mentoring organizations of all types--school-based, community-based, faith-based and corporate-based--chose their Mentors of the Year for Oklahoma Mentoring Day at the State Capitol, January 16, 2013, I knew our mentoring blog would be featuring each of them over the next few months.

This morning, however, I listened to this interview about the success of a woman, who had a difficult childhood.  We all face challenges; the choices we make determine the outcome.  Having so many positive role models helps. 



"Sonia Sotomayor opens up about tough childhood"

http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50492854#50467608

Retrieved 1-15-13

Choosing a Mentor of the Year

The objective of the Boren Mentoring Initiative's first Oklahoma Mentor Day at the State Capitol on January 16, 2013 is to recognize one Mentor of the Year for each Oklahoma mentoring organization in our network.  Organizations submit their Mentor of the Year honorees to us.

Although each organization may have its own standards, how to choose an organization's Mentor of the Year requires serious thought.

Criteria developed by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, ca. 2008:
1)  Impact mentor has had on mentee;
2)  Impact mentor has had on mentoring program;
3)  Length of mentor/mentee match;
4)  Creative examples of activities with mentee.

Questions:
1)  Describe why this mentor is special to his/her mentee.
2)  Describe the impact this mentor has had on his/her mentee.  Has the mentee changed, and if so, how?
3)  Describe the impact this mentor has had on your mentoring program.
4)  Share one or more examples of activities this mentor has done with his/her mentee.
5)  Please share any other information about this mentor that you feel describes why he or she should receive your organization's Mentor of the Year honor.

Let us know what your criteria are!

iCivics Activities

Retired Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, United States Supreme Court, visited Oklahoma in April 2012.  After that visit, we first mentioned iCivics when the Honorable Noma D. Gurich, Justice, Oklahoma Supreme Court, brought it to our attention.  Once again brought to us by Justice Gurich, here is addition to all of the imaginative ways to learn civics.

Jury Service Game

Can jury service be fun? In We the Jury, it is for students learning about their civic responsibilities. In this latest game from iCivics, students decide a tough case and discover what jurors do once they leave the jury box and head to the deliberation room.

Jury service is one of the fundamental responsibilities of citizenship--We the Jury lets students have fun while learning all about how important and engaging serving on a jury is. They can choose from two different civil case options; as the clock ticks down, they analyze evidence, weigh testimony, and pick the right arguments to persuade fellow jurors to come to a fair and impartial verdict.

And of course, iCivics offers more than just the game. Players can earn Impact Points, and teachers will find supporting materials including alignment to state and Common Core standards, a classroom game guide, and related lesson plans.

We the Jury is iCivics' 17th game and was made possible with the generous support of the Foundation of the American Board of Trial Advocates and the American College of Trial Lawyers. Head to the deliberation room and check out We the Jury today:  http://www.icivics.org/games/we-jury

Tab below copied from the iCivics website:

"Responsibility Launcher"  Have you ever wanted to knock some civic sense into someone? 

Updating this post on 8-5-14, we noted many new items. Mentors and mentees should enjoy this site together.