100 Black Men of Chicago Mentoring Programs

Holiday Party (100 BMC South & Westsides)

2011-12-18T23:46:00.002-06:00

Mentees from both our West and Southside locations joined up at Chicago State University for our year end holiday party. We hosted a “game day” with Spades, Monopoly, Jenga, and finally a team Trivia competition, won by “Team Swag”. Everyone Received gift cards furnished by Wal-mart. Mentoring returns in early January.Happy Holidays.

Welcome Back - 2011-12 - September 17th, 2011

2011-09-26T10:49:00.005-05:00

The South Side and West Side Saturday programs, are now underway. I want to thank site coordinators Andre Edmonds and Rodney McGee (South) and Warren McElroy and Tim Turner (West) helping to get us off to a good start. After the orientation with the parents, the students were informed about the College Scholarship Fair, and how they should not only participate, but help us market the event this fall. WE NEED TO SEE MORE MEMBERS, so please, when you can spare a Saturday morning from 10-12 please visit us at 1140 E. 87th St. or 501 N. Central (Austin YMCA).

Pre-Gala Session, Michele Clark, 5/3/2011

2011-05-09T16:09:00.004-05:00

This week's session was jam-packed, as we continue our discussion on misogyny in hip-hop, as well as how women on portayed in the media. The session was dominated, though, by our preparation for the Annual Gala on Saturday, May 7th. Jaslyne McGlothin, the mentee hostess for the evening, dutifully practiced her presentation, and all of us brushed up on our fine-dining etiquette under the instruction of Chef Irving Brown. We also got a pleasant surprise when we were joined by his wife, Dr. Katherine Brown of the Coalition of 100 Black Women, making her second appearance this year, giving everyone words of encouragement. Finally we were joined by freelance writer LaRisa Lynch of the Austin Weekly, who is covering the Michele Clark program for an upcoming issue. Next session, we'll do a Gala re-cap, and talk about more college preparation types for our seniors.

Valparaiso University Tour

2011-04-23T22:59:00.000-05:00

The 100 BMC Mentees toured Valparaiso University thanks to Mentor Phillip Powell who just happens to be an Assistant Professor of Communication. Professor Powell joined the VU Communication department in 1994 and teaches Broadcast Production, Broadcast News Production, Advanced Field Production, Documentary Production, Media Programming
and Television Producting/Directing. While we visited many of the campuses buildings such as the Library, Student Union and Chapel of the Resurrection, the highlight of the tour was undoubtedly the stop at the Valpo campus TV station. The mentees learned how to work professional cameras and production board, so that they could make a PSA.

Leadership and Accountability - Michele Clark 3/22/11

2011-03-24T15:52:00.004-05:00

Good session last Tuesday; thank you Jaslyne, LaKenya, Kimberly, and Lavelle for attending. I enjoyed taking the yearbook photo with you all. As we discussed, our chapter had our Annual Summit for 2011 this past weekend, and we were taken through a team building exercise on leadership. We went through an abridged version of the coaching presentation, focusing specifically on accountability and knowing your power. For next session we'll be discussing the presentation further, going through the accountability exercise. We will also be announcing who the Gala attendees will be for this year - which is Saturday, May 7th. As your college acceptances keep coming through, please let us know!

State Farm Insurance Donates Computers

2011-03-05T23:27:00.002-06:00

Thanks to Craig Gilmore and State Farm Insurance for providing the mentees with computers. This will make it easier for us to conduct our online sessions such as the stock trading game and the business simulation.

Interviewing (Southside)

2011-01-15T16:30:00.002-06:00

Jay Mathis & Andre Edmonds led today's session on interviewing, the focus being on employment but the necessary skills needed for successful job hunting can also be applied to college interviews. The mentees got together in pairs and interviewed one another, the interviewer taking notes on the interviewee's performance. Afterwards the mentees came back together as a group and everyone took turns talking about the experience, what they did good, bad and where improvements would need to be made. Mentees who came prepared, dressed in slacks, collar shirt and tie along with a copy of their resume received a $5 Subway gift card.

Resumes (Southside)

2011-01-08T11:08:00.003-06:00

Today the mentees worked on creating a one page resume in preperation for gaining employment during summer break. The lesson included proper formatting, verbage and dos and donts. Next week the mentees will use their resumes during the mock interview session.

Clara's House

2010-12-05T12:52:00.004-06:00

Making our annual pilgrimmage to Clara's House, in West Englewood, to hand out toys to the children.

Chicago State University Tour (100 BMC South & Westside)

2010-10-02T20:57:00.006-05:00

The 100 BMC mentees, mentors and parents had the opportunity to partake in a private tour of THE Chicago State University. The staff pulled out all the stops as they dazzled their audience with everything the Southside institution has to offer in areas of academics, athletics and campus life.
The mentee's tour included CSU's new science labs, aquaponics facility and the library which is recognized as one of America's most progressive library facilities; it features the Automated Storage and Retrieval System called ROVER (Retrieval Online Via Electronic Robot) that can retrieve five books in 2.5 minutes.
University President and member of the 100 Black Men of Chicago, Wayne Watson, took time out of his busy schedule to speak with our group about CSU, it's mission and how an education from the Southside University will prepare its students for the workplace in the 21st Century.

UNCF Walkathon (100 BMC Southside and Westside)

2010-09-18T15:23:00.003-05:00

Today the 100 BMC mentees and mentors particippated in The 27th Annual Walk-Fun Run-Bike-Skate-a-thon at 31st Street and Lakeshore Drive. The mentees volunteered their time with the UNCF by working at the Real Men Cook Tent serving food and drinks to the paprticipants. The mentee's parents also contributed their time by working at the 100 BMC tent handing out literature for the College Scholarship Fair, ACT Test Prep and our Westside and Southside mentoring programs. Next year we plan to support the day with a bigger 100 BMC presence and fundraising effort.

2010 Mentoring Orientation (100 BMC Westside & Southside)

2010-09-17T21:12:00.004-05:00

Last Saturday the 100 Black Men of Chicago kicked off their Saturday mentoring programs on the Westside and Southside. The 100 Black Men of Chicago serves as a bridge to help African American teenagers transition between adolescence and young adulthood. The 100 BMC is comprised of successful, educated, professional men of color, who desire to be accountable in our community and have insights to the challenges faced by young African American males.

Below are the details you need to know about our mentoring programs starting up this fall:
- Age: 8th through 12th grade
- Activities: Tutoring each week before workshops, Community service (40+ ho...urs earned) at Homeless shelter, with Senior citizens, College fair help, Men’s Health fair, etc.
- Competitions: Business plan & Stock trading
- Workshops: Anger management, self esteem, careers, interaction with police, personal finance, personal grooming, cooking, relationships with women, fixing cars, sexual health, etc.
- Date: Every Saturday starting 9/11 and ending 5/21
- Time: 10:00am – 12:30pm
- Locations:
* Southside: 1140 East 87th Street
* Westside: Austin YMCA 501 N. Central

The Bud Billiken Day Parade

2010-08-11T11:25:00.004-05:00

2010 marks Bud Billiken's® 81st year! With last year's festivities seeing over 75,000participants, 1.5 million people along the parade route and over 25 million watching in their homes around the country, this 81st year will undoubtedly be monumental! The 100 Black Men of Chicago has been supporting the parade for over a decade. A special thanks to Jeff, John, David, and Darryl for making calls and rallying up the troops.

Real Men Cook

2010-07-20T11:42:00.003-05:00

For over a decade The 100 Black Men of Chicago has been supporting Real Men Cook. Our banana pudding has become famous at the event:-)

Dollars and Sense presentation at State Farm

2010-06-10T10:36:00.004-05:00

State Farm sponsors the Dollars and Sense competition where mentees act as financial planners offering advice to client. Today individual mentees pitched their solution to a case, where the client wishes to attend college full time while minimizing expenses. They were competing for positions on the 100BMC team going to Florida next week. Thanks to State Farm’s Craig Gillmore, Director Multi-cultural Markets, and Thomas Henderson, a registered representative, who served as judges.

It’s over baby, end of mentoring party (100 BMC Southside & Westside)

2010-05-31T18:34:00.003-05:00

We brought the mentoring season to an end at the Brunswick Zone, bowling, eating, playing laser tag, and video games. A giant thanks to all the mentors and volunteers at the different locations: Aurora, Michelle Clark, Saturday South, and Saturday West:

Aaron Travis
Al Demming
Andre Edmonds
Anthony Bennett
Darrell Davis
Eric Robeson
Hilmon Sorey
James Jackson
James Lexing
Jason Humphrey
Jay Matthis
Jeff Reid
Joe Hardy
John Anderson
John Kendall
Jourdan Sorrell
Kenol Thomas
Lennie Pulliam
Phillip Powell
Quincy Goldsmith
Rasaan Turner
Ricardo Spivey
Roderique McClain
Rodney McGee
Ronald Byas
Tim Turner
Tyrone Thompson
Warren McElroy
Will McNeil

Youmedia at the Harold Washington library

2010-05-20T09:52:00.001-05:00

Taylor Bayless gave our mentees a tour of the Youmedia. This is an area on the first floor where teens can hangout, play videos games, go online, read books, and learn about multi-media. There is a sound booth for recording and editing music, and video cameras are available to checkout. Our mentors discovered the couches, and the mentees struggled to move beyond the games.

Sexual Health (100 BMC Southside)

2010-05-20T09:30:00.003-05:00

Jamie Lowe joined us at the Library for a sexual health lecture with our mentees. Our usual bravado did decline when she brought out a large “toy” to demonstrate how to properly use a condom. Also, there was a show and tell, with pictures of STD effects. Nothing says I love you like fresh eating bacteria.

Dollars and Sense Continues

2010-05-20T09:16:00.003-05:00

Finally, in the library, there is no rest for the weary. Jeff and Rodney lead a discussion this week on the final two chapters: dividends, stock price appreciation, and projecting a firm’s future growth and income.

Dollars and Sense Competition

2010-05-12T01:38:00.003-05:00

This week, the lovely ladies; Michelle, Abimbola, and Ajahnae from National Association of Black Accountants (http://www.nabainc.org/) joined us to help prep our mentees for the State Farm’s Dollars and Sense competition. We covered balance sheets, income statements, and annual reports, Darrien, in the blue, struggled valiantly to contain his excitement. Next week we cover projecting future growth and risk-return calculations oooh baby. Thanks again to the NABA Ladies for pitching in.

GALA PHOTOGRAPHS

2010-05-04T22:11:00.008-05:00

Photo Gallery Links:
http://www.chicagoimagingsolutions.com/images/Events/100%20BlackMenofChicago/Gala%20event%201/index.html

Mentees

http://www.chicagoimagingsolutions.com/images/events/100%20blackmenofchicago/gala%20mentees/index.html

FOX Interview on Youth and Gangs

2010-04-29T17:46:00.006-05:00

John Kendall and Torrena Johnson on FOX
Direct link: http://100bmcmentoring.blogspot.com/2010/04/100bmc-fox-interview-on-youth-and-gangs.html

Etiquette Session for the Gala

2010-04-28T21:41:00.005-05:00

Ms. Kim Smith joined the Michelle Clark mentoring team on Tuesday to discuss dining etiquette with the mentees. This was preparation for our annual fund raising gala this Saturday May 1st at the Chicago Hyatt Regency Hotel, 151 E. Wacker Drive from 6pm until Midnight. Call David Day, he can still hook you up with tickets.

“4 Men Only” Health Fair 13th Annual

2010-04-22T08:54:00.009-05:00

The 100BMC partnered with Dee Clayton and Provident Hospital for the 13th annual “4 Men Only” health fair. About 300 men attended and received free medical screenings for blood sugar, cholesterol, PSA, HIV, kidney damage, blood pressure, and everyman’s favorite, the digital rectal examination. Which is 25 seconds of brutal, intimate, man on man contact, that made me reassess all the things I’ve done with past girlfriends. Candy, wine, and flowers now seem insufficient.

The 100BMC’s sponsorship of this event was due to a grant from the Illinois African American Coalition for Prevention

(http://www.ilaacp.org/). For the grant mentees Deveon Rose and Shelton Wallace gave a presentation on “Media Pressure and Steroid abuse” covering pressure on athletes and the Adonis complex. This was followed by Chicago Bulls legend Bob Love.

Other mentees racked up more community service with crowd control and serving the free lunch to the attendees.

Rowing, Policeman, and Legal Advocates!

2010-04-10T20:41:00.005-05:00

You might ask, what do all of these elements have to do with each other? Well, these were all covered within a day for the 100 Black Men of Chicago mentees on April 10! The mentees from the south side and west side combined and met at the Austin YMCA. The day began when two rowing experts, Casanova and David, from the Chicago Training Center CTC ( http://www.chicagotrainingcenter.org/) explaining the history of rowing, and performed a demonstration for the mentees. They covered the key elements of this sport, including physical fitness and teamwork. It was then time to encourage the competitive juices in the mentees. The mentees competed in groups of four to see who was the best rower and finally competed against the experts. The mentee with the best time was Darrien Moore, who did well, but was no match for the experts from CTC! However, he might be able to hang with them after more practice!

Next, the mentees learned about interacting with the police and knowing your rights from: Officer Sheldon Sherman, Attorney Bryan Miller, and ex-convicted felon Randy Rider.

Officer Sherman from Chicago Police Department's CAPS unit (https://portal.chicagopolice.org/portal/page/portal/ClearPath/Get%20Involved/How%20CAPS%20works) discussed what police officers are thinking when they come into contact with a group of youth. His main point was that officers do not “hold court in the street”, but must make quick, life-altering decisions in a split second based on the actions of the people they encounter. He suggested that young people remove themselves from positions where they might come into contact with police by letting go of certain friends and “hang out spots”.

Next, Brian Miller from First Defense Legal Aid, FDLA (http://www.first-defense.org/)spoke to the 100 mentees. He provided counter point on how youth can protect their rights when coming into contact with police. Brian reviewed the Miranda rights that everyone has when dealing with law enforcement. He advised the group that young people must be polite and respectful to police, but do not have to answer any questions except to identify themselves and say “I want my lawyer” if pressured to answer questions which cause them discomfort or might incriminate them. He provided the group with FDLA emergency contact information if they ever need a lawyer.

Randy Rider from Keeping it Real Law Project (http://keepinitreallawproject.blogspot.com/)

was the final speaker, he was imprisoned for over 11 years for a crime he did not commit. Randy discussed the experience that had put him into that situation and reemphasized many of the points Mr. Miller made. Additionally, he advised young people not to put themselves into positions where they could be accused of wrong doing by trying to live the guns and drug lifestyle. He also provided some practical tips on what they could do if they were pulled over.

Thanks to all of our speakers.

Mentor network (Black Star Project)

2010-04-09T19:48:00.000-05:00

The Black Star Project (http://blackstarproject.org/action/) hosted a screening of movie "Men II Boys" (http://whatblackmenthink.com/) at Saint Sabina Church on Friday, April 9. Mentoring organizations were invited to meet interested parents and sign-up volunteers. In total 1500 people came through and the movie was shown to a full house. Representing the 100BMC was: Jeff Jackson, Kenol Thomas, Shelton Wallace, and yours truly. The movie is powerful and this event was timely, thanks to Phil Jackson, Comella Sledge, and all those at Black Star for pulling this together.

Chicago Bulls

2010-04-09T17:41:00.000-05:00

The 100 BMC mentees from the Westside and Southside attended the Chicago Bulls vs. Charlotte Bobcats game Saturday night. Thanks to the generosity of 100 BMC member Dr. George Smith the mentees were afforded the luxury of watching the game in a Pent House suite. In addition, 100 BMC member, Curtis Cooper was able to get the mentees onto the floor pre game for a photo op at center court. It's important to note that the game was a reward for the mentees that participated in the stock game and completed their resume assignment.

Cook County Jail (100BMC Westside)

2010-04-08T00:26:00.003-05:00

This week at Michele Clark, Darrell showed a documentary about Cook County Jail. The video showed true experiences of the guards and the incarcerated in general population and maximum security detention. With time, energy, creativity, and determination inmates convert tooth brushes into a knives, cups of fruit into alcohol, light bulbs into a lighted matches, and body fluids into bio-weapons. A waste of human potential.

Television Commercial for Annual Gala

2010-03-31T22:14:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday the mentees shot a television commercial for our upcoming Annual Black Tie Gala, with 100 BMC member Spencer Leak Jr. our Gala Chairman. Amazing, with a little soap they scrub up quite clean.

Ladder Up Tax Assistance

2010-03-30T22:57:00.006-05:00

100BMC Mentees from the South Side and the West Side locations volunteered at the “Ladder Up” (www.goladderup.org) free tax preparation at Kennedy King College. Ladder Up provides tax preparation services to low income people utilizing both corporate and community organizational volunteers. 100BMC’s Anthony Bennett (http://www.linkedin.com/pub/anthony-bennett-cisa-pmp/3/897/a10), a site coordinator, led the mentees with signing in clients and organizing forms. This community service project exposed them to the career field of tax preparation. In total, 26 returns were completed, creating an economic impact of $39,353, a special thanks to Sophie Albsmeyer, the Volunteer Coordinator.

Straight out of Jail

The morning ended with the students receiving an impromptu speech on life’s lessons from Anthony Autry, an ex-drug offender who has turned his life around and is now a community activist and motivational speaker. He spoke about the choices he had made in life and encouraged the mentees to listen to the adults in their lives while they still had many of life’s choices ahead of them.

Men II Boys, Mentor Network With Black Star

2010-03-23T23:09:00.005-05:00

Phil Jackson at Black Star hosted a meeting of mentoring organizations to highlight both an upcoming movie Men II Boys, and the need for a coordinated effort to tackle the problem of mentoring for African American males. On April 9^th at St Sabina church 1210 W. 78^th Place, the movie will be shown for free and the mentoring organizations will be on hand for information and follow up.

Men II Boys movie trailer:

Movie trailer direct links:

http://100bmcmentoring.blogspot.com/2010/03/men-ii-boys-mentor-network-with-black.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsG5TIZJpAE

Salsa Dance Class With AKAs

2010-03-21T14:18:00.012-05:00

The weekend the AKA sorority partnered with the 100BMC to bring our mentees together again for a Salsa dancing class. What I enjoy about Latin formal dancing is the enforcement of gender roles. The male or “lead” is like a driver of a fancy red race car, he must pay attention to what he is doing, what she is doing, what he wants her to do next, and what is happening around them both. Spectators will know when the lead/driver is handling the car well, or driving it into a wall. The female or “follow” must do everything the male is physically doing, except she is going backwards, in high heels, and like the race car everyone is watching her, not the driver.

Her job is to look good, his job is to make her look good.

Were the 100BMC mentees ready to step up to the plate?…..initially, they punked out by the dozen. However, Steve Day from Latin Street dancing (http://www.laboriqua.com/default.asp) helped them overcome that. He covered Merengue, Cha Cha Cha, Mambo, and Salsa in a line formation before bring the Ladies and Gentlemen together. This was one of our best events to date.

Direct video link below:

http://100bmcmentoring.blogspot.com/2010/03/aka-partnership-salsa-dance-class.html

Life Plan SWOT 100BMC (Aurora)

2010-03-16T13:09:00.002-05:00

Today we continued our segment on Strategic Life Plan Development. Addressed, was feedback received by students assigned to ask three (3) individuals (E.g., Parents, Siblings, Relatives, Teachers, Friends) their assessment of the student, using the SWOT analysis. The question they were instructed to ask: "I'm interested in going to College; how would you describe my Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats?". Through feedback submissions and classroom discussion, students were made to realize that within and around them reside the power, motivation, and resources to succeed and achieve their goals. The question begs what will cause these individuals, as high school junior students, to embrace and position these assets as a priority?

Shelton L. Wallace (100BMC Southside)

2010-03-14T19:00:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to Shelton Wallace for his hard work in the classroom leading to college acceptances at:
1. Grambling State University
2. Parairie View A&M University
3. South Carolina University
4. Tuskegee University
5. Southern Illinois University Carbondale
6. Norfolk State University
7. Virginia State University

Job Interviwing Skills (100BMC Southside)

2010-03-13T12:18:00.002-06:00

Last week's session had the mentees working on exercises designed to help them develop their first resume. This week's session involved the mentees learning about the dos and donts of the interviewing process along with going through mock interviews conducted by the mentors.

Resumes (100BMC Soutshside)

2010-03-06T14:18:00.002-06:00

As we get closer to the end of the school year teens across Chicago will be on the hunt for summer time employment. With the economy still recovering the job market will undoubtedly be competitive. In order to give the mentees a competitive advantage, today they began the process of creating their first resume. But before they put pen to paper the mentees first went through several exercises which helped them to better understand the various components that make up a resume. After completing several group exercises the mentees were charged with creating a 1 page resume by next Saturday's session. Can't wait to see the result.

Speaking at the Deltas’ EMBODI youth summit

2010-03-06T07:17:00.001-06:00

Ashley Allen and Christine Pendleton from the Delta Sigma Theta sorority reached out the 100BMC to speak on panel about mentoring for their Empowering Males to Build Opportunities for Developing Independence (E.M.B.O.D.I.) session. The panel also included two High School males, Two College males, and Randy Ryder from Keeping it Real Law Project, and Steve Bell from the First Strike Program. Ashley served as moderator during a lively discussion beginning with Rap music’s influence on culture, behavior, and a teenager’s sense of “normal”. The conversation moved onto dating, drugs, violence, school, and mentoring. A special thanks to Dana London and all the ladies who hosted the event.

Macy's African American History Challenge

2010-03-03T22:53:00.003-06:00

Macy’s and the 100 Black Men of America have partnered across the U.S. to host a number of events. In Chicago, the State Street Macy’s held an African American History Competition and displayed famous African American waxwork figures. 100BMC workhorse and Macy’s workhorse David Day was on hand to welcome the judges, spectators, participants, mentees, and mentors. Our mentees demonstrated those last second cramming techniques we instilled in them, but alas the three judges publicly slaughtered the 8-18 year old youths, revoking black cards by the dozen, …Oh the humanity.

As always, a 100BMC Westside mentee, Deveon, claimed top honors, scoring a Suede jacket and a Macy’s Gift card.

Open house (100BMC Aurora)

2010-03-03T22:48:00.003-06:00

Open House at Waubonsie, Natalie Johnson welcomed School administrators, parents, and partners of her college prep class: (Kaplan test prep and 100BMC) to a luncheon with her current student and past students. Al Demming and Tyrone Thompson were on hand to represent the 100BMC. At the end the seniors announced which colleges they were planning to attend next Fall.

Stock Trading Game Winner

2010-02-17T20:06:00.009-06:00

Direct link: http://100bmcmentoring.blogspot.com/2010/02/100bmc-stock-trading-game-winner.html

This year's stock trading game winner is Michael McKinney from the Southside location. His initial purchase of GANNETT CO INC (GCI) held off all other challengers, allowing him to win the Sony Play Station 3 console.

Mentee 5yr Life Plans Videos (100BMC South & Westside)

2010-02-11T01:27:00.007-06:00

Direct link: http://100bmcmentoring.blogspot.com/2010/02/mentee-5yr-life-plans-videos-100bmc.html

Life Plans (100 BMC Southside & Westside)

2010-02-06T12:13:00.000-06:00

Today mentees Bryant, Shaquille and Deveon presented their Life plans to their fellow mentors and mentees. This week we decided to video tape the mentees, allowing them to see first hand how they look when they present to an audience. The mentors gave our presenters good feedback regarding maintaining good posture and how to avoid usage of the word "um".

Team Jeopardy Game at WVHS (100BMC Aurora)

2010-02-05T09:08:00.005-06:00

For our Thursday, February 4th session, we engaged students with a game of "Team Jeopardy". This group activity enabled us to challenge student's retention of the topics presented and discussed since the beginning of their 2nd semester:"Achieving the Greatness in You", "Time Management", and "Habits of a Successful Student".

Students were divided into 3 teams, provided with signaling devices, and presented a Power Point game board which listed 4 categories (I.e., The 3 aforementioned topics, as well as a category entitled "Potpourri"). The board also included "Daily Double" and "Final Jeopardy" questions.

Our objective: In addition to challenging student's retention of material presented, we wanted to place special emphasis on the value of serving each other as a human resource, as well as pointing out successes which can be achieved when working as a team.

5yr Life Plan presentation practice (100BMC Westside)

2010-02-03T18:47:00.003-06:00

Our mentees have been developing a personal 5 year life plan over the past 3 months, and next weekend they are expected to give a power point presentation of their plans. Appearance, PPT slides, dress, and public speaking will be judged, plus they will be videotaped. So, the pressure is on, and practice is the solution. Deveon a mentee from the Westside group made extra time to polish up his presentation.

Life Plans (100 BMC Southside)

2010-01-30T11:18:00.002-06:00

Today mentee Shelton Wallace presented his Life Plan to his fellow mentees and mentors. Shelton's SMART goals included graduating highschool and attending college, possibly Grambling State, to play football. Shelton would like to one day play professional football in the NFL but knows that having a more realistic plan b, that includes a career in corporate America, would be prudent.

ILAACP Youth In Prevention grant/Avatar

2010-01-28T20:31:00.003-06:00

100BMC Mentees Eric Austin and Floyd Parker joined with Mentors Kenol and Kevin at the Little Black Pearl to receive a mini-grant awarded by the Illinois African American Coalition for Prevention (ILAACP) in partnership with DHS: Division of Community Health & Prevention. Malik Nevels and Breon Baker hosted the event where the 100BMC and 11 other winning grassroots organizations were honored. This spring our mentees will be hosting a discussion on media’s pressure upon changes in male images, professional sports, and steroids abuse at the “For Men only health Fair” at Provident Hospital.

For their unselfish sacrifice of missing a day of school, the mentees were treated to the movie Avatar at the Navy Pier 3D IMAX.

ACT prep continued (100BMC Westside)

2010-01-27T23:46:00.002-06:00

Hilmon Sorey, a brother from the 100 Black Men South Florida, held down the second ACT prep session with the mentees at Michelle Clark. Reading passages from Revolution Prep’s work book, they covered sentence corrections.

Managing Time (100BMC Aurora)

2010-01-22T22:20:00.003-06:00

The following highlights our Thursday session on "Managing Time" led by Tyrone Thompson. The presentation placed special emphasis on the following:

Valuing Time, because its a non-renewable property (i.e., Once its gone its gone); Utilizing each second efficiently and productively
Defining a "Leisure Quotient"
Prioritizing Tasks
Conquering Procrastination
Pacing, as it pertains to completing tasks/assignments
Effective use of a Planner
Being realistic with ones expectations

At session's end, students were given an assignment. For the next seven (7) days, they are to log their daily activities. The objective, to determine their respective "Leisure Quotients", which will be calculated and discussed during our session next week.

ACT prep (100BMC Westside)

2010-01-21T02:04:00.004-06:00

Charles Miu from Revolution Prep hosted an ACT tesp preparation session. The session, attended by about 20 mentees was very energetic, with students engaged in an active discussion about college, how to get into college, and the importance of seriously preparing for this test coming up next in April. One item that really opened student's eyes to the importance of the exam was a comparison of the 3 key areas that college admissions people evaluate (on average):

Influence on Admissions The actual activity Actual time investment
50% ----- Time in/on classroom work (over 4 years) 6480 hours
20% ----- Extracurricular activities (over 4 years) 640 hours
30% ----- ACT Test preparation time (over years) 4-8 hours

So, clearly students and parents need to invest far more time and energy into the ACT exam given its importance to the admissions process, and owing to the fact that the exam is the determinate for scholarship dollars. More time and effort invested here translates to more opportunity and more money for students and their families.

Chef Eric Paul and healthy cooking

2010-01-18T16:53:00.003-06:00

Chef Eric Paul discusses changing a traditional southern cooking dish to a healthy meal.

Direct link:

http://www.wciu.com/youandme.php?section=home&assetID=10001137

Anger Management (100 BMC Southside)

2010-01-16T19:17:00.004-06:00

Today Dr. George Smith had his annual talk with the mentees about anger management. I think this session is becoming increasibly more important, as the years go by, because Chicago youth violence is on a steady upward trend. Dr. Smith covered some of the reasons why young African-American males get angry and act out. One can't help but think about honor student Derrion Albert's death at the hands of several Chicago teens in 2009. Dr. Smith also discussed the 13 Steps Toward Anger Management, which includes step 1 Learning to recognize the many faces of anger.

Before our discussion on Anger Management we reviewed Brent Hampton's Life Plan.
Brent took us through his first year life goal, strategy and tactics, as well as his SWOT Analysis.

YMCA Lockdown 2 (100 BMC Westside)

2010-01-16T06:27:00.003-06:00

The Austin YMCA hosted its second Lockdown night with Mr. Isaac X running the show. Several 100BMC members: Jeff Reid and Joe Hardy volunteered to hold a discussion with the YMCA’s teenage boys and girls on relationships between men and women. After watching a rap video the discussion covered why guys cheat, dress code, and why get married. The subject changed to sex with Ms. Gina Evans a health educator from Provident Hospital. She covered multiple STD’s, focusing upon: HIV transmission and screening, protecting yourself, trust, Chlamydia, and the increase in human papillomavirus in young males.

"Achieving the Greatness In You" at Waubonsie HS (100 BMC Aurora)

2010-01-14T22:49:00.004-06:00

The following highlights our Thursday, January 14th, session at Waubonsie Valley High School. Today, approximately twenty one (21) 11th grade "College Test Prep" students, were present for our session on "Achieving the Greatness In You". The presentation, subsequent exercise and discussion, provided support for today's message "It's all about You". The session detailed actions necessary to achieve greatness, offered an insightful ideology for students to consider adopting, emphasized the urgency to begin and/or step-up accepting personal responsibility for pursuing and achieving their respective scholastic and professional goals.

Strategic Life Planning Session 3 (100 BMC Southside)

2010-01-09T13:35:00.001-06:00

Today the mentees returned after a long Holiday break. Needless to say it took us a while to get back into the swing of things but eventually we found or rhythm. We continued the series on Strategic Life Planning, touching on the importance of having a sound stratgy and tactics to support one's SMART goals. We first looked at SMART goals, straegies and tactics through the prism of sports, which was easy for the mentees to relate to. The mentees looked at possible SMART goals, strategies and tactics for the Chicago Bulls including the Bulls winning the Championship. We encouraged the mentees to think big and have stretch goals:-) After coming up with the strategies and tactics that could help the Bulls achieve their dream season we brought the discussion back to reality and looked at some of the mentee's life goals, strategies and tactics. Next week we'll begin reviewing the mentees life plans and having them present them to their peers.

Strategic Life Planning Session 2 (100 BMC Southside)

2009-12-19T19:35:00.006-06:00

As a part of the series on Strategic Life Planning today the 100 BMC mentees heard from two guest speakers.

Marcus Davis, co-owner of the Princeton Sports Marketing Group talked to the mentees about business ownership and what it takes to start and run a business. Marcus did a great job describing his background to the mentees going back as far as his early days as a grocery bagger in highschool through his college years at Xavier and University of Illinois in Champaign where he studied Sports Management. Marcus demonstratd how at a young age he instilled in himself a strong work ethic and drive to succeed, in school and early jobs, that was critical to his current business ownership success today. The mentees also learned that Marcus uses SMART Goals in both business and his personal life, as a tool, for helping to guide his actions.

Jenise Holloway, Diversity Coordinator for IES Abroad discussed with the mentees the college admissions process. Jenise talked about her experience as a young highschool student and how daunting the college admissions process was for her in the beginning. However, she set goals for herself including applying for financial aid and visiting multiple campuses so she would be well informed and prepared for her transition to college. The mentees learned that college admissions is in deed a process that should be started as early as freshman year of highschool.

Holiday Effort On ABC-7 News

2009-12-17T07:54:00.003-06:00

Direct Link to video:

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=7164244

100BMC Toy Drive Party

2009-12-17T07:31:00.002-06:00

Thanks to all, who attended our Toy Drive Party, and donated a toy. ABC-7 Hosea Sanders kicked off the night and our All-Star DJ team kept the party going.

Link to more photos:
Password: 100BMC

http://s594.photobucket.com/albums/tt22/100BMC/100BMC%20Holiday%20season%202009/?start=all

Clara's House toy drop

2009-12-17T07:14:00.003-06:00

Located at 1650 West 63rd Street in the West Englewood neighborhood, Clara’s House offers shelter to families, with the goal of improving their quality of life. 100BMC members and some mentees dropped off toys for the young residents who were almost as happy as Mrs. Kirk. Finally, Sonya earned herself a priceless 100BMC T-shirt after sitting through an interview with John Kendall.
http://clarashouse-weuo.org/

Real Men Shop

2009-12-17T06:51:00.002-06:00

Was it the season? Was it the empty Wal-Mart store? Was it the ABC-TV crew?, who knows, but real men shop. Craig, John, Jeff, Ken, and Lennie braved the 50F weather with a slight southerly breeze, to go shopping. Thanks to Nielsen’s generous donation plus donations from our toy drive and Spencer Leak Jr.'s party, the 100BMC had toys, clothes, jewelry, and electronic equipment to give to several hundred children across the Chicago land area.

3rd Annual Bronzville Holiday Dinner Celebration

2009-12-12T21:27:00.005-06:00

"For everyone to whom much is given, of him shall much be required." -- Luke 12:48

Today the mentees had the opportunity to give back to their community by participating in the 3rd Annual Bronzville Holiday Dinner Celebration. The Holiday Dinner was hosted by The Renaissance Collaborative, Inc., Partners In Community Building Inc., and The 100 Black Men of Chicago. Mentees contributed to the event by setting up the room, serving community residents and handing out toys to the children. Mentees who participated received service hours towards their CPS requirements, but most importantly the day was an opportunity for mentees to learn first hand the need that exists in their own back yard and that every contribution no matter how big or small makes a difference.

Thanks to:

Bobbi Ball - Partners in Community Building, Inc (PICB)
Pat Abrams - The Renaissance Collaborative, Inc (TRC)

Strategic Life Planning (100BMC Southside)

2009-12-06T14:02:00.010-06:00

Goal setting is a powerful process for thinking about your ideal future, and for motivating yourself to turn this vision of the future into reality. So,today the Southside mentees began work on putting together their Strategic Life Plan. The objective is to map out where you envision your self 1 year, 3 years and 5 years, from today, by establishing SMART Goals. In addition mentees will also be doing a SWOT Analysis for for each of their SMART Goals and submitting to a 360 Analysis of themselves by their peers. Eventually mentees will put together an action plan for achieving their SMART Goals.

Later in the afternoon a few of the mentees assisted the 100 Black Men of Chicago with the handing out of toys at Clara's House located in Englewood, Chicago.

ABC News Clip

2012 The end of the world and the “Um” game (100BMC Westside)

2009-12-03T12:26:00.005-06:00

Allyson Woodard returned to the Michele Clark crew after a previous session talking to the mentees about financial planning and careers. This week the mentees were challenged with the “Um” game where they needed to speak on any random topic for 5 minutes without using any non-words like “um”. Finally, the movie 2012 inspired a conversation about what would you do with your last day on earth? The responses ranged from spending time with family and friends to sleeping??? This is an indication of the differences between the Michelle Clark mentees and the Saturday mentoring which is comprised exclusively of teenage males, where the responses would have including looting and reeking havoc.

YMCA Game Night Fund Raiser (100BMC Westside)

2009-12-03T12:11:00.004-06:00

Several 100BMC members joined the Austin YMCA’s “Game night” fund raiser to help support the youth membership.
Volunteers: Sylvia and Travis (100BMC) covered the door, Patrick and Kevin (100BMC) served as bar tenders, Jeff (100BMC), Ken (100BMC), and Perry worked the Black Jack tables. Quentin for made the food look good, Katherine was on the Pokeno table, and Eric handled the roulette table. Also, William socialized with the guests, Cyril mastered the “mic”, and Ciara cracked the whip. In all we fleeced, “raised”, over $2000 for the YMCA, which can fully cover ~20 youth memberships.

Stock Trading Week 3 (100BMC Westside)

2009-12-03T09:19:00.005-06:00

Southside mentees continue making stock trades. In addition to the weekly winner receiving a gift card, and the final top 8 scoring mentees watching a Chicago Bulls game from a Skybox, Aaron upped the ante this year with the overall winner receiving a Sony Play Station 3 console.

Wealth & Stocks Part 2 (100BMC Southside)

2009-11-21T12:46:00.002-06:00

We had a stock market refresher course today led by Mentor Jay Mathis. Jay discussed how hip hop moguls Jay Z, P Diddy and 50 Cents accumulated their wealth not with record sales but by owning their own businesses and brands. Through ownership, including stocks, it's possible to become your own millionaire. Darrien Moore was our first weekly stock game winner receiving a $5 McDonald's gift card. The overall winner of the Investorpedia stock trading game will receive a PS3.

Stock Trading Game Week One (100BMC Westside)

2009-11-14T12:39:00.003-06:00

The Westside is showing how things are done, taking first and second place after one week of trading, winning a couple of gift cards too. The strategy they seem to be playing is the shopping and travel surge during the holiday season.

Hygiene and Personal Grooming (100BMC Westside)

2009-11-14T07:44:00.003-06:00

Body odors, halitosis, razor bumps, and infections….all exciting topics to discuss, but that was the week’s workshop. After talking about the horror stories the mentors faced growing up, the mentees were introduced to business suits, color combinations, and neck ties, including the: Oriental knot, Four-in-hand knot, Windsor knot, Half-Windsor knot, St. Andrew knot, and the Cavendish knot. Just to check if the mentees were awake, we had a competition on tying the Windsor knot the fastest.
http://www.totieatie.com/

Wealth & Stocks (100BMC Southside)

2009-11-07T17:03:00.005-06:00

Today the mentees learned about wealth. We started the session by showing a movie which chronicled how early African-American slaves, once freed, built wealth by accumulating property and later businesses. After the movie we discussed stocks as another means for accumulating wealth and began our stock trading game on Investorpedia. There are weekly prizes for mentees who see their portfolios grow the most.

Introduction To Personal Finance (100BMC Southside)

2009-10-31T12:53:00.004-05:00

Today the mentees received a presentation from 100 BMC member and Shore Bank VP, Daryl Newell. Daryll discussed the basics of personal banking including checking and savings accounts. Daryl also discussed the importance of discipline when it comes to saving and being able to forgoe frivilous purchases in favor of long term wealth.

College Fair initial results

2009-10-29T02:12:00.010-05:00

Early feedback from recruiters on scholarships offered and students accepted on the spot.

http://www.100bmc.org/Album/

Poems and Mentee Feedback (100BMC Michele Clark)

2009-10-29T02:06:00.006-05:00

The 100BMC at Michelle Clark HS had a discussion about the program itself, our desire is to serve the needs of the mentees and the students expressed their concerns and expectations. Also, mentees gave poem recitations to practice public speaking skills.

CSF Recap and Teenage Pregnancy (100 BMC Southside)

2009-10-29T01:38:00.006-05:00

Both Saturday Westside and Southside mentoring programs had discussions to recap the College Scholarship Fair the week before. Our current Juniors and Sophomores need to begin planning for CSF 2010. Also, another topic covered was the news about Robeson HS which has 115 female students either pregnant or with a child. Completing High School without becoming a parent unfortunately takes some planning these days. Finally, the 100BMC executive committee met to discuss plans for the balance of the year and beyond.
Guess the word of the week?
Our mentee business plan competition will be on hiatus this year to allow for a comprehensive 5 year plan project. (Personal SWOT, 360 feedback, Meyers-Briggs test, career exploration, college program exploration, college admissions plan)

7th Annual College Scholarship Fair (CSF)

2009-10-21T23:31:00.001-05:00

The 100 Black Men of Chicago’s primary Education initiative, our CSF, took place this past Friday and Saturday. We hosted 200 colleges and about 5000 students and parents at this event.

Thanks to all the college recruiters for attending, HS counselor for telling the students, and our volunteers, members, mentees, and parents who helped keep the event under control.

A special thanks to Art Hill the “puppet master”, Craig, David, Darryl, and Jeff for mass media, Kenol for intimidating dozens for HS counselors, Tyrone for on-site, Calib for the Friday reception, Jourdan for workshops, Sharron for volunteer wrangling, Regg and Ken for getting the CSF ball moving back in April, and everyone else who I have not mentioned.

For more photos:

http://s594.photobucket.com/albums/tt22/100BMC/100BMC%20CSF%202009/?track=share_email_album_view_click

Password: 100BMC (all caps)

CSF Media Coverage

2009-10-21T23:08:00.004-05:00

Link: http://cbs2chicago.com/video/?id=63760@wbbm.dayport.com

100BMC Honors reception

2009-10-21T22:56:00.002-05:00

The 100BMC held its 3^rd Honor Students reception at the Merchandise Mart downtown, about 20 colleges and 300 Students were in attendance. Seniors with 3.3 GPAs and 23 ACT scores or higher were invited to attend this smaller more intimate event, prior to the larger CSF on Saturday.

Tuition Bill past due

2009-10-21T15:26:00.001-05:00

Yo man, stop calling me!

I swear I paid the balance of my tuition bill back in 1975.

Key question for Mayor Daley

2009-10-21T15:12:00.004-05:00

Dude, what happened in Copenhagen?

I’m trying to sell my condo in Washington Square Park and now the market’s dried up!

100BMC at the Austin YMCA LOCKDOWN!

2009-10-15T09:21:00.004-05:00

Cyril Nichols and Isaac X from the Austin YMCA hosted a Friday night lockdown, where neighborhood teens were “locked” in the YMCA all night. The teens participated in various workshops to introduce them to all the programs available beyond the basketball courts. 100BMC members partnered with Student Minister Caleb Muhammad and Brother Jesse X to talk about teen violence and mentoring.

Career choices (100BMC Southside)

2009-10-15T09:10:00.003-05:00

Our second annual pre-CSF mentoring session on careers took place this weekend. Mentor talked about their careers, how and why they traveled down that path, and the schools they attended. We welcome four new volunteer mentors: Christopher, Rodney, Phillip, and Ronald who jumped in to the conversation.

Surprise guest speakers (100BMC Westside)

2009-10-08T07:12:00.001-05:00

100BMC at Michelle Clark was visited by two surprise guest speakers; Mr. Vance Henry from the Mayor's office on Government affairs and Mr. Phil Jackson of the Black Star Project. Mr. Henry discussed his duties in Government affairs, plus how young men and woman can be involved in the decision making policies of their community, and his roots to the Westside of Chicago. Mr. Jackson spoke on youth violence and how the mentees are the true heroes. They made the decision to be in the program instead of being on the streets aimlessly without a purpose. He drove home the point of "EDUCATE OR DIE".

Self Esteem (100 BMC Southside)

2009-10-03T10:30:00.004-05:00

Today the mentors and mentees opened up the session with an icebreaker discussion about the killing of 16-year-old Derrion Albert caught on video. The talk was lively as mentees shared their thoughts and feelings about the tragedy. We covered the various outcomes that could happen when mentees find themselves in a similar scenario. One of the mentees, Terrence, shared a topic he learned in class,the human pheomenom of "Fight or Flight" when faced with a dangerous situation and applied it to the discussion.

The topic for the day was Self Esteem. We went over the various ways self esteem can either be built up or torn down. We also did an exercise where we asked each of the mentees (1) How much do you believe in yourself as a percentage, (2) What are you achieving with that percentage, (3) What could you achieve if you believed in yourself 25% more? We rounded out the discussion by identifying what morals and values are and how they play a role in determining self esteem and how we live our lives.

Chicago Football Classic

2009-10-01T13:40:00.009-05:00

Thanks to State Farm, and Craig Gilmore, the 100 BMC received tickets for the Chicago Football Classic and we hosted about 40 mentees, parents, and mentors. The Mississippi Valley Devils won after surviving a last second final play by the Alabama Hornets, whose receiver dropped the ball in the end zone, Duh! The Alabama Hornets did win the marching band competition, but the dancing honey bees……I don’t know about them.

100BMC helping Real Men Cook across the U.S.

2009-09-24T01:04:00.006-05:00

100BMC veterans were busy helping the Real Men Cook, Inc. around the country.

First our past mentee Tyler was instrumental in the development of brand new RMC event in his new college town of Tucson with the help of local 100 Black Men members, and Omega brothers.

Second, Devin, and hardcore 100BMC member, was busy in St. Louis building a RMC event to be proud of too with the Shriners. We wish them both the best of luck in their new cities and look forward to visits back in Chi-town.

First Day of Mentoring 2009-2010 (100 BMC Southside)

2009-09-19T12:19:00.001-05:00

Today was the first mentoring session for the 2009 - 2010 season. The 100 Black Men of Chicago were very happy to see some new faces while welcoming back several old friends. The day was spent going over what to expect with this year's program including the addition of a tutoring component from the hours of 9:00am - 10:00am. Another changer, this season, is the addition of our new Westside mentoring location at the YMCA located at 501 Central Avenue. Expectations are high for this year's class of mentees as we expect them to build upon last year's success.

80th Annual Bud Billiken Parade

2009-08-09T16:02:00.002-05:00

The 100 Black Men walked again in the Bud Billiken Parade thanks to Craig Gilmore and Cheryl Williams at State Farm. Over 1,000,000 parade attendees watched our 100BMC hardcore faithful carry our College Fair Banner and handout 5,000 CSF fliers to those with HS seniors or juniors at home. Our mentees began accumulating community service hours for this school year, and we wish Marlon and Tyler good luck as they leave for college in the next few weeks.

Keep in touch with:

Twitter

http://twitter.com/100BMC

Myspace

http://www.myspace.com/100blackmenchicago

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chicago-IL/100-Black-Men-of-Chicago/38915409646

Blog site

http://100bmcmentoring.blogspot.com/

Terisa Griffin's Better Love Yourself trunk

2009-08-04T15:27:00.002-05:00

To help send our senior mentees leaving for college both Marlon and Tyler applied for Terisa Griffin's Better Love Yourself trunk. Terisa’s charity offers trunks to students leaving for college in Chicago, St Louis, Memphis, Monroe LA, and Cleveland. In Chicago 90 students received trunks after completing an essay about themselves. Marlon and Tyler wrote two extensive pieces of work worthy of…...trucks filled with goodies for their dorm rooms next year.

Our multitalented Dr George Smith was a headline speaker, and during some downtime before he presented, he helped save a life of a young girl who passed out from heat exhaustion. John Kendal and Jeff Jackson were on hand as backup if needed.

Real Men Cook

2009-06-20T15:00:00.009-05:00

Today the mentors and mentees from the 100 Black Men of Chicago participated in Real Men Cook held at Kennedy King College. The crowd was excited to see us back and has come to expect the tasty banana pudding courtesy of Joe Hardy and chocolate mousse compliments of Kevin King. The mentees helped serve the crowd while talking up our mentoring program and College Scholarship Fair.

Story Produced and Written By Christian West

2009-06-19T13:35:00.005-05:00

This is a journalism story about the 100 Black Men of Chicago produced and written solely by Christian West, freshman in the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Christian is an example of a young African-American male, excelling at a high level, at one of our Nation's top academic institutions.

100BMC at Nationals in NYC

2009-06-19T11:32:00.006-05:00

I love New York, last week our mentees traveled by plane, shuttle bus, train, and taxi to the Hilton hotel in Manhattan for the 100 Black Men’s National Conference. 100BM chapters from all over North America, plus England, and the Caribbean were in attendance. Mentees went to a taping of BET’s 106 and Park where Denzel Washington was a guest, and later they partied on a cruise ship to the Statue of Liberty. 100BMC members were also present to network and learn about other programs and opportunities for the 100BMC, while the mentees explored NYC.

Arne Duncan at the 100 Black Men of America National Convention

2009-06-13T10:41:00.000-05:00

End of Mentoring Carnival

2009-06-01T02:01:00.003-05:00

Mentoring is over for the 2008-2009 season, and the 100BMC joined up with Tom Finch to treat the mentees, mentors, and parents to a day at the carnival. The weather cooperated and we had 30 attendees scattered throughout the park. The theme seemed to be spin upside down, then eat greasy food, and finally spin upside down again. Unlike others at the park, none of our mentees or mentors lost their lunch.

100BMC African American History Challenge (AAHC)

2009-05-27T21:54:00.005-05:00

This year’s Heritage bowl was hosted by Brian Coleman at Chicago State University. Contestants from Hales Franciscan High School: Ryan Greenlaw and LeJohn Montgomery coached by Useni Perkins were defeated by contestants from Gwendolyn Brooks High School: Denise Ford-El and Daniel Velasco coached by Hubert Jackson. Our coaching consultants Barb Christopher and Diane Bukovsky were also in attendance. The performance of the Gwendolyn Brooks team makes the 100 Black Men of Chicago a very, very, very strong contender for winning at nationals in New York, is betting allowed?

12th Annual Benefit Awards Ceremony

2009-05-23T22:45:00.003-05:00

On Saturday the mentees from Chicago and Aurora came together to celebrate their many accomplishments at the 100 Black Men of Chicago's 12th Annual Benefits Awards Ceremony. It's a tradition to start out the day by going to the movies, this years's selection was Terminator Salvation. Two Thumbs Up. Afterwards the mentees headed back to the Hyatt for a pre-gala pizz party.

At 6:00pm the mentees were ready to go, making their first appearence at the cocktail reception and silent auction where they mixed and mingled with our corporate sponsors. Everyone looked really dapper in their tuxedos and evening gowns. At 7:00pm the guests began to arrive and our mentees were introduced and recognized for their many accomplishments over the past year.

The 100 BMC would like to thank our corporate sponsors, mentees and supporters for making the night a memorable one.

100BMC Awards ceremony Photo Album online

2009-05-23T13:50:00.002-05:00

Photo album password: 100BMC

Click link below

http://s594.photobucket.com/albums/tt22/100BMC/100BMC%20Gala%202009/?albumview=grid&track=share_email_album_view_click

Dr. Smith goes to Waubonsie (100BMC Aurora)

2009-05-21T10:00:00.002-05:00

Our Mentees at Waubonsie Valley High School welcomed a very special guest presenter, Dr. George Smith of the 100BMC. Dr. Smith provided an energetic, fact filled, presentation on the importance of committing to both a quality education and hard work as the foundation to establishing and achieving scholastic, professional, and personal goals. Dr. Smith also emphasized that life's experiences are not without some bumps in the road. Throughout the presentation, Dr. Smith entertained a number of questions from inquiring students. In addition to the enthusiasm Dr. Smith generated speaking to the upside of achieving goals, he did not fail to share the grave consequences for those who choose not to establish education as the basis of their pursuits.

Practice makes perfect (100BMC Westside)

2009-05-20T17:25:00.004-05:00

La Porcha was out of excuses and time, so both she and Claiborne practiced their presentations for the gala. Claiborne will be this year’s returning mentee talking about his experience with the 100BMC and how it impacted him. La Porcha will be one of two MC’s presenting the guests of honor. Claiborne was encouraged to hold the podium to avoid his repetitive hand gestures, and La Porcha was encouraged to make eye contact with the audience.

Cooking Class (100BMC Southside)

2009-05-18T21:46:00.003-05:00

The 100 BMC Mentees met up at Kennedy King College's state of the art culinary school kitchen for a cooking lesson, from 100 BMC Mentor, Chef Paul the owner of Alter EatGo. The menu consisted of chicken pizza, spaghetti, salad and raisin cookies. The mentees were hands on from beginning to end. Not only did they learn how to prepare a quick and easy meal, but Chef Paul also explained to the mentees the many opportunities available for culinary experts.

Past mentees reloaded (100BMC westside)

2009-05-12T17:19:00.003-05:00

Summer is almost here and college students come home to roost. Mentees from past years returned to 100BMC Westside's mentoring program. They discussed the past year in college, internships, networking, and their gala experience. La Porcha pretended not to know her MC role at the gala, to avoid presenting in front of a large group.

Relationships with Women (100BMC southside)

2009-05-09T19:31:00.005-05:00

This weekend "the boys" talked about "the girls", battle hardened mentors give their stories from the trenches. What women look for in men: grooming, personality, bling, swag, etc. Dating tests to screen and avoid potentially bad relationships. How men should treat women and how to prepare your apartment before women drop over.

Illinois Institute of Entrepreneurial Education (IIEE)

2009-05-03T11:30:00.005-05:00

IIEE hosted their 21st annual young entrepreneurs conference in Itasca. Students attended this conference from across the US, Canada, and potentially from Mexico except for the H1N1 virus. 100BMC members were in attendance to observe, learn, and plan for next year’s mentoring program. Our goal would be to select mentees who win our business plan competition and sponsor them to attend IIEE’s conference in 2010.