Student Success > Tutoring & Study Help > 2021-Summit

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11th Peer Tutor & Mentor Summit
Friday, February 26, 2021 | 10:00 am - 3:30 pm
Please register before attending to receive session details and links!

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The Peer Tutor & Mentor Summit is a professional development and community-building event for any student who serves in a peer support role such as tutors, mentors, advisors, coaches, leaders, and others across DePaul University. Each year, the Summit is a place where you can “Network. Collaborate. Learn." through a variety of Round Robin sessions (interactive mini-workshops), as well as through a keynote address and other networking opportunities.

The 2021 Summit will mark the 11th anniversary of this event and will be held on Friday, February 26th. This year’s theme—A Deep Dive Into Virtual Connectivity—acknowledges the common feeling of isolation in quarantine, but similarly to a deep diver, learning how to use tools can show tutors and mentors alike that exploring the ocean is a vast and rewarding challenge!

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Theme: A Deep Dive into Virtual Connectivity

The Summit theme is collaboratively decided by peer educators across DePaul. Over the last few months, tutors and mentors selected a theme related to award shows, leading to the concept of A Deep Dive into Virtual Connectivity.

2020 was a whale of a year! With everything going on in the world, it can feel like you’re drowning in work, classes, anxiety, and more. This theme seeks to remind us all that we are not lost at sea. Rather, this year we invite Summit participants to celebrate and recognize the collaborative efforts that tutors and mentors engage in, especially during a year that has been so isolating. This unique and fun theme will be showcased throughout the Summit, including through Round Robin sessions.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the event, Summit participants will be able to

  1. Describe at least 2 goals to focus on that will assist you in your peer support role.
  2. Identify strategies for success in a virtual environment from fellow peers.
  3. Develop an idea to implement that promotes collaboration.

Keynote Speaker: Yosef Mendelsohn

Yosef
Yosef Mendelsohn is an accomplished educator in computer science and data analytics. He has been teaching technical subjects over a period of nearly 20 years encompassing a wide range of topics such as Java, C++, Python, Statistics, R, Web Design, and others. He has received awards and accolades for his ability to explain complex topics in a clear and engaging manner. In his role as a computer and data scientist, Yosef has consulted for various companies and startup organizations in the Chicagoland area. He has also collaborated with major academic institutions around Chicago including Northwestern University, University of Chicago, and DePaul University. Yosef has a degree in Music Performance from DePaul University, and a Medical Doctorate from Northwestern University Medical School. He also has a Master’s degree in Predictive Analytics and Machine Learning from DePaul University, which has led to consulting work in medical analytics, machine learning and AI. Yosef is a former Canadian national wrestling champion, a private pilot, and holds a divemaster rating in scuba diving. 

Summit Agenda

10:00 - 10:10am CST
Welcome Activity
10:10 - 10:20am CST
Opening Remarks
10:20 - 10:25am CST
Morning Round Robin Directions
10:28 - 11:45am CST
Morning Round Robin Sessions
11:45 - 12:25pm CST
Break for Lunch
12:25 - 12:35pm CST
Afternoon Welcome & Speaker Introduction
12:35 - 1:25pm CST
Keynote Speaker
1:25 - 1:37pm CST
Afternoon Round Robin Directions
1:40 - 3:00pm CST
Afternoon Round Robin Sessions
3:03 - 3:25pm CST
Closing Activity
 

Round Robin Sessions

One of the defining features of every Peer Tutor and Mentor Summit is a series of interactive Round Robin sessions. These interactive mini-workshops reflect on aspects of our individual work as peer tutors and mentors and connect to the experience of peer educators across DePaul. The goal for each session is to engage your peers in activities and discussions that highlight a variety of mentoring and tutoring ideas, strategies, and techniques to help other peer educators reflect on their own work and see it in this larger context. We encourage you to playfully intersect with this year’s theme, A Deep Dive Into Virtual Connectivity, with your topic. Each session runs 15-20 minutes and will likely be repeated.

Round Robin Proposal Theme Examples

Here are some examples of how you might connect your session proposal to the theme—you are welcome to think of others, but these might help you as you plan!

  • Arctic Sea of Introductions:  The first step to fitting in your school of fish is breaking through those initial icebergs! Find the icebreaker best fit for your students to tether them together for a successful quarter!
  • Lifeboat Games:  Turn a blue tutoring session into a fun adventure–any course topic can be made into an engaging activity that will wash your boredom away!
  • Setting Sail for Success:  How to Chart a Course for Peer Mentoring Achievement
  • Underwater University:  How to Stay Afloat as a Zoom Student
  • Surfing the Web:  How to use the Internet to Your Advantage as a Student
  • Taking the Dive:  Overcoming Aquaphobia, How do you work through nerves and anxiety—your own as well as that of your mentee or tutee—to dive deep with your students and help them succeed?
  • SCUBA Gear:  How can we use the digital tools at our exposal to collaborate and work together as efficiently as possible in this completely virtual environment.
  • Synchronized Swimming:  Who’s on your swim team? How to collaborate with others to ensure success!

Round Robin Proposal Support

To help with the Round Robin proposal process, we are offering multiple ways for you to seek support and feedback with developing your proposal. As any peer educator knows, two heads are better than one!

1) Request a Round Robin Proposal Workshop for your Program
Tutor or mentor programs are invited to request a workshop for their tutors and mentors. Facilitators will customize the workshop to the needs of the program; we are happy to work with participants on guiding you through any stage of the proposal process and/or to work on proposal brainstorming, development, or revision.

2) Schedule a Writing Center Appointment
Tutors and mentors are encouraged to schedule individual or group appointments at the Writing Center to work on their proposals at any stage of the writing process! Peer writing tutors who have successfully proposed and presented a Round Robin at past Summits are available to work with you.

Submitting a Round Robin Proposal 

Round Robin proposals are due by 11:59pm on Sunday, February 14th, 2021. Please submit your Round Robin proposal online via this website. The Round Robin Committee will be in touch with feedback and next steps.

Round Robin Proposal Form
Contact

If you have any questions or concerns, please email Jen Finstrom at jfinstro [at] depaul.edu.