Learn about Midwest NCSY's system of pairing advisors with teens, to make sure that no teen falls through the cracks and every NCSY teen has a relationship with an NCSY advisor.
What is the goal of our Shabbatons? The goal of our Shabbatons is to create programming that is engaging for our teens, with a specific focus on facilitating meaningful time between teens and advisors.
Knowing that this is the goal of our Shabbatons, we send a followup email to our advisors during the week after every Shabbaton. (Click here to see a sample email.) The email asks each advisor to fill out a Google form about which NCSYers they have (or plan to have) an ongoing relationship with.
The form allows us to collect data about connections between teens and advisors. We then transfer that data into a database. (We use Zoho, since it is simple to use and can run meaningful reports such as percentage of teens connected to advisor.) Our goal is to have 100% participation.
Additionally, we have a program (which might be a great idea for fundraising), in which we buy sefarim for teens and advisor who commit to learning together b'chavursah. We provide a stipend for $10 per hour, and up to $500 per year per teen. All of the money goes directly toward funding a summer program of their choice.
Concluding Thoughts
- The heart of real kiruv requires a relationship with a good role model.
- Regional NCSY office staff is - as it relates to the number of teens on most Shabbatons - far too small to maintain meaningful relationships with all of the teens.
- Advisors are excited to be involved and are (hopefully) good role models.
- Take advantage of your advisors' passion to further the growth of your NCSYers!
If you'd like to hear more about Midwest NCSY's program, please contact me at kareshp@ncsy.org.