Nov 2022 T/M eNews

November 2022 - Issue 216
Give Thanks and Give Donations
Most of us have much to be thankful for as we head into Thanksgiving and the holiday season. Yet others have great needs and suffer from natural and man-made disasters.
The Holiday Season is a traditional time of gift giving and non-profits raise much of their operating money during this period.
Thus, in this newsletter I'll focus on the Giving Tuesday campaign and on information resources that help donors, volunteers and parents find local youth serving programs.
Use this newsletter as a study guide.
The ideas and resources shared in this monthly newsletter point to a library of resources that can be used by anyone, in Chicago, or around the world, to help mentor-rich youth programs thrive in all of the neighborhoods where they are most needed.
If you are a consistent reader, consider a contribution to help fund the Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC
Visit Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC Website
Why you should "invest heavily" in volunteer-based tutor and/or mentor programs. Read articles and research on tutor/mentor blog.
The Sunday, November 13, 2022, Chicago SunTimes included a commentary with the headline "We should not accept any more children being gunned down". Among the recommendations was to "invest heavily in both data driven programs and in mentoring programs that have proven outcomes."
Giving Tuesday, Nov 19, 2022, is one opportunity to reach out and support youth serving programs. Read the article in the tutor/mentor blog.
View articles about race, poverty and inequality from the tutor/mentor library. click here
Giving Tuesday on Social Media
Look for Chicago area youth tutor mentor programs on any of these platforms. Pick one or more to support with time, talent and dollars. If you're in another city, look for an intermediary who is collecting and sharing lists like these. If you are a youth-serving organization, make sure you're telling your story using one or more of these platforms.
This is a Giving Tuesday campaign post on Twitter, from 826 Chi.
I include them and many other Chicago area youth tutor and/or mentor programs on this Twitter list.
This is the Gads Hill Center's Facebook Page. They have built the Giving Tuesday campaign into their feature photo.
Facebook does not have a list feature like Twitter so you need to look up an organization's page, then "like" or "follow" in order to see their posts in your timeline.
Here's a list of Chicago youth orgs with Facebook page. Use this to help you find and support local programs.
Do this throughout the year!
This is a post by Mercy Home for Boys and Girls on Instagram which supports their Giving Tuesday campaign.
Instagram does not have a list feature so you need to look up individual programs and follow them in order to see their posts in your feed.
Here's my list of Chicago youth programs on Instagram.
Use it to find programs to follow.
If you find broken links or know of other youth programs that should be on my lists, just send me an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
This is a Tutoring Chicago post on LinkedIn. So far I don't see them promoting Giving Tuesday, but I'll keep watching.
I have not built a list of Chicago tutor/mentor programs on Linked in, but used my list of program websites to search out programs and follow them so I could see them in my timeline.
Most organizations show their social media links at the top, or bottom of their home page.
Use a blog to tell your up-to-date story.
This is the iMentor Chicago blog which you can find on the blog page of iMentor National's website. Just click into "Chicago".
I include them in this list showing blogs of youth serving organizations in Chicago and around the country.
I encourage using blogs. They can be updated more easily than a website and can tell "why" your program is needed as well as "what" it is accomplishing.
Here's a way to use your blog
I posted this story on the Tutor/Mentor blog on November 9th, 2022. In it I introduced five alumni of the tutor/mentor programs I led in Chicago.
Two of them, Kaeaiya Holmes and Toi Dickson-Fuller, have collaborated on a book titled "I Am Her78: The End of a New Beginning" which had it's book launch on November 19th.
If you are in contact with alumni use your blog to show their success and give them a boost. You'll show donors the long-term value of your program!
Below are resources to use to help youth in your community.
View latest links added to tutor/mentor library - click here
Recent Tutor/Mentor Blog articles:
Mapping Complexity - click here
Veterans Day - Never Forget - click here
Examples of the Tutor/Mentor Library - click here
Role of Libraries in Constant Improvement Process - click here
Map shows Areas of Concentrated Poverty - click here
Mission Impossible - Reflection - click here
2010 article from Tutor/Mentor blog - Role of Mentoring - click here
Network Building - Can you do this, too? - click here
 
Bookmark these Tutor/Mentor Resources
* Resource Library - click here
* Strategy PDFs by Tutor/Mentor - click here
* Concept Map library - click here
* Work done by interns - click here
* Digital Divide resources - click here
* Political Action resources - click here
* Featured collections on Wakelet - click here
* Tutor/Mentor Institute Videos - click here
* Chicago Youth Serving Organizations in Intermediary Roles - click here to view a concept map showing many organizations working to help improve the lives of Chicago area youth. Follow the links.
Resources & Announcements
* National Mentoring Summit registration is open. Dates are Jan 25-27, 2023 - click here
* MyChiMyFuture - Chicago youth programs map and directory. click here; visit the website - click here
* To & Through Project website - click here: Follow on Twitter - @UChiToThrough
* Center for Effective Philanthropy - click here
* Forefront -Illinois' statewide association of nonprofits, foundations and advisors. click here
* National Mentoring Partnership, resources - click here
* Proven Tutoring - coalition of independent tutoring providers - click here ; read Robert Slavin blog articles - click here
* Chicago Mentoring Collaborative - click here
* Chicago Public Schools locator map - click here
* Chicago Health Atlas - click here
* Strengthening Chicago Youth website, click here;  blog - click here
* Thrive Chicago collaboration - click here
* Chicago Learning Exchange - click here
* Chicago STEM Pathways Cooperative - click here
* Incarceration Reform Resource Center - click here
* AfterSchool Alliance - resource center - click here
* ChiHackNight - remote civic technology meet-up; every Tuesday in Chicago - see weekly agenda
About this newsletter.
While I try to send this only once a month, I write blog articles weekly. Throughout the newsletter I post links to a few of the articles published in the past month or earlier. I encourage you to spend a little time each week reading these articles and following the links. Use the ideas and presentations in group discussions with other people who are concerned about the same issues.
Encourage friends, family, co-workers to sign up to receive this newsletter. Click here.
(If you subscribe, don't forget to respond to the confirmation email).
Every year since 2011 I've offered two ways for people to support Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC with contributions. One is with a birthday gift.
I'll be 76 on December 19. You can help put candles on my cake with a $7.60 donation for a single candle or a $76 contribution for 10.
Click here to learn more
Thank you for reading.
Please help fund T/MI.
Since 2011 I've not operated as a non-profit, but as Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC. I'm doing the same work, just with a different tax structure (and same small budget!).
If you want to help fund T/MI with a year-end contribution, visit this page.

Dec. 2022 T/M eNews

December 2022 - Issue 217
Enjoy your Holidays. Spread cheer to others.
 
As we head into the final two weeks of 2022 and celebrate the holidays I thank you all for reading and sharing this monthly newsletter and wish you all a safe, happy, Holiday.

The Holiday Season is a time of gift giving and celebration with friends and family. It's also a time of reflection as we look back on 2022 and forward into 2023.

Please use the resources I share to find and support youth tutor, mentor and learning programs so you give the gifts of HOPE and OPPORTUNITY to more kids throughout the US and the world.
Use this newsletter as a study guide.

The ideas and resources shared in this monthly newsletter point to a library of resources that can be used by anyone, in Chicago, or around the world, to help mentor-rich youth programs thrive in all of the neighborhoods where they are most needed.

If you are a consistent reader, consider a contribution to help fund the Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC
Seek out youth programs in high poverty areas.  Offer your help.
Look for Chicago area youth tutor mentor programs on any of the lists on the T/MI website . Pick one or more to support with time, talent and dollars. The lists that I host also include youth serving programs beyond Chicago, as well as programs focusing on arts, STEM and other issues.
Read about STEMM goals for 2050
On December 12th a White House Summit on STEMM Equity and Excellence was held. I watched the archived recording and then edited some of my concept maps to show how these could be used to support the STEMM 2050 goals.

Take a look at the video and my concept maps in this blog article.

Helping kids through school and into jobs and careers by age 25 requires the same actions and strategies and commitment of leaders from every sector as will helping more kids into STEMM careers by 2050. I invite communities to use my maps and library as a resource for their own planning and to create new versions that include my edits, and focus the maps on STEMM.
Below are resources to use to help youth in your community.
View latest links added to tutor/mentor library - click here
 
Recent Tutor/Mentor Blog articles:

Vertical vs Horizontal Networks - click here

Listen to Tutor/Mentor blog articles - click here

Giving - in December and beyond - click here

Mapping Complexity - click here

A "Thank you" from my Network - click here


Bookmark these Tutor/Mentor Resources

* Resource Library - click here

* Strategy PDFs by Tutor/Mentor - click here

* Concept Map library - click here

* Work done by interns - click here

* Digital Divide resources - click here

* Political Action resources - click here

* Featured collections on Wakeletclick here

* Tutor/Mentor Institute Videos - click here
Resources & Announcements

* National Mentoring Summit registration is open. Dates are Jan 25-27, 2023 - click here

* MyChiMyFuture - Chicago youth programs map and directory. click here; visit the website - click here

* Forefront -Illinois' statewide association of nonprofits, foundations and advisors. click here

* Chicago Mentoring Collaborative - click here

* Chicago Learning Exchange - click here

* Chicago STEM Pathways Cooperative - click here

* Incarceration Reform Resource Center - click here

* AfterSchool Alliance - resource center - click here

* ChiHackNight - remote civic technology meet-up; every Tuesday in Chicago - see weekly agenda


View past 2022 eNews letters
- click here
About this newsletter.

While I try to send this only once a month, I write blog articles weekly. Throughout the newsletter I post links to a few of the articles published in the past month or earlier. I encourage you to spend a little time each week reading these articles and following the links. Use the ideas and presentations in group discussions with other people who are concerned about the same issues.

I encourage you to connect with me, and each other, on one or more social media networks. This page has links to several, including my account on Mastodon. With Twitter's future in doubt it's important that we find other places to connect.

Encourage friends, family, co-workers to sign up to receive this newsletter. Click here.
(If you subscribe, don't forget to respond to the confirmation email).
 
Every year since 2011 I've offered two ways for people to support Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC with contributions. One is with a birthday gift.

I'll be 76 on December 19. You can help put candles on my cake with a $7.60 donation for a single candle or a $76 contribution for 10.

Click here to learn more
Thank you for reading.
Please help fund T/MI.
Since 2011 I've not operated as a non-profit, but as Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC. I'm doing the same work, just with a different tax structure (and same small budget!).
If you want to help fund T/MI with a year-end contribution, visit this page.

Thank you to everyone who has already sent December contributions!
 

New additions to library - 2023

New additions to this library from July 2022 to Dec. 2022 are shown at this link.

Links added since January 1, 2023 are shown below:

12-20-2023 - NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR FAMILY, SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT - NAFSCE
https://nafsce.org/
From the website: "NAFSCE's mission is "advancing high-impact policies and practices for family, school and community engagement to promote child development and improve student achievement."
Find in this section

12-20-2023 - HOW TO DONATE YOUR LIFE INSURANCE POLICY TO A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
https://www.marketwatch.com/guides/insurance-services/how-to-donate-life-insurance-policy/
This is a comprehensive article showing ways you can use your life insurance policy to support a charity of your choosing.  It's a creative way to support youth serving programs. 
Find in this section

12-19-2023 - AN ARTICLE ABOUT RANKED CHOICE VOTING COMBINED WITH FINAL FIVE VOTING - 2023
https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/121923_rank_choice_voting/how-new-way-vote-gaining-traction-states-and-could-transform-us-politics/
This article from the Tuscon Sentinel shows describes what 'ranked choice voting' and 'final five voting' are, and how these new ways to vote are gaining traction in many states.
Find in this section

12-19-2023 - DRUG AND ALCOLHOL ADDITION TREATMENT AND PREVENTION RESOURCES - FROM CRESTVIEW RECOVERY (PORTLAND, OR)
https://www.crestviewrecovery.com/rehab-blog/
This website provides an extensive collection of resources and services for people in the Portland, Oregon area and for those seeking information on-line.  The link I've provided is to the blog on the website.
Find in this section

12-13-2020 - TINY NEWS COLLECTIVE - SUPPORTS EMERGING NEWS ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
https://www.tinynewsco.org/members/
From the website: "We provide operational support through shared resources and growing community learning to help first-time founders build sustainable news organizations that reflect the communities they serve."  One of these is The Harvey World Herald, https://harveyworld.org/, serving Harvey, Illinois. 
Find in this section

12-12-2023 - MAPPING INEQUALITY - REDLINING IN NEW DEAL AMERICA
https://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/redlining/
This University of Richmond website is a huge resource of maps and data about redlining in America and its impact. 
Find in this section

12-4-2023 - HOW TO MAKE A WEBSITE: FREE STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
https://websitesetup.org/
From the website: "This step-by-step guide walks you through every step you need to take to create a website for your business or yourself in an hour or less without using expensive tools."  
Find in this section

12-1-2023 - CHICAGO SOUTH SIDE STEM OPPORTUNITY LANDSCAPE - DATA FOR NINE COMMUNITY AREAS
https://www.southsidestemlandscape.org/
From the website: "Argonne National Laboratory in partnership with Northwestern University's Digital Youth Network has created a platform showing STEM assets in nine community areas.  You can vide data on interactive information tables and on an interactive asset map.
Find in this section

12-1-2023 - HEARTLAND ALLIANCE - CHICAGO COMMUNITY DATA PORTAL
https://www.heartlandalliance.org/heartland-alliance/research-and-policy/data-reports/chicago-data-dashboards/
From the website: "Use this tool to help you  understand on-the-ground realities about education, health, and economic security in Chicago community areas. Topics are economic opportunity, education and community health.  Sort by community area. This article demonstrates a way to share the data via blogs. 
Find in this section

12-1-2023 - A BETTER CHICAGO YOUTH OPPORTUNITY DASHBOARD
https://www.abetterchicago.org/youth-opportunity-dashboard
This dashboard offers a comprehensive view of how kids in each Chicago community area are doing in school, in finding work, and financially.  You can sort by community area and view a range of data indicators. The dashboard is described in this WBEZ article
Find in this section

11-26-2023 - BLACK IN ROBOTICS AIMS TO INCREASE PRESENCE OF BLACK AND UNDER-REPRESENTED MINORITIES IN ROBOTICS
https://blackinrobotics.org/
From the website: "Black in Robotics  (BiR) is a non-profit organization that was formed to address the systemic inequalities found in our robotics community by focusing on three primary pillars - community, advocacy and accountability."
Find in this section

11-26-2023 - CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION, STEM, K-12 ROBOTICS, MORE - CARLOTTA A. BERRY, PhD BLOG
https://www.noiresteminist.com/blog
Browse through the articles on this blog and you'll find many focuses on creativity and innovation, engineering and design process, robotics, STEM and more. 
Find in this section

11-16-2023 - CHILDREN'S FUNDING PROJECT - FOCUSES ON SUSTAINABLE FUNDING OF OUT-OF-SCHOOL-TIME PROGRAMS
https://www.childrensfundingproject.org/
From the website: "by working with communities, states, and national partners, Children’s Funding Project builds a constituency of advocates committed to supporting children and youth—from birth to young adulthood. Through this collective action, we will realize our vision for a nation where all children and youth thrive because all communities maintain equitable, coordinated, and sustainable funding for comprehensive programs and services."
Find in this section

11-15-2023 - MAPTITUDE ARTICLES SHOW USE OF MAPTITUDE IN DIFFERENT SECTORS
https://www.caliper.com/press/library.htm
This site has an extensive list of articles, organized by sectors, such as automotive, business, marketing & management, science & environmental studies, etc.  In the Education category there are only three articles. One focuses on Indiana's Schooling Deserts.
Find in this section

11-15-2023 - MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, GREAT LAKES AND ENERGY - DATA MAPS, STORY MAPS, ETC
https://gis-egle.hub.arcgis.com/pages/all-maps-and-apps
This site hosts a huge collection of story maps and data maps.  Take a look.  
Find in this section

11-15-2023 - CORPORATE VOLUNTEERING, GIVING AND GRANTS TECHNOLOGY REVIEW - 3RD EDITION - 2023
https://www.rw.institute/the-corporate-volunteering-giving-and-grants-technology-review?mc_cid=65da7b5155&mc_eid=3cb26645c6
This FREE review from the RW Institute offers "CSR practitioners with a comprehensive overview of platforms from around the world that support employee giving, volunteering, and grant programs, as well as unique insight into technology procurement, implementation and adoption."
Find in this section

11-12-2023 - OPPORTUNITY YOUTH AND SEX-BASED HARRASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE: A SCAN OF RESEARCH AND RESOURCES
https://activatecenter.org/resource/opportunity-youth-and-sex-based-harassment-in-the-workplace-a-scan-of-research-and-resources/
This is an extensive review of research about Opportunity Youth, or young people ages 16 to 24 who are not currently connected to school or work.  This is a resource on the ACTIVATE website, which "curates, adapts, and creates evidence-informed, user-friendly resources using research-based methods for translating research to practice."
Find in this section

11-2-2023 - STEVE HARGADON - THE LEARNING REVOLUTION HAS BEGUN
https://www.stevehargadon.com/
Steve is founder and director of the Learning Revolution Project, the host of the Future of Education and Reinventing School interview series, and the founder and chair (or co-chair) of a number of annual worldwide virtual events, including the Global Education Conferences and the Library 2.0 series of mini-conferences and webinars.  He built the Classroom2.0 community on Ning.com in 2007 (no longer active), which was one of the first modern social networks for teachers.  
Find in this section

10-20-2023 - THREAD - THE NEW SOCIAL FABRIC - BALTIMORE YOUTH PROGRAM
https://www.thread.org/
From the website: "The mission of Thread is to harness the power of relationships to create a new social fabric of diverse individuals deeply engaging with young people facing the most significant opportunity and achievement gaps. Our community is committed to ending social isolation and building a more equitable culture in which everyone thrives."
Find in this section

10-9-2023 -
POVERTY SOLUTIONS - UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
https://poverty.umich.edu/
From the website: "The mission of Poverty Solutions is to partner with communities and policymakers to find new ways to prevent and alleviate poverty.  The Poverty Solutions team shares via books, social media and webinars, which Dan Bassill of Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC has often viewed.  The October 2023 "Injustice of Place" webinar can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0sIuIvKY5A
Find in this section

10-6-2023 -
LOGIC COMIX: LEARNING RESOURCE?
https://impedagogy.com/wp/blog/2023/10/04/logiccomix-anybody-using-these-in-the-learning-venues/
This blog article introduces a genre of comics, saying  "that they are all about logic and critical thinking. They use humor and clever illustrations to explain complex concepts."  See links in the article.
Find in this section


10-2-2023 - FREE, PRINTABLE WORKSHEETS WITH ANSWER KEYS - MULTIPLE TOPICS
https://15worksheets.com/
This website was created by retired teachers and is full of worksheets for students, teachers, homeschoolers and tutors to use.
Find in this section

9-29-2023 - THE INVESTIGATIVE PROJECT ON RACE AND EQUITY
https://www.raceandequityproject.org/
From the website: "The Investigative Project on Race and Equity trains journalists in data-driven reporting and collaborates with news organizations to uncover systemic racism. Our partnerships add depth to the coverage of underrepresented communities and help build capacity within newsrooms to pursue in-depth projects.  View the 2023 series "Profiled: The State of Traffic Stops in Illinois".
Find in this section


9-25-2023 - ILLINOIS CIVICS.ORG - FOCUSES ON CIVIC EDUCATION
http://illinoiscivics.blogspot.com/2019/01/civic-education-systems-map-suggests.html?m=1
Illinois Civics focuses on sustained, school-wide commitments to civic learning that will lead to the long-term resuscitation of the state's civic health.  This link points to a unique civics education systems map.  View the map live on Kumu at
https://kumu.io/CivicNow/cluster-map-14-nodes#civics-system-map-reduced-to-14-nodes/civics-addresses-current-difficult-issues
Find in this section

9-22-2023 - A COLLECTION OF KUMU SYSTEMS THINKING PROJECTS
https://blog.kumu.io/introducing-projects-in-the-wild-5528050de844
This blog article is titled "Projects in the Wild" and hosts a growing list of projects that use KUMU to "design simple, thoughtful solutions that help us work in complexity".  This should be a great resource for any who are using KUMU or any form of concept mapping tools, or who are trying to solve complex problems.  
Find in this section

9-17-2023 - CLIMATE ACTION PROJECT UNITES TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ACROSS 149 COUNTRIES
https://www.climateactionproject.org/
This website supports involvement of students and teachers from around the world in activities that explore, brainstorm, discuss, create and have fun, while building skills like creativity, empathy and real-world problem solving. 
Find in this section

9-17-2023 - BUILDING A COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEM OF STUDENT LEARNING SUPPORTS - 2023 UCLA CENTER PDF
https://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/briefguide.pdf
Poverty is increasing in the United States.  UCLA Center for Mental Health in Schools asks "What role will schools choose to play in efforts to enhance equity of opportunity so that these children can succeed in school and beyond?"  This PDF shows a comprehensive plan for building student/learning supports.  
Find in this section

9-15-2023 - WE MUST EMBED SYSTEMS THINKING IN EDUCATION. HERE'S HOW.  2023 ARTICLE
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/07/systems-thinking-education-future/
This article is hosted on the World Economic Forum website in partnership with Forbes. It describes a collaboration with Trinity College Dublin and the World Economic Forum, using the WEF's Strategic Intelligence platform at a variety of education institutions.  According to the authors "The recommendations from this pilot could help reignite imagination, creativity and innovation in the classroom, making learning more enjoyable and fulfilling for students."
Find in this section

9-14-2023 - HOW DO  U.S. STATES MEASURE UP ON CHILD RIGHTS? 2023 REPORT
https://www.hrw.org/feature/2022/09/13/how-do-states-measure-up-child-rights
This UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) report shows that many states fail to live up to key standards set by the CRC. No state received a higher grade than "C".  Most states rated "D" or "F".  
Find in this section

9-7-2023 - NONPROFIT LAW BLOG SHARES LISTS OF NONPROFIT RESOURCES EVERY WEEK
https://nonprofitlawblog.com/curated-nonprofit-resources-of-the-week-9-3-23/
This blog looks to be an extensive resource for those involved in non-profit fund raising and leadership.  The link points to curated nonprofit resources for the week of 9/3/2023
Find in this section

9-7-2023 - NEW RESEARCH PLAN TO STUDY WEALTH AND GENEROSITY - 2023 BLOG POST
https://renebekkers.wordpress.com/2023/09/05/new-research-plan-wealth-and-generosity/
This is one of many articles on a blog by Rene Bekkers, the Professor of Philanthropy and Director of the Center for Philanthropic Studies at Vrije University in Amsterdam.  
Find in this section

9-7-2023 - SUPPORTING GRASSROOTS JUSTICE-ORIENTATED ACTIVISTS AROUND THE WORLD: A YEAR'S WORTH OF LEARNINGS (2023 ARTICLE)
https://medium.com/@TomLiacas/supporting-grassroots-justice-oriented-activists-around-the-world-a-years-worth-of-learnings-e685407eb4ba
This article shares work being done to connect grassroots social justice activists from around the world in a knowledge-sharing network.  Follow the links embedded in t he article to dig deeper into the work that this group is doing.
Find in this section

9-6-2023 - NAVIGATING THE CHALLENGES OF WOMEN IN STEM AND GAMING
https://wordfinderx.com/blog/women-in-stem-gaming/
This article focuses on careers in the gaming technology industry, but includes an extensive list of STEM resources.  The article is hosted on a WordFinderX website, https://wordfinderx.com/. which anyone who plays word games might find interesting. 
Find in this section

8-25-2023 - LATINOS IN THE CHICAGO SUBURBS: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES (2023 REPORT)
https://www.latinopolicyforum.org/news/press-releases/document/PRESS-RELEASE-8.25_Latinos-in-the-Suburbs.pdf
This is a comprehensive report showing Latino population trends in Chicago suburbs and the city. Compiled by the Latino Policy Forum, Metropolitan Planning Council and Great Cities Institute at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Find link to full report PDF in this press release.
Find in this section

8-24-2023 - LEARNING LINKS: ACADEMIC RESOURCES AND TEACHING TOOLS FOR HUMANITARIAN COURSES AND PROGRAMMES
https://www.alnap.org/learning-links-academic-resources-and-teaching-tools-for-humanitarian-courses-and-programmes
This library is hosted by ALNAP, a global network of NGOs, UN agencies, members of Red Cross/Crescent Movement, etc. who are dedicated to learning how to improve response to  humanitarian crises. ALNAP believes "that by improving the quality, availability and use of knowledge and evidence from previous responses we can make the system perform better and be more accountable."  
Find in this section

8-24-2023 - THRULINE NETWORKS - IMPACT VENTURE STUDIO THAT FOCUSES ON  U.N. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
https://www.thrulinenetworks.com/
From the website: "Our mission is to build and grow people and organizations that solve sticky problems related to UN Sustainable Development Goals in a way that is impactful, scalable and profitable.
Find in this section

8-22-2023 - CONCEPT MAPPING AND MINDMAPPING INTRODUCTION
https://www.patreon.com/posts/concept-mapping-15313656
This article by Howard Rheingold is a useful introduction to concept maps and mind mapping. 
Find in this section

8-8-2023 - GUIDE FOR ATTRACTING, REWARDING AND RETAINING VOLUNTEERS - 2023 ARTICLE
https://imprint.com/blog/2023/06/07/4141/
This article contains many useful tips for recruiting and retaining volunteers.  
Find in this section

8-8-2023 - MAPPING WICKED PROBLEMS - BLOG 
https://www.wicked7.org/category/wicked-problem/
This website has many blog articles that use concept maps to visualize ultra complex problems.  Most focus on questions like "What are the most urgent issues facing society?  How did we get there? What are the root causes? What must be done now?".  
Find in this section

7-26-2023 - EQUITICITY - BIKEFORCE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM; GO HUB COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CENTER, MORE
https://www.equiticity.org/about
Bikeforce is just one of many programs being developed by Equiticity, based in Chicago's North Lawndale area.  It's an apprentice program for high school students and young adults.  The Go Hub is "a physical and digital space in the North Lawndale neighborhood where residents create community around mobility justice and environmental justice." Browse the website to learn more. 
Find in this section

7-23-2023 - TEENS TUTOR TEENS - OFFERS FREE TUTORING TO OTHER TEENS
https://www.teenstutorteens.com/
From the website: "Teens Tutor Teens has chapters in Georgia and four other states. Teens can receive free tutoring from other teens who have proven to be academically exceptional in their community. Teens who are economically disadvantaged are given priority. 
Find in this section

7-23-2023 - A TWITTER THREAD WITH POSTS SHOWING RISE OF BLACK MUSIC FROM WW1 TO 1950. 
https://twitter.com/michaelharriot/status/1682650899510853632?s=20
Scroll  through this posts and find links to many articles about Black History and the rise of many famous musicians and movie stars.
Find in this section

7-21-2023 - HOW THE STEM WORLD EVOLVES - CHANGES IN PROFESSIONAL PRIORITIES - 2023
https://www.specialiststaffinggroup.com/en-us/insights-and-research/how-the-stem-world-evolves/
This is a research and insights page on a professional staffing company's website.  It's an extensive resource for women in STEM, or considering STEM careers, as well as for executives in such companies.
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7-15-2023 - THE RECIPE FOR AN EXTRAORDINARY VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
https://volunteermatters.com/the-recipe-for-an-extraordinary-volunteer-program/
This is one of several articles on the VolunteerMatters.com website that offer valuable strategies for recruiting, retaining and maximizing the value of volunteer time and talent
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7-8-2023 - AUTOMOTIVE MENTORING GROUP - MENTORING VIA AUTOMOTIVE RESTORATION AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
https://www.amgmentoring.org/
From the website: "AMG, formed in 2007, supports youth and adults to develop work and life skills as they restore classic cars. The program aids in supporting the participants in earning their high school diplomas, enroll in colleges and obtain jobs and apprenticeships in the automotive industry.  AMG teaches automotive repair, including comprehensive bodywork and restoration, as well as light mechanical repair in our three to six-month programming."
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7-3-2023 - EASY SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS & ACTIVITIES TO TRY AT HOME, OR IN YOUR TUTOR/MENTOR PROGRAM
https://word.tips/science-experiments-for-kids/
This article lists 23 simple-at-home science experiments for kids using everyday things you have around your house.   In another section of the site, titled external resources, you'll find a valuable collection of useful websites.
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6-30-2023 - THE PRIVILEGED POOR: HOW ELITE COLLEGES ARE FAILING DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS, BY ANTHONY ABRAHAM JACK
https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674976894
From the website: "Getting in to college is on half the battle. The Privileged Poor reveals how--and why  disadvantaged students struggle at elite colleges, and explains what schools can do differently if these students are to thrive."  This site has an interview with the author and an extensive list of related links. 
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6-28-2023 - CARES ENGAGEMENT NETWORK - CHILDREN IN POVERTY, PERCENT (2021) BY COUNTY, CHR 2023
click here
This data map shows information at the county level for the USA.  The link opens to a map with several layers of information. Children in Poverty, Percent (2021) is one layer.  Visit https://careshq.org/map-room and build your own map, using data choices available. 
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6-15-2023 - RESOURCES FOR WOMEN IN COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY
https://www.purdueglobal.edu/blog/information-technology/resources-women-computer-technology/
From the website: "This article reviews the history of women in computer science, current opportunities for women, and resources to help women explore and grow in computer science fields."
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6-14-2023 - SOCIAL STUDIES ACCELERATOR - CREATES ACCESS TO INTERDISCIPLINARY SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION
https://www.socialstudiesaccelerator.org/
From the website: "Our goal is to increase connectivity across PK-12 social studies ecosystem by bringing together and supporting curriculum developers, professional-development providers, educators and school-system leaders alongside key partners in the education field to ensure that all of our nation's young people receive a social studies education that is high quality, culturally responsive, inquiry-based, diverse, inclusive, relevant and sustaining."
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6-13-2023 - RACE, CLASS & COMMUNITIES ARTICLES ON WBEZ CHICAGO
https://www.wbez.org/topics/race-class-and-communities/1133cab4-5059-482c-a9fb-8a7f5662f3fc
WBEZ articles provide an in-depth understanding of race and class in Chicago, frequently using maps to help visualize the information.  Scroll through the articles at this link. 
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6-13-2023 - EDUCATIONAL TV GUIDE FOR STEM: INSPIRATIONAL STEM MOVIES AND TV SHOWS TO SUPPLEMENT STUDENT LEARNING
https://octaneseating.com/blog/stem-tv-movie-guide
From the website: "This guide covers and summarizes significant TV shows and Movies that can inspire students to learn more about the STEM fields. It also includes a list of additional resources for further STEM learning."  
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6-11-2023 - GC WEALTH PROJECT OF STONE CENTER ON SOCIAO-ECONOMIC INEQUALITY
https://wealthproject.gc.cuny.edu/index.html
This website, launched in June 2023, is "organized around two main components:  a data warehouse of gathered and novel data that can be visualized in a variety of ways through an interactive dashboard, and a digital library of research on wealth inequality."
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5-31-2023 - SMITHSONIAN OPEN ACCESS - DOWNLOAD, SHARE AND REUSE MILLIONS OF THE SMITHSONIAN'S IMAGES
https://www.si.edu/openaccess
This looks like a great resource for creators and communicators.  The Smithsonian has made available more than 4.5 million 2D and 3D digital items from their collections that anyone can share and reuse, right now, without asking.  Take a look. 
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5-26-2023 - BASIC INCOME - RESOURCE THREAD ON TWITTER
https://twitter.com/scottsantens/status/1662124595892060161?s=20
One of the most prominent advocates for Basic Income is Scott Santens, who has been researching and advocating for the concept of universal basic income (UBI) since 2013.  He has been sharing research on this Twitter thread for several years.  See his UBI Guide website at https://www.scottsantens.com/
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5-26-2023 - FROM BIRTH TO DEATH: BLACK AMERICANS AND A LIFETIME OF DISPARITIES - 2023 REPORT
https://apnews.com/article/from-birth-to-death-series-2b2f56844fe6f309be541b45aef2e281
From the website: "The Associated Press spent the past year exploring how the legacy of racism in America has laid the foundation for the health inequities that Black people face."  This is a multi part report.  
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5-26-2023 - BECOME A VOLUNTEER TRANSCRIBING DOCUMENTS FROM THE WALT WHITMAN COLLECTION THAT ARE HOSTED ON THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WEBSITE
https://www.freetech4teachers.com/2023/05/4000-pages-of-walt-whitmans-papers.html
This blog article introduces a potential learning, writing and mentoring activity that could engage middles school, high school and college students, and adults.  Thousands of primary source documents from the American Civil War, the Revolutionary War, etc. have been scanned. Volunteers are now transcribing these.  Take a look. 
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5-25-2023 - SHOULD STUDENTS LEARN TO CODE? PROS AND CONS - AND RESOURCES - 2023 ARTICLE
https://studycorgi.com/blog/should-students-learn-to-code-pros-and-cons/
This extensive article provides a lot of information about coding and offers pros and cons about weather or not students should learn to code.  Skim the entire article to see the depth of what is presented. 
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5-24-2023 - AMERICAN INEQUALITY DATA VISUALIZATION RESOURCE ON SUBSTACK.COM
https://americaninequality.substack.com/
From the website: "At American Inequality, we are focused on  using data visualizations and mapping to highlight America's regional divides.  Every article dives into an inequality topic that gets less coverage than it should. Stories are woven into every article, because data is nothing without the people behind it." Solutions are included with each article. 
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5-24-2023 - LEARNING RESOURCES FROM NEW AMERICAN HISTORY SITE
https://resources.newamericanhistory.org/mapping-inequality
This link points to a "Mapping Inequality: Redlining in New Deal America" lesson plan on the New American History website.  This site offers a wide range of resources as part of "A new way to teach American History". 
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5-22-2023 - THE STATE OF LOCAL NEWS - 2022 REPORT
https://localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/research/state-of-local-news/report/
This report by Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communication documents the state of local news in the USA post-COVID-19, focusing on the health of both local newspapers and digital sites.
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5-18-2023 - CHILD'S PLAY TOURING THEATER - PERFORMS STORIES AND POEMS WRITTEN BY YOUN AUTHORS
http://www.cptt.org/
From the website: "Founded in 1978, Child's Play Touring Theatre was the first theatre company to realize the value of children's own writing and perform exclusively stories and poems written by young authors. Our goal is to help children understand the value and significance that writing and reading has on their lives."
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5-18-2023 - CLOSING THE OPPORUNITY GAP FOR YOUNG CHILDREN - 2023 REPORT
https://nap.nationalacademies.org/resource/26743/interactive/
This 2023 report from The National Academies (Sciences, Engineering, Medicine) says "Before they are even born, many young children in the United States face unequal opportunity that can have a lasting impact on the future of academic, health, and economic outcomes. These disparities--known as the opportunity gap--are rooted in an  unequal distribution of resources based on race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and other factors. Today, the opportunity gap for young children manifests as poverty, food insecurity, inadequate access to health care and well-funded quality schools, and exposure to violence."  Read the full report. 
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5-17-2023 - COLLEGE-GOING GAP BETWEEN BLACK AND WHITE AMERICANS WAS ALWAYS BAD. IT'S GETTING WORSE.  2023 USA TODAY ARTICLE
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2023/05/15/college-student-gap-between-black-white-americans-worse/70195689007/
This in-depth article shows college attendance and graduation challenges facing minority youth from high poverty areas.  
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5-15-2023 - THRIVE SCHOLARS - 
https://www.thrivescholars.org/
From the website: "We provide high-achieving students of color from economically under-resourced communities the opportunities they need to thrive at top colleges and in meaningful careers."
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5-14-2023 - FREEDOM OF THE INTERNET AROUND THE WORLD: 50 KEY STATS
https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/blog/internet-freedom-around-the-world-in-50-stats/
This 2021 blog article uses infographics to communicate key stats about freedom of the Internet around the world.  
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5-3-2023 - END POVERTY IN AMERICA - 
https://endpovertyusa.org/state-facts/
https://endpovertyusa.org/resources/il/
This website has extensive resources focused on ending poverty in America.  One link points to a section with poverty data for each state.  The second link points to resources in each state. Read the book "Poverty, By America" by Matthew Desmond. 
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4-27-2023 - INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL CAPITAL ASSOCIATION VIDEOS
https://www.youtube.com/@intsocialcapital
In this YouTube channel you can learn more about Social Capital.  This is a resource of the International Social Capital Association. https://www.intsocialcapital.org
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4-26-2023 - CREATE CONCEPT MAPS (OR MIND MAPS) USING ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE - TRY WHIMSICAL
https://whimsical.com/
The Whimsical platform offers quick, easy tools to create mind maps, concept maps, flow charts, wireframes, etc.  There is a FREE starter version but then there are fees for use.  This video shows an Artificial Intelligence tool that can be used in creating mind maps and concept maps. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbJwXWN2SHg
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4-26-2023 - MAKING ROOM FOR DIVERSE POPULATIONS IN STEM:  101 RESOURCES TO HELP YOU IMPROVE STEM ENGAGEMENT
https://www.discoverdatascience.org/resources/diverse-populations-in-stem/
This article includes an extensive library of links and is part of a larger web resource on the Discovery Data Science website. It's goal is to "provide prospective data science students with accurate and expert-driven information about data science, business analytics and intelligence, and associated fields."  
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4-23-2023 - LEARN ABOUT VIRTUAL WHITEBOARDING AND HOW IT'S A TOOL TO SUPPORT REMOTE TEAMS
https://www.kumospace.com/blog/virtual-whiteboarding
This is a blog article showing ways to use virtual whiteboards for visual thinking, collaborative learning, brainstorming, feedback, etc.  There's a free version for small teams. 
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4-20-2023 - WEALTH INEQUALITY AND THE RACIAL WEALTH GAP IN COOK COUNTY, IL - 2023 STUDY
https://www.chicagoreporter.com/wealth-inequality-and-the-racial-wealth-gap-new-study-shows-cook-county-residents-wealth-disparity-and-the-problem-is-far-worse-for-the-black-and-latinx-population/
From the website: "New study shows Cook County residents wealth disparity, and the problem is far worse for the Black and Latinx population".  This is an article in The Chicago Reporter that focuses on a study by the Financial Health Network, titled "The Financial Health Pulse Chicago Report, 2022."
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4-18-2023 - NATIVE LAND DIGITAL - RESOURCE FOR LEARNING ABOUT INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN AMERICAS, AUSTRALIA AND OTHER PLACES
https://native-land.ca/
This site has an interactive, color-coded map, that shows indigenous populations now and in the past. Put your mouse over any space and the click on the links provided. This takes you deeper, and deeper in to a rich library of history.  
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4-13-2023 - AI TECH TOOLS LIST
https://supertools.therundown.ai/
This site provides a huge list of AI resources".  Take a look. 
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4-12-2023 - ETMOOC2 LIST OF BLOGS ON SMORE
https://www.smore.com/n2fw4-etmooc2
The ETMOOC group first held a remote learning event in January 2013.  A second was held in April-May 2023.  A list of blogs was compiled on a newsletter platform called SMORE. 
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4-11-2023 - MATH CIRCLES OF CHICAGO
https://mathcirclesofchicago.org/
From the website: "The Math Circles of Chicago creates opportunities for all children across Chicago to develop a passion for mathematics.  Math Circles of Chicago achieves its mission by providing free, unique math enrichment programs for 5th to 12th grade students of diverse backgrounds." 
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4-11-2023 - RISING CHILDREN - OAKLAND, CA - 6 WAYS VOLUNTEERS SUPPORT EFFECTIVE HIGH-DOSAGE TUTORING (2022 ARTICLE)
https://www.children-rising.org/2022/06/23/6-ways-volunteers-support-effective-high-dosage-tutoring/
Visit the website of Rising Children and read the article showing ways volunteers can support high-dosage tutoring. The ideas they share apply to any city. 
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4-3-2023 - ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND YOU - A MINI MOOC: #ETMOOC2
https://sites.google.com/view/etmooc-two/home
Educators and interested people from many locations will connect in April 2023 for this 4 week exploration of Artificial Intelligence.  Visit the website and view the list of resources that are being archived and shared. 
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4-3-2023 - TWITTER INTERACTION CIRCLE
https://roundyearfun.org/twittercircle/
Enter your Twitter name and this tool creates a graphic showing three circles of people you're connected to.  For each circle a list of those people is shown.  Try it out. 
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3-20-2023 - A MANIFESTO FOR A SMALLER, DENSER INTERNET: THE THREE-LEGGED STOOL
https://publicinfrastructure.org/2023/03/29/the-three-legged-stool/
This white paper is an a project of the Initiative for Digital Public Infrastructure and proposes a "truly sustainable and resilient digital public sphere".  This is work in development. Read the paper and follow along if you're concerned about the decline of Twitter and Facebook as viable spaces for connecting, sharing ideas and influencing change.
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3-29-2023 - COLLEGE ADMISSIONS: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO SOCIAL MEDIA
https://www.kaptest.com/study/pre-college/college-admission-the-complete-guide-to-social-media/
College admissions officers are looking at applicant's social media pages to learn more about candidates. This article provides tips that can help influence a positive application process.  Browse this website for extensive resources on high school and college exams, etc. 
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3-28-2023 - HOWARD RHEINGOLD ON THE PAST AND PRESENT OF VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES - 2021
https://www.notion.so/blog/howard-rheingold
This is a transcript of a podcast conversation with Howard Rheingold, a writer who Tutor/Mentor has followed for many years.  Howard first plugged into the internet in 1983 and this interview covers much of what he has learned about online communities since then. 
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3-28-2023 - PROTECT DEMOCRACY: "TOWARDS PROORTIONAL REPRESENTATION FOR THE U.S. HOUSE" - MARCH 2023 ARTICLE
https://protectdemocracy.org/work/proportional-representation-uniform-congressional-district-act/
This article suggest returning to a pre 1967 America where U.S. House members were elected via a "proportional representation system in which multiple winners secure legislative seats in rough proportion to the votes they receive."
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3-27-2023 - SUBSTANCE ABUSE RESOURCE SITE - LOCATE REHAB CENTERS IN YOUR CITY
https://startyourrecovery.org/treatment/rehab-centers/illinois/chicago
The Start Your Recovery website is a comprehensive resource about substance misuse, signs of a problem treatment and recovery centers and more. The site has a directory of rehab centers for Chicago and other cities. The link shared here points to the Chicago resource page. 
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3-26-2023 - "PRIVATE OPULENCE, PUBLIC SQUALOR: HOW THE U.S. HELPS THE RICH AND HURTS THE POOR" - NPR 2023 ARTICLE
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/03/21/1164275807/poverty-by-america-matthew-desmond-inequality
This interview with Matthew Desmond talks about widespread poverty in the United States, showing that the country does more to subsidize affluence than alleviate poverty. The article includes suggested solutions. 
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3-22-2023 - MURDER RATES HIGHER IN RED STATES FOR PAST 20 YEARS
https://www.thirdway.org/report/the-two-decade-red-state-murder-problem
This article, titled "The Two-Decade Red State Murder Problem" goes into detail to show that the "murder rate in the 25 states that voted for Donald Trump  has exceeded the murder rate in the 25 states that voted for Joe Biden in every year from 2000 to 2020."  This is not the story the media are reporting.  Take a look. 
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3-21-2023 - TIME ONLINE!  
https://timeonline.org/
From the website:  "Time Online is here to make history fun and interesting for kids!  We believe in promoting and spreading free education, and we want you to see that history is super-cool and interesting!"  Browse the site and see the range of topics offered. 
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3-21-2023 - BLACK HISTORY: THE HARLEM CULTURAL FESTIVAL OF 1969
https://www.wristband.com/content/black-history-harlem-cultural-festival-of-1969/
Students of a children's history club in New York City used this section of the Tutor/Mentor Library as a resource for the article they wrote about the Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969.  One of the students asked if I'd share their article in the library. 
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3-20-2023 - TECH CORPS - OHIO - HELPS K-12 STUDENTS BUILD THEIR TECHNOLOGY SKILLS
https://techcorps.org/
From the website: "By building partnerships and deploying TECH CORPS signature programs, TECH CORPS is b uilding the framework and infrastructure to swiftly and effeciently meet the changing technology needs of our nation's K-12 students and schools."  
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3-10-2023 - CENTER FOR AN INFORMED PUBLIC - UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON - FOCUS ON MISINFORMATION AND AN INFORMED SOCIETY
https://www.cip.uw.edu/
From the website: The "Mission of the Center is to resist strategic misinformation, promote an informed society, and strengthen democratic discourse."  This is an extensive resource. Take time to learn what is available.
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3-9-2023 - ANTHONY MOSER'S LIST OF PUBLIC DATA TOOLS
http://publicdatatools.com/
This is a list of resources that can be used to build dashboards and make public data more available. Focus is on Chicago.  
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3-10-2023 - INDIGENOUS GENOCIDE IN AMERICA - WHY IT NEVER ENDED - ARTICLE
https://thinkbigpicture.substack.com/p/indigenous-genocide-foster-care-icwa
This article by Amelia Mavis Christnot and George Takei provides an in-depth look at a long-lasting, and continuing, genocide against Indigenous people and cultures in America.
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3-2-2023 - THE PROPAGANDIST' PLAYBOOK: HOW CONSERVATIVE ELITES MANIPULATE SEARCH AND THREATEN DEMOCRACY - 2022 BOOK
https://www.amazon.com/Propagandists-Playbook-Conservative-Manipulate-Democracy/dp/0300248946
This book by Francesca Bolla Tripodi "peels back the layers of the right-wing media manipulation machine to reveal why its strategies are so effective and pervasive."  Find it on Amazon.com
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2-23-2023 - INSPIRING MINDS - PROVIDENCE, RI
https://inspiringmindsri.org/
From the website: "Inspiring Minds delivers programs in Providence, RI schools that build academic and social-emotional skills using a developmental relationships framework."  View their 2022-25 strategic plan. See Logic Model on pages 10 and 11. https://inspiringmindsri.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Edited-Inspiring-Minds-Strategic-Plan.pdf
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2-23-2023 - NEIGHBORHOOD SCOUT - DEMOGRAPHIC MAPS FOR ENTIRE USA
https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/il/chicago
Search for any zip code, or city, such as Chicago, and use the interactive map to better understand the demographics of that city.  
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2-23-2023 - ALCOHOL'S RELATIONSHIP TO CRIME - AR TICLE
https://alcoholrehabhelp.org/blog/alcohol-related-crime-statistics/
This article shows many crimes closely related to alcohol use. The site also host resources and treatment programs.
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2-19-2023 - A CASE FOR CITY AND STATE LEADERS TO STRENGTHEN ALLIANCES AND BE A FORCE FOR GOOD - BROOKINGS.EDU REPORT
https://www.brookings.edu/essay/why-state-and-local-relationships-matter-to-national-prosperity/#metro-area-data
This 2023 article, titled "The importance of cities and metro areas to state economies",  includes maps for each state showing the share of GDP of metro areas within each state.  The article argues for shared regional interests to move beyond political polarization. 
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2-17-2023 - EXAMPLE OF NETWORK ANALYSIS - "QUESTIONS YOU MUST ANSWER TO SUCCEED WITH ANY ECOSYSTEM-LED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT"
https://www.innovisor.com/2020/06/09/influencers-doers-power-players-the-key-people-for-a-californian-ecosystem/
If you're trying to bring people together to solve a problem or develop an opportunity you need to know "Who are the key people; how are they connected to each other; what are the barriers?"   This article shows an example of network analysis applied to this problem. 
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2-13-2023 - TECH EQUITY MIAMI - SEEKS TO SUPPORT CRADLE TO CAREER TECH INCLUSION (LAUNCHED 2023)
https://www.techequitymiami.org/
From the website: "Tech Equity Miami is a funding consortium that aims to deploy $100 million in philanthropic funding over five years into initiatives that remove entry barriers into the tech industry and that will create opportunities for underrepresented groups, including youth and small businesses."
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2-12-2023 - PAPER'S ON-LINE TUTORING PROGRAM - PROVIDES HIGH DOSE TUTORING
https://paper.co/
Paper is a Montreal-based virtual learning platform that provides personalized tutoring to students for all course types and all grade levels. The service is available 24/7, at  no cost to the children or their families, because Paper gets paid by school districts, not families.  Read reviews at https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/09/how-google-backed-startup-paper-makes-tutoring-free-for-students.html and https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/09/how-google-backed-startup-paper-makes-tutoring-free-for-students.html
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2-3-2023 - AI TECHNOLOGY FOR MAKING MUSIC AND SOUND
https://dogtrax.edublogs.org/2023/01/31/exploring-aspects-of-ai-music-generation/
In this blog article Kevin Hodgson reviews some AI sites he has explored.  Many of Kevin's blog articles share useful tools for teaching, learning and creating.
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2-3-2023 - GUN VIOLENCE DISPROPORTIONATELY AND OVERWHELMINGLY HURTS COMMUNITIES OF COLOR - 2022 FACT SHEET
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/gun-violence-disproportionately-and-overwhelmingly-hurts-communities-of-color/
This article shows that "the lack of investments in communities of color, coupled with weak gun laws, has resulted in devastatingly high rates of gun violence for Black and brown people".  Here's a 2023 article in Chicago SunTimes that "compares risk in some Chicago neighborhoods to risks U.S. troops faced in Iraq, Afghanistan war zones". https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/2/3/23583842/violence-garfield-park-chicago-neighborhoods-iraq-afghanistan-wars-60624-west-side
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1-31-2023 - CHICAGO DIGITAL EQU ITY PLAN - 2023
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/digital-equity-council/home.html
This plan is the result of June-October 2022 community conversations. It's the launch of the Chicago Digital Equity Coalition intended to close the digital divide in Chicago.
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1-31-2023 - SOCIAL ENTERPRISE CHICAGO - DIRECTORY
https://socentchi.com/
From the website: "SocEntChi provides a comprehensive list of social impact companies registered or operating in Illinois, including Low-Profit Limitity Liability Corporations (L3C's), Non-Profit organizations (501(c)3's, Benefit Corporations and BCorps."  Launched in 2022 the organization seeks to be "the primary convener of all the players in the social enterprise ecosystem in the metro Chicago region."  
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1-31-2023 - LIBERATING NARRATIVES HELPS WORLD HISTORY TEACHERS DECOLONIZE THEIR CLASSES 
https://www.liberatingnarratives.com/
From the website: "Each post explores how to teach specific historical topics and includes primary and secondary source excerpts, historical images, and maps."
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1-30-2023 - CAN COMMUNITY PROGRAMS HELP SLOW THE RISE IN VIOLENCE?  2023 ARTICLE
https://www.propublica.org/article/are-community-violence-interruption-programs-effective
This ProPublica article is an investigation and analysis of violence intervention programs operating in several cities.  
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1-29-2023 - BLACK HISTORY MONTH RESOURCES
https://www.teachersfirst.com/tfupdates/january-29-features-2023-01-29
This site has a collection of teacher-reviewed resources for use during Black History Month (and beyond). 
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1-28-2023 - BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY NATIONAL TEEN E-CARD - MAKES BOOKS AVAILABLE TO TEENS THROUGHOUT USA
https://www.bklynlibrary.org/books-unbanned
Brooklyn Public Library's "Books Unbanned Initiative" is "a response to an increasingly coordinated and effective effort to remove books from tackling a wide range of topics from library shelves."  
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1-27-2023 - GAP BETWEEN RICH AND POOR HAS INCREASED MORE QUICKLY IN THE US THAN IN EUROPE - 2023 REPORT
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/242756/gap-between-rich-poor-increased-more/
This report from London's Imperial College Business School compares the wealth gap in the United States and in European countries and shows impact of rising stock market prices and growing gap between income. Recommendations for policy makers are included. 
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1-25-2022 - A GUIDE TO SEO FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
https://www.pageonepower.com/cost-effective-seo-strategies-for-nonprofits-page-one-power
This site offers an extensive review of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) strategies that aim to draw more attention and visits to an organization's website and/or blogs.  If you host a website you've probably been contacted by someone offering SEO services.  Using this guide will help you understand what they are offering and why you might benefit.  
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1-22-2023 - ANTIRACIST APUSH - CURRICULUM FOR AN ANTIRACIST HISTORY CLASS
https://www.antiracistapush.com/about
From the website: "The purpose of Antiracist APUSH is to help students identify and expose the racist policies that have led to the deplorable racial disparities in American society.  This is achieved by exposing students to the research of leading professional historians."  
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1-20-2023 - DIGITAL PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE - A POTENTIAL GAME CHANGER FOR CHILDREN - 2023 WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM ARTICLE
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/01/digital-public-infrastructure-is-a-gamechanger-for-children/
This article talks about  how "using digital technologies to create a digital public infrastructure can help us create a society where all children are included and have agency, opportunity and their rights fulfilled, without discrimination."  Read more. 
Find in this section

1-20-2023 - DATA SCIENCE INSTITUTE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
https://datascience.uchicago.edu/news/new-dsi-open-spatial-lab-brings-expertise-to-social-impact-organizations/
Launched in 2023 the DSI Open Spatial Lab is intended to bring expertise to social impact organizations in Chicago and beyond. 
Find in this section

1-20-2023 - UBERLANDIA DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES - BRAZIL
https://www.uberlandiadevelopmentinitiatives.org/p/about.html
This organization focuses on an under resourced neighborhood of around 40,000 people in Uberlandia, a city of over 680,000 in southeastern Brazil.  
Find in this section

1-20-2023 -
RESOURCES FOR LOW-INCOME GRAD STUDENTS: 30 WAYS TO SAVE ON AN ADVANCED DEGREE
https://www.onlinemastersdegrees.org/student-resources/low-income-graduate-students/
From the website: "This article includes a list of resources that can help low-income students learn about the funding and support they need to earn a master's degree."
Find in this section

1-16-2023 - 7 OFTEN-IGNORED MLK QUOTES TO GROUND OUR WORK OF FIGHTING FOR EQUITY AND JUSTICE - 2023 ARTICLE BY VU LE
https://nonprofitaf.com/2023/01/7-often-ignored-mlk-quotes-to-ground-our-work-of-fighting-for-equity-and-justice/
This article points to quotes by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr that are not as well known as others, and are more challenging.  Take time to read and reflect.
Find in this section

1-16-2023 - HELPING LEARNERS UNDERSTAND THEIR PASSIONS, INTERESTS, AND PURPOSE - SUPPORTING THEM TO FORM AN IDENTITY AND HAVE REAL AGENCY - ARTICLE
https://education-reimagined.org/cross-sector-collaboration-qa-with-marc-siciliano/
This interview with Marc Siciliano, Founder and CEO of Left Bank Consulting, was posted on the Education Reimagined website. 
Find in this section

1-14-2023 - SEARCH RESEARCH BLOG  - LEARN HOW TO SEARCH USING GOOGLE
https://searchresearch1.blogspot.com/2022/12/2022-in-review-year-of-searchresearch.html
This blog shares ideas for  using search tools like Google. It offers challenges that encourage intentional search activities.  Could be useful in traditional schools and non-school tutor/mentor programs.
Find in this section


1-14-2023 - TIPS FOR BLOGGING FROM THE CYBRARY MAN'S LIBRARY
https://cybraryman.com/blogs2.html
This section on blogging is just one sub section of a huge library of education resources hosted on Cybrary Man's Educational Web Sites platform. 
Find in this section

1-11-2023 - WHY IS IT EASIER TO BUY BULLETS THAN COLD MEDICINE?  2023 ARTICLE
https://www.thetrace.org/2023/01/bullet-ammunition-regulation-guns/
For those interested in reducing death and injury caused by fire arms, this article in The Trace about regulation of the purchase of bullets is important reading.
Find in this section

1-11-2023 - 3 KEY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUNDERS BASED ON AN ANALYSIS OF MAC KENZIE SCOTT'S PHILANTHROPY - 2023 ARTICLE
https://cep.org/3-key-recommendations-for-funders-based-on-an-analysis-of-mackenzie-scotts-philanthropy/
This CEP (Center for Effective Philanthropy) article provides an in-depth analysis of grant making by MacKenzie Scott and identifies gaps. One recommendation is "do your homework".  It's a lesson for all philanthropic organizations. 
Find in this section

1-9-2023 - RED SUMMER OF 1919: HOW BLACK WW1 VETS FOUGHT BACK AGAINST RACIST MOBS (HISTORY.COM WEBSITE)
https://www.history.com/news/red-summer-1919-riots-chicago-dc-great-migration
This article describes "race riots that erupted across the U.S. in the wake of WW1 and the Great Migration, as black veterans stepped up to defend their communities against white violence."
Find in this section

1-9- 2023 - EDUCATION CANNOT WAIT (ECW) - UNITED NATIONS GLOBAL FUND FOR EDUCATION IN EMERGENCIES AND PROTRACTED CRISES
https://www.educationcannotwait.org/
From the website: "ECW works to generate greater shared political, operational and financial commitment to meet the educational needs of millions of children an adolescents affected by crises, with a focus on more agile, connected and faster response that spans the humanitarian-development continuum to lay the ground for sustainable education systems."  View the map on the home page to see countries where ECW is working. 
Find in this section


Jan 2023 Tutor/Mentor eNews

January 2023 - Issue 218
Happy New Year! Celebrate Mentoring.
 
I hope you all have enjoyed the holidays and are looking forward to a safe, healthy, happy New Year.

January is National Mentoring Month and there will be many ways to recognize mentors and celebrate the work they do.

Thus, in this newsletter I'll focus on the infrastructure that is required for well-organized, on-going, volunteer-based, tutor, mentor and learning programs to reach youth in high poverty areas.
Use this newsletter as a study guide.

The ideas and resources shared in this monthly newsletter point to a library of resources that can be used by anyone, in Chicago, or around the world, to help mentor-rich youth programs thrive in all of the neighborhoods where they are most needed.

If you are a consistent reader, consider a contribution to help fund the Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC
Celebrate mentoring and help make well-organized programs available to more youth throughout America. Use these Mentoring Month Resources.
 
I began my mentoring journey in 1973 when matched with a 4th grade boy living in the Cabrini-Green area of Chicago. We're still connected. He called me before Christmas to say "How are you doing?"

Building and sustaining long-term connections through well-organized programs is the purpose of the Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present) and Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present).

During Mentoring Month I encourage programs, volunteers and mentees to share their own stories of long-term connections.

National Mentoring Summit - January 25-27, 2023 - click here
Think about needed infrastructure
 
Building a segmented understanding of who youth programs serve

My focus has been to help kids in high poverty areas of big cities like Chicago. However, I recognize other kids need help, too.

Read this, and this article and think of ways to create a segmented understanding of who is being served by what programs in your community.
Most big cities have areas of concentrated poverty.

Within these areas, how many kids are there? What programs exist. How many kids, in each grade level, are being served? How many more programs are needed?

Is there a planning process in your city collecting this information? Read about this process in this and this article.
 
Re-Imagine how youth tutor/mentor programs are funded

This is one of four graphics in this article that show the challenges of funding long-term youth tutor, mentor and learning programs.

If you're flying from point A to point B you want to be sure the airplane has a full tank of fuel.

Yet, if we want to help kids get from first grade, through high school, then post high school into jobs, that requires 16 to 20 years of continuous support. Funding from foundations usually lasts only one to three years and never covers more than a small percent of total costs.

Are there groups in your city talking about this?

Read this article about MacKenzie Scott philanthropy.
Learn what's available in the Tutor/Mentor Resource Library

I started collecting information in 1973 to support my own efforts as a volunteer tutor. I expanded this effort between 1975 and 1992 as I led the tutoring program at the Montgomery Ward HQ in Chicago and it grew from 100 pairs of kids and volunteers in 1975 to more than 400 kids and 550 volunteers by June 1992.

I expanded it even more between 1993 and today, as I've tried to help youth tutor, mentor and learning programs grow in all high poverty areas of Chicago and other places.

Visit this Google.doc presentation to take a tour of the library.

Here's an article where I show what's in the library, using a Monopoly board game design.

Does someone host a library like this in your city?
 
Building a system of supports and helping every youth through school is a long-term effort.

Thus, as you move through 2023 and beyond, keep asking "How can we do this better?"

Use the resources in this newsletter and the Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC website and blog to support your planning.

See this graphic in thisthis and this article.
Communities need to be constantly asking "What are all the things we need to know, and do, to assure that kids born in high poverty areas today are in jobs by mid 20s.

That covers a lot of territory. This graphic shows tags places on articles in the Tutor/Mentor blog, where I've been writing about some of these issues since 2005.

Who is leading this conversation in your community? Is there an on-line space where leaders, funders and programs are connecting?
Get to know youth tutor and/or mentor programs in your city.
This concept map points to lists of Chicago area youth tutor and/or mentor programs that I've been maintaining since 1993. It also points to directories and volunteer search resources that you can use to find youth serving programs throughout the USA.

If you lead a youth serving program look for ways to tell who you serve, why your are needed, what challenges you face, the successes you have and ways people can help you. A blog offers a flexible way to provide updated information and social media is a tool you can use to share regular updates.
Trouble at Twitter. I'm still using it. But using Mastodon, too.
At the left is a Tweet posted by the Afterschool Alliance on Twitter last year. After I saw it I shared it in this blog article and then in this newsletter.

I've been using Twitter since 2009 and value it because I find information like this almost every day. I host a list of Twitter accounts for Chicago area youth programs so others can easily find them and offer support.

During 2022 actions by new ownership has caused many people to close their accounts. I won't go into details. You can dig up news about this if you're interested.

What I will say is that a) I'm still using Twitter and hope it survives, and improves; b) I've set up an account at @This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; and, c) I continue to post on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and my blogs.

I hope to connect with you at one, or more, of these places in 2023.
Below are resources to use to help youth in your community.
View latest links added to tutor/mentor library, Jul-Dec 2022 - click here
 
Recent Tutor/Mentor Blog articles:

Using Maps - In my Dreams - click here

New Year Reflections for Past Decade - click here

If More Youth Serving Organizations Took This Role - click here

Build Virtual Corporate Office to Support Youth in More Places - click here

White House Summit on STEAM sets 2050 Goals - click here


Bookmark these Tutor/Mentor Resources

* Resource Library - click here

* Strategy PDFs by Tutor/Mentor - click here

* Concept Map library - click here

* Work done by interns - click here

* Digital Divide resources - click here

* Political Action resources - click here

* Featured collections on Wakeletclick here

* Tutor/Mentor Institute Videos - click here

* About T/MI articles on blog - click here

* History of T/MC - T/MI articles - click here


* Chicago Youth Serving Organizations in Intermediary Roles - click here to view a concept map showing many organizations working to help improve the lives of Chicago area youth. Follow the links.
Resources & Announcements

* MyChiMyFuture - Chicago youth programs map and directory. click here; visit the website - click here

* To & Through Project website - click here: Follow on Twitter - @UChiToThrough

* Center for Effective Philanthropy - click here

* Forefront -Illinois' statewide association of nonprofits, foundations and advisors. click here

* Proven Tutoring - coalition of independent tutoring providers - click here ; read Robert Slavin blog articles - click here

* Chicago Mentoring Collaborative - click here

* Chicago Public Schools locator map - click here

* Chicago Health Atlas - click here

* Strengthening Chicago Youth website, click here;  blog - click here

* Thrive Chicago collaboration - click here

* Chicago Learning Exchange - click here

* Chicago STEM Pathways Cooperative - click here

* Incarceration Reform Resource Center - click here

* AfterSchool Alliance - resource center - click here

* ChiHackNight - remote civic technology meet-up; every Tuesday in Chicago - see weekly agenda
About this newsletter.

While I try to send this only once a month, I write blog articles weekly. Throughout the newsletter I post links to a few of the articles published in the past month or earlier. I encourage you to spend a little time each week reading these articles and following the links. Use the ideas and presentations in group discussions with other people who are concerned about the same issues.

Encourage friends, family, co-workers to sign up to receive this newsletter. Click here.
(If you subscribe, don't forget to respond to the confirmation email).
Thank you for reading. Please help fund T/MI.
Thank you to the small group of donors who have made contributions in 2022 and since 2011 to help me continue to support you through this newsletter, the Tutor/Mentor library, my blogs and my social media posts. I've not operated as a non-profit since 2011, but as Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC. I'm doing the same work, just with a different tax structure (and same small budget!).

My monthly Constant Contact cost to send this newsletter is about $50. If 12 people each made a $50 contribution this year, it would cover that fee. A similar contribution would cover the hosting expense for the http://www.tutormentorexchange.net website. The hosting fee for the map of Chicago tutor/mentor programs (shown here) is $20 a month.

These are examples of costs I cover from my own pocket if I don't receive enough contributions to the Fund T/MI campaign. If you'd like to help, visit this page.
 

2023 T/MI Newsletters

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The monthly Tutor/Mentor e-Newsletters are intended as a study guide, for all who are working to help youth in high poverty areas move more safely through school and into adult lives, jobs and careers. They focus on actions needed at specific times each year, and on learning that needs to be on-going.

Below are links to all 2023 Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC newsletters.

Dec 2023 - click here
Nov 2023 - click here
Oct 2023 - click here
Sept 2023 - click here
Aug 2023 - click here
July 2023 - click here
June 2023 - click here
April-May 2023 - click here
March 2023 - click here
Feb 2023 - click here
Jan 2023 - click here

 

View 2022 Newsletters at this link

View 2021 Newsletters at this link.

View previous year newsletters at this link.

February 2023 T/M eNews

February 2023 - Issue 219
Learn to use these resources
 
February is Black History Month and my library points to dozens of websites where you can learn the history of slavery and racism in America. While I focus on Black History, many websites also point to discrimination against other minorities.

I also point to on-line learning resources that can be used by educators, tutors, mentors and parents, and by students, throughout the year.

Building awareness of these resources and motivating people to use them is an on-going challenge.
Do a search on Google, Bing or Duck Duck Go for "tutor mentor, plus one more word, like maps, planning, or strategy. My websites show up among the first five to 10 listings.

The ideas and resources shared in this monthly newsletter point to a library of resources that can be used by anyone, in Chicago, or around the world, to help mentor-rich youth programs thrive in all of the neighborhoods where they are most needed.

Encourage others in your city to find and use these resources!
Use this concept map to guide you to different homework help resources
 
Click on the small box at the bottom of each node, then the link, and a list of websites opens. You can also access the homework help resources on this page. My Black History links are in this section.

This week I wrote an article and pointed to a virtual tutoring resource that I've added. It's free to students as long as school districts can pay. In the article I highlight the role mentors, tutors and peers can take to help students find and use these resources.

That's why it's important to have organized programs that more k-12 kids in high poverty areas can access. And if you already lead such a program, you need to be training your volunteers to use these resources.
Who is helping youth tutor/mentor programs grow in your city?
This map shows participants in a 2013 on-line learning event that connected educators from around the world. I was one of the participants and I've been part of similar events since then. Many of the ideas from these gathering are shared on blogs in this section of my library.

Imagine if each of these icons represented an ecosystem of donors, volunteers, educators, businesses, youth programs, researchers, parents and youth who were focused on building and sustaining a mentor-rich system of support that helps all kids through school and into careers, with a special focus on reaching youth living in high poverty areas. If you're part of such a group, please share your link.
Do the Planning
 
What does a birth-to-work support system look like to you?

I've been creating visualizations since the 1990s to show the structure of the tutor/mentor program I was leading and to visualize strategies to make similar programs available in more places.

View the graphics in this article then create and share your own.
Who is hosting an information base? Who is using it?

We all want more youth to stay in school, be safe in non-school hours, graduate, and move to careers. But we won't get there unless someone is gathering information from around the world that shows how some people are solving this problem, and ways you might borrow from their work. See this article.
 
Understand issues. Use resources shared in Tutor/Mentor library and on our blogs.

Redlining has had a long, and on-going impact on the quality of life and economic opportunity in Chicago. See links that I've aggregated in this article.

Open this concept map and see other blog articles where I'm aggregating links to important topics.
Every non-profit youth-serving program is competing for a share of a small funding pot. What will it take to work together to expand funds available?

First, understand the challenges facing non profits. View articles in this, and this section of the Tutor/Mentor Library.

We're up to our neck in alligators, so can't think about draining the swamp. This is common challenge. Here's two articles showing complexity of problems we face. Click here and here.

Share these articles and help build coalitions that work together.
Create your own visualizations and share with blog articles, videos and social media!

Too few people will ever see the ideas I share in this newsletter. Unless....

This concept map shows how interns who worked with me between 2006 and 2015 spent time reading my articles and viewing my websites, then creating visualizations that shared their understanding.

Your students and volunteers can do the same!

This is one article where I describe this potential.
Below are resources to use to help youth in your community.
View latest links added to tutor/mentor library - click here
 
Recent Tutor/Mentor Blog articles:

Super Bowl, Tutoring and Mentoring - click here

Fix how youth programs are funded - click here

We can help kids through school, but can we keep them safe from racism? - click here

Changing Demographics for Chicago Children - click here

Learning from Internet Libraries - click here

Help Build Networks of Support for Youth in High Poverty Areas - click here

Creating Economic Justice. Opportunity for All - click here

Using Maps - In my Dreams - click here


Bookmark these Tutor/Mentor Resources

* Resource Library - click here

* Strategy PDFs by Tutor/Mentor - click here

* Concept Map library - click here

* Work done by interns - click here

* Digital Divide resources - click here

* Political Action resources - click here

* Featured collections on Wakeletclick here

* Tutor/Mentor Institute Videos - click here

* About T/MI articles on blog - click here

* History of T/MC - T/MI articles - click here

* Chicago Youth Serving Organizations in Intermediary Roles - click here to view a concept map showing many organizations working to help improve the lives of Chicago area youth. Follow the links.
Resources & Announcements

* Chicago Digital Equity Coalition - click here

* Connect Illinois Digital Equity Coalition - click here

* Illinois Broadband Lab - click here

* MyChiMyFuture - Chicago youth programs map and directory. click here; visit the website - click here

* To & Through Project website - click here: Follow on Twitter - @UChiToThrough

* Center for Effective Philanthropy - click here

* Forefront -Illinois' statewide association of nonprofits, foundations and advisors. click here

* Brooklyn Public Library National Teen E-card. Makes books available to teens throughout USA - click here

* Chicago Mentoring Collaborative - click here

* Chicago Public Schools locator map - click here

* Chicago Health Atlas - click here

* Thrive Chicago collaboration - click here

* Chicago Learning Exchange - click here

* Chicago STEM Pathways Cooperative - click here

* Incarceration Reform Resource Center - click here

* AfterSchool Alliance - resource center - click here

* Blogs on learning, education, fund raising - click here

* ChiHackNight - remote civic technology meet-up; every Tuesday in Chicago - see weekly agenda
About this newsletter.

While I try to send this only once a month, I write
blog articles weekly. Throughout the newsletter I post links to a few of the articles published in the past month or earlier. I encourage you to spend a little time each week reading these articles and following the links. Use the ideas and presentations in group discussions with other people who are concerned about the same issues.

Please encourage friends, family, co-workers to sign up to receive this newsletter. Click here.
(If you subscribe, don't forget to respond to the confirmation email).
Thank you for reading. Please help fund T/MI.
 

March 2023 Tutor/Mentor eNews

March 2023 - Issue 220
Finish the School Year Strong
 
As we near the end of this school year youth serving programs need to find innovative ways to keep students and volunteers engaged so they have a strong finish and momentum heading into the 2023-24 school year.

This monthly newsletter shares links to youth programs in Chicago and around the country with the goal that each program spends time learning from all others. That's a recipe for constant improvement.

Building awareness of these resources and motivating people to use them is an on-going challenge.
Encourage your volunteers, board members and supporters to help you find ideas you can use to support program operations and improvement. Do a search on Google, Bing or Duck Duck Go for "tutor mentor, plus one more word, like learning, planning, or collaboration. My websites show up among the first five to 10 listings.

The ideas and resources shared in this monthly newsletter point to a library of resources that can be used by anyone, in Chicago, or around the world, to help mentor-rich youth programs thrive in all of the neighborhoods where they are most needed.

Encourage others in your city to find and use these resources!
Where are you finding ideas to help you build stronger programs for youth in your city? What does the carrot represent in this graphic?
 
This newsletter and Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC websites and blog article point to information that youth program leaders, donors, policy makers, businesses, etc. can use to fill high poverty neighborhoods with comprehensive, on-going, youth development and learning programs.

What do the carrot and rabbit represent? Ideas. Front runners. Innovators. People you can learn from.

I show this idea in this blog article.

I wrote about the Edison effect in this article.
Who is helping youth tutor/mentor programs grow in your city?
This map shows youth serving tutor and/or mentor programs in the Chicago region. View it in this article. Each organization has a unique history and story that shows who they are, what they do and who they serve. Ideally program websites would show this information and it would be shared regularly on social media in an effort to attract volunteers and donors needed to support on-going operations.

Some programs do this well. Others need help. Volunteers from communications industries and students from high schools and colleges could be telling stories of programs in different areas. City leaders could be encouraging this. Maybe the next Mayor of Chicago will take this role. Maybe Mayors in other cities already do this.
Do the Planning
 
What information should volunteers, parents, donors and media find on youth program websites?

How well do youth programs in your city communicate their history, strategy, successes and challenges on their websites? Do they use blogs to share info regularly? Is their enough information for volunteers, donors and/or parents to make an informed choice of helping them?

Take a look at the PDF essays in this blog article.
Ideas for innovation, collaboration, process improvement.

One section of the Tutor/Mentor library contains links to articles and websites that focus on collaboration, community building, knowledge management, innovation, mapping and process improvement.

These are resources that anyone in for-profit or non-profit organizations can use to support constant improvement. Open this link to view one section of this library.

Encourage your students to learn from these articles.
 
Steps to start and sustain a youth serving program.

I led a volunteer-based tutor/mentor program in Chicago from 1975 to 2011 and in this section of the Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC website I share PDF essays that anyone can use to start a new tutor/mentor program or help an existing one grow.

These same ideas can be applied to building and sustaining an intermediary network intended to help well-organized tutor/mentor programs reach k-12 youth in all high poverty areas of any city.

I'd love to see blog articles showing strategies other programs are using to start programs and keep them going!
It takes 20-25 years for each child to grow from birth to work.

Few cities have comprehensive support systems that help kids in every high poverty area make this journey safely and successfully.

I've been focusing on long-term support systems since starting the Tutor/Mentor Connection in Chicago in 1993 and via blog articles written since 2005.

Open this link and browse through some of the articles that focus on building and sustaining youth tutor/mentor programs. Apply the ideas in your own city.
New resources on "misinformation and disinformation" added to library.

MisInfoDay is an event hosted by the Center for an Informed Public at the University of Washington. It's one of many important resources you'll find on their website.

I added the link to this section of the Tutor/Mentor library where you'll find a few similar resources and where I'll add more as I find them.
 
What do you know about ChatGPT and AI in education?
I'm part of a group of educators who are gathering information and will be exploring uses of AI and ChatGPT during coming months. Here's one Google doc where ideas are being shared.

Here's a blog article where I shared my first experiment with ChatGPT. Follow the #ETMOOC group on Twitter to see updates.
Below are resources to use to help youth in your community.
View latest links added to tutor/mentor library - click here
 
Recent Tutor/Mentor Blog articles:

Creating more luck for kids in high poverty areas - click here

Borrow from Lessons of Tutor/Mentor Connection - click here

What Youth Programs Exist in Your Area? - click here

Super Bowl, Tutoring and Mentoring - click here


Bookmark these Tutor/Mentor Resources

* Resource Library - click here

* Strategy PDFs by Tutor/Mentor - click here

* Concept Map library - click here

* Work done by interns - click here

* Political Action resources - click here

* Featured collections on Wakeletclick here

* Tutor/Mentor Institute Videos - click here

* About T/MI articles on blog - click here

* History of T/MC - T/MI articles - click here


* Chicago Youth Serving Organizations in Intermediary Roles - click here to view a concept map showing many organizations working to help improve the lives of Chicago area youth. Follow the links.
Resources & Announcements

* Google Analytics is changing. Are you prepared? Here's one article to read. click here

* Connect Illinois Digital Equity Coalition - click here

* Illinois Broadband Lab - click here

* MyChiMyFuture - Chicago youth programs map and directory. click here; visit the website - click here

* To & Through Project website - click here: Follow on Twitter - @UChiToThrough

* Center for Effective Philanthropy - click here

* Forefront -Illinois' statewide association of nonprofits, foundations and advisors. click here

* Brooklyn Public Library National Teen E-card. Makes books available to teens throughout USA - click here

* Chicago Mentoring Collaborative - click here

* Chicago Public Schools locator map - click here

* Chicago Health Atlas - click here

* Thrive Chicago collaboration - click here

* Chicago Learning Exchange - click here

* Chicago STEM Pathways Cooperative - click here

* Incarceration Reform Resource Center - click here

* AfterSchool Alliance - resource center - click here

* Blogs on learning, education, fund raising - click here

* ChiHackNight - remote civic technology meet-up; every Tuesday in Chicago - see weekly agenda
About this newsletter.

While I try to send this only once a month, I write blog articles weekly. Throughout the newsletter I post links to a few of the articles published in the past month or earlier. I encourage you to spend a little time each week reading these articles and following the links. Use the ideas and presentations in group discussions with other people who are concerned about the same issues.

Encourage friends, family, co-workers to sign up to receive this newsletter. Click here.
(If you subscribe, don't forget to respond to the confirmation email).
Thank you for reading. Please help fund this work.

Apri-May 2023 eNews

April - May 2023 - Issue 221
Are You Learning About Artificial Intelligence
Tools like ChatGPT?
 
Is anyone in your family, or organization, discussing ways to use Artificial Intelligence tools like ChatGPT?

Do you know what this is?

I've just been learning about it and see many potential uses and opportunities. In this month's newsletter I'll point to some of these.
The ideas and resources shared in this monthly newsletter point to a library of resources that can be used by anyone, in Chicago, or around the world, to help mentor-rich youth programs thrive in all of the neighborhoods where they are most needed.

Encourage others in your city to find and use these resources!
Celebrate volunteers during April Volunteer Recognition events
National Volunteer Week, April 16 to 22, is an annual celebration of the countless individuals who selflessly donate their time and effort to make a difference in their communities. This week serves as an opportunity to recognize and thank volunteers for their contributions, while also encouraging others to get involved and make a positive impact.

As we journey through National Volunteer Week this year, there is no better time to shine a light on the importance of youth tutor mentor programs in Chicago and other cities across the country, and to encourage more volunteers to get involved in these initiatives.

Youth tutor mentor programs play a vital role in the development and success of young people, particularly those who come from underprivileged or disadvantaged backgrounds. These programs provide students with the resources and support they need to succeed academically and build important life skills. By volunteering with a youth tutor mentor program, you can help to provide young people with the tools and guidance they need to reach their full potential.

In Chicago and other cities, there are many different youth tutor mentor programs that are in need of dedicated and passionate volunteers. I maintain lists of Chicago youth serving programs, and point to directories that can help you find similar programs in other cities.

Whether you have experience working with children or not, there is a place for you to make a difference. By volunteering just a few hours a week, you can help to create a brighter future for young people in your community.

So as we celebrate National Volunteer Week this year, let's remember the importance of supporting youth tutor mentor programs, and let's encourage more volunteers to get involved. By working together, we can help to ensure that every young person has the resources and support they need to succeed, both in school and in life.


Disclaimer:
Almost everything in the above paragraphs was written in less than a minute by ChatGPT. I just added a few links, a photo, and information about Chicago youth tutor/mentor programs that I point to from this list. Visit the Tutor/Mentor blog and see the entire article and how I included the ChatGPT text.
What youth tutor/mentor programs are in your city?
Volunteer-based tutor mentor programs are making a significant impact in the education of students in Chicago. These programs are run by various non-profit organizations and community groups, and they all share a common goal of helping students succeed in school.

One such program is Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago, which pairs adult volunteers with children who need a positive role model and mentor. This program has been operating in Chicago for over 50 years and has helped thousands of young people through its one-to-one mentoring relationships.

Another program is the Chicago Scholars Foundation, which provides mentoring and support to first-generation college-bound students from under-resourced communities. This program has helped over 7,000 students since its inception in 1996.

In addition, the Becoming A Man program (BAM) provides group counseling and mentoring to young men in Chicago Public Schools. This program focuses on social-emotional development and has been shown to decrease arrests and increase graduation rates.

There are numerous other programs operating in Chicago, and they all play a critical role in helping students succeed. While it is difficult to estimate the exact number of volunteer-based tutor mentor programs in the city, it is clear that they are an important part of the educational landscape in Chicago. These programs rely on the dedication of volunteers and the support of community members to continue making a positive impact on the lives of students in the city.


This was also written by ChatGPT.
The prompt I used was: "You're a newspaper reporter. Your story describes some of the volunteer-based tutor mentor programs in Chicago."
 
Imagine the ways you, or your students, could be creating these stories
I am participating in the ETMOOC2 on-line learning community where people from many countries are sharing ideas and resources and talking about ways to use ChatGPT and other Artificial Intelligence tools.

I wrote about this group in this blog article.

The ETMOOC2 website is at this link.
Steps to Start a Volunteer-Based Tutor/Mentor Program
I asked ChatGPT to provide steps to start a volunteer-based youth tutor/mentor program. Below is the response.

Starting a volunteer-based youth tutor/mentor program can be a rewarding experience, but it requires careful planning and execution. Here are some steps to get started:

Define the program's goals and objectives: Determine what the program aims to achieve and identify the target audience. You may want to consider what subjects the program will cover, what age group of youth it will serve, and what type of volunteers you want to recruit.

Identify potential partners and volunteers: Consider partnering with local schools, community centers, or other organizations that work with youth. Identify potential volunteers, such as college students, retired teachers, or community members with relevant skills and experience.

Develop a program structure: Create a program schedule and curriculum that outlines the goals, objectives, and activities for the program. Consider how many volunteers will be needed, the frequency and duration of tutoring sessions, and how progress will be tracked.

Establish volunteer requirements: Determine what qualifications and expectations you have for volunteers, such as background checks, training, and availability. Provide training and support for volunteers to help them be successful.

Secure a location: Determine where tutoring sessions will be held, such as a community center, school, or library. Make sure the location is safe, accessible, and equipped with necessary resources.

Advertise the program: Promote the program to potential participants, such as schools, community centers, and parents. Use social media, flyers, and other outreach methods to reach your target audience.

Recruit and train volunteers: Develop a recruitment plan to attract volunteers, such as posting flyers at local community centers, schools, and libraries, or promoting the program on social media. Train volunteers on program objectives, teaching strategies, and safety protocols.

Start operations. Collect participation and attendance data.

Evaluate and improve the program: Regularly assess the program's effectiveness by monitoring progress and collecting feedback from volunteers and participants. Use this information to make improvements and refine the program structure.

Starting a youth tutor/mentor program can be a challenging and rewarding experience. By following these steps, you can create a successful program that makes a positive impact on the lives of youth in your community.


Compare this to the blog article I wrote in 2016 with "steps to start a tutor/mentor program.
 
What's a Prompt Engineer? Can they really earn this type of income?

"The expected salary range for a Prompt Engineer and Librarian is $175k to $335k."

This caught my eye because so many of us have kids who don't yet know what to do with their lives and so many of us work with youth living in areas with too few opportunities. Some of us may be looking for new, or second, career options, too.

Here's the presentation where the Prompt Engineer information was shared during the first #ETMOOC2 session.

Here's a link provided to help you learn what a Prompt Engineer is and how you can build your skills.
Don't know how to code? Ask ChatGPT to generate code for you.

Another feature that attracted my attention was the ability for ChatGPT to generate html code that you can use to build a website or a webpage.

People are talking about this in the Discord channel for #ETMOOC2 and in the Twitter #ETMOOC2 network.

I've been looking at experiments by Kevin Hodgson, a middle-school teacher from Massachusetts. Here's one article on his blog.

Here's a "how to" page I found that illustrates what's possible. Find more like this by using prompt "using ChatGPT to build a website" in your browser search.
 
Blogs are a big part of the #ETMOOC2
I first connected with this group of educators in 2013 when the first ETMOOC was held. Blogging was encouraged as a way to share ideas and build deeper interaction among participants. I point to many of those blogs in this section of the Tutor/Mentor library.

The ETMOOC2 has created a list of blogs (including mine) which you can find on this page
 
Start your own learning journey
Visit the ETMOOC2 site and begin to learn more about ways to use AI and tools like ChatGPT.

There is a vast library of articles, videos and examples along with a group of people helping each other learn. It's FREE. Participate as much, or as little as you want. Share the resources with others and start your own study group.
Below are resources to use to help youth in your community.
View latest links added to tutor/mentor library - click here
 
Recent Tutor/Mentor Blog articles:

Create a WebQuest to learn AI tools and share Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC strategies - click here

Sharing on Twitter - posts following election of new Mayor for Chicago - click here

Chicago has a new Mayor. Same Problems. - click here

Crime and Violence in Chicago Not New - click here

What is a Tutor/Mentor Learning Network? - click here


Bookmark these Tutor/Mentor Resources

* Resource Library - click here

* Strategy PDFs by Tutor/Mentor - click here

* Concept Map library - click here

* Work done by interns - click here

* Political Action resources - click here

* Featured collections on Wakeletclick here

* Tutor/Mentor Institute Videos - click here

* About T/MI articles on blog - click here

* History of T/MC - T/MI articles - click here


* Chicago Youth Serving Organizations in Intermediary Roles - click here to view a concept map showing many organizations working to help improve the lives of Chicago area youth. Follow the links.
Resources & Announcements

* Chicago Learning Exchange - click here

* Chicago STEM Pathways Cooperative - click here Learn about Landscape Surveys - click here

* Connect Illinois Digital Equity Coalition - click here

* Illinois Broadband Lab - click here

* MyChiMyFuture - Chicago youth programs map and directory. click here; visit the website - click here

* To & Through Project website - click here: Follow on Twitter - @UChiToThrough
* Center for Effective Philanthropy - click here

* Forefront -Illinois' statewide association of nonprofits, foundations and advisors. click here

* Brooklyn Public Library National Teen E-card. Makes books available to teens throughout USA - click here

* Chicago Mentoring Collaborative - click here

* National Mentoring Resource Center - click here

* Chicago Public Schools locator map - click here

* Chicago Health Atlas - click here
* Incarceration Reform Resource Center - click here

* AfterSchool Alliance - resource center - click here

* ChiHackNight - remote civic technology meet-up; every Tuesday in Chicago - see weekly agenda
About this newsletter.

While I try to send this only once a month, I write blog articles weekly. Throughout the newsletter I post links to a few of the articles published in the past month or earlier. I encourage you to spend a little time each week reading these articles and following the links. Use the ideas and presentations in group discussions with other people who are concerned about the same issues.

View past newsletters from 2022 and in past years..

Encourage friends, family, co-workers to sign up to receive this newsletter.
Click here.
(If you subscribe, don't forget to respond to the confirmation email).
Thank you for reading. Please help fund this work.

June 2023 T/M eNews

June 2023 - Issue 222

Tutor Mentor Institute LLC newsletter heading with blue background

What is the level of poverty in your city?

This month's newsletter is going to focus on poverty research and ways volunteers in organized tutor/mentor programs can use this information to change conditions and do more to help K-12 youth move safely through school and into adult lives.

The ideas and resources shared in this monthly newsletter point to a library of resources that can be used by anyone, in Chicago, or around the world, to help mentor-rich youth programs thrive in all of the neighborhoods where they are most needed.

 

Encourage others in your city to find and use these resources!

Visit Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC Website

Join the conversation. "How can we end poverty in America?"

In early May I watched a presentation hosted by the Urban Institute, featuring Matt Desmond, author of a new book titled "Poverty in America". I provided links to the webinar, and to Matt Desmond's website, along with other articles on this topic, in this blog article.

 

One of the solutions was that "more people need to get involved" reading and sharing the research, so a growing movement of people, in Chicago and other cities and states, will do more to reduce the systems that have led to inequality and poverty in America.

 

Here's a link to Matt Desmond's End Poverty USA website page with data showing how each state compares in the fight against poverty. click here

 

Use other resources to understand levels of poverty, health disparities, education attainment and opportunity.

Data maps provide information in a visual way, making it easier to look at indicators for a small part of a city or state, or the entire city or state. This concept map points to many of the websites that I point to in the Tutor/Mentor library. Use them to build your understanding of where people need more help, and then to create stories that mobilize that help.

 

I've often asked "Who is teaching youth and adults to make sense of this data, and to share it in stories that get other people involved?" In a recent forum I was introduced to the New American History website. This page titled "Mapping Inequality: Redlining in New Deal America," shows lesson plans that can be used in school and non-school programs throughout the country. Take a look.

Why Volunteer-Based Tutor/Mentor Programs are Important

In order to reduce poverty, we first need to understand it, and empathize, so we're willing to do more with our time, talent, dollars and votes to change public and private practices and beliefs that have contributed to the levels of poverty and inequality that exist in America today.

 

If you've led a volunteer-based tutor/mentor program for multiple years, or volunteered for multiple years, you know the many different benefits these programs offer, to young people and adults. If your program operates in a big city like Chicago, with huge areas of concentrated poverty, you also know how difficult it is for one volunteer, or a single program, to reduce the many barriers caused by systemic racism and long-term government policies.

 

Over many years I've seen how some volunteers who have been well-supported by the programs they are part of, begin to do more to help the kids they work with, and the programs they are part of. Some may even become politically involved.

 

Why can't that be happening more frequently?

 

What if the poverty research that I point to above were part of the library of every volunteer-based organization and that efforts to keep volunteers involved, led to more taking greater roles?

 

Explore this graphic in this blog article.

 

Then read this "Mentor Role in a Larger Strategy" article.

As you do your planning, think of this formula.

I led a volunteer-based tutor/mentor program in Chicago for 35 years. For the first 15 years I was a volunteer with a full-time advertising job in the headquarters of a big retail store corporation. The program I led had 100 pairs of elementary school kids and workplace volunteers in 1975 when I became its leader and grew to over 300 pairs by 1990, with volunteers coming from more than 100 companies in the Chicago region. That program still serves Chicago, under the name of Tutoring Chicago.

 

I had to learn to recruit volunteers who would help with leading the program and doing all the work involved. Over time this became the formula - R&D+F&L. This means Recruit and Delegate. Follow-up and Lead. View this blog article to learn more about this strategy.

 

In the article I pointed to above, I share pages from the annual yearbook that I created each year from 1975 to 1999. One set of pages shows the tutoring program volunteer committee in 1975, with 13 people. The second is from the 1991-92 program, with a committee of more than 60 volunteers! There's an important lesson from these photos.

 

Great programs don't start great, they grow great over a period of many years of constant innovation and improvement. This is a lesson we need to share with donors so that more will provide the constant flow of dollars needed to build and sustain constantly improving programs.

 

Imagine the potential impact of this volunteer growth strategy in hundreds of volunteer-based organizations serving youth and families throughout the country. Imagine connecting these people to each other in a movement intended to reduce barriers to learning and opportunity.

 

What's you strategy for growing your program and getting volunteers involved? Do you have a blog where you share the work you do to make your program great? Please share it with me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and/or Mastodon.

 

The graphic below shows just a few of the most recent additions to the tutor/mentor library - click here to view links.

Recent Tutor/Mentor Blog articles:

 

Learn about Artificial Intelligence tools you can use in your school or non-school program. Follow the links in these #ETMOOC blog articles and in these ChatGPT articles.

 

Memorial Day articles on Tutor/Mentor blog - click here

 

Chicago school closings. 2011 and now. click here

 

Building and Sustaining Mentor-Rich Supporty Systems for K-12 Youth - click here

 

Building Attention for Youth Tutor/Mentor Programs - click here

 

Planning. How do we know when we are "there"? - click here

 

 

Bookmark these Tutor/Mentor Resources

 

* Resource Library - click here

 

* Strategy PDFs by Tutor/Mentor - click here

 

* Concept Map library - click here

 

* Work done by interns - click here

 

* Political Action resources - click here

 

* Featured collections on Wakeletclick here

 

* Tutor/Mentor Institute Videos - click here

 

* About T/MI articles on blog - click here

 

* History of T/MC - T/MI articles - click here

 

* Chicago Youth Serving Organizations in Intermediary Roles - click here to view a concept map showing many organizations working to help improve the lives of Chicago area youth. Follow the links.

Resources & Announcements

 

* 2023 Points of Light Conference will be held in Chicago from June 14-16. click here for info. Follow on Twitter using #PointsofLight23.

 

* Chicago Mentoring Collaborative - click here

 

* National Mentoring Resource Center - click here

 

* Chicago Learning Exchange - click here

 

* Chicago STEM Pathways Cooperative - click here Learn about Landscape Surveys - click here

 

* Connect Illinois Digital Equity Coalition - click here

 

* MyChiMyFuture - Chicago youth programs map and directory. click here; visit the website - click here

 

* To & Through Project website - click here: Follow on Twitter - @UChiToThrough

 

* Center for Effective Philanthropy - click here

 

* Forefront -Illinois' statewide association of nonprofits, foundations and advisors. click here

 

* Chicago Public Schools locator map - click here

 

* Chicago Health Atlas - click here

 

* Incarceration Reform Resource Center - click here

 

* AfterSchool Alliance - resource center - click here

 

* ChiHackNight - remote civic technology meet-up; every Tuesday in Chicago - see weekly agenda

About this newsletter.
While I try to send this only once a month, I write blog articles weekly. Throughout the newsletter I post links to a few of the articles published in the past month or earlier. I encourage you to spend a little time each week reading these articles and following the links. Use the ideas and presentations in group discussions with other people who are concerned about the same issues.
If the newsletter does not format correctly in your email, or if you want to return to it for future reading or to share with others, view current and past newsletters at this link.
Encourage friends, family, co-workers to sign up to receive this newsletter. Click here.
(If you subscribe, don't forget to respond to the confirmation email).

Thank you for reading. Please help fund this work.

Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC
Serving Chicago area since 1993
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | http://www.tutormentorexchange.net
Thank you for reading. And thank you to those who help fund the
Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC and this newsletter. Please send a 2023 contribution.
Connect with Dan (tutormentor) on one of these social media platforms.
Twitter
Linkedin
Facebook
Pinterest
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July 2023 Tutor/Mentor eNews

July 2023 - Issue 223

Tutor Mentor Institute LLC newsletter heading with blue background

Summer Planning Leads to Better Youth Programs

This month's newsletter focuses on planning that needs to be taking place during the summer months and leads to constant improvement in the quality and structure of existing youth tutor/mentor programs as well as to the launching of new programs more are needed.

The ideas and resources shared in this monthly newsletter point to a library of resources that can be used by anyone, in Chicago, or around the world, to help mentor-rich youth programs thrive in all of the neighborhoods where they are most needed.

 

Encourage others in your city to find and use these resources!

Visit Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC Website

Does your youth program, and community leadership, do year-round planning? What are you doing during the summer months?

This graphic shows events developed between 1994 and 1996 by the Tutor/Mentor Connection in Chicago, and continued through 2015, which were intended to support the growth of volunteer-based tutor, mentor and learning programs in all high poverty areas of the city and suburbs.

 

Since many youth programs work on a school year calendar the time between May and August needs to be spent on planning that leads to stronger programs as school starts the following year. I've written about this planning process often on the Tutor/Mentor blog. This link points to a recent article.

 

In the late 2000s interns created an animation to show the year-round strategy. You can view it in this YouTube video. While I no longer host these events they represent a template that leaders in any city might use to build their own year-round campaigns to build and sustain mentor-rich, non-school, youth serving programs in all high poverty areas.

 

Find more ideas for planning, starting a program and on-going improvement in this section.

What ways do you visualize the long-term support kids in high poverty areas need to move safely from birth-to-work?

I've used graphics like this for more than 25 years to visualize the long-term support kids need to move more successfully from birth to work, recognizing that kids in high poverty areas don't have as many of these resources as do kids in more affluent areas. Thus, leaders need to be intentional in making these available.

 

Very few non-school tutor/mentor programs have a 12-16 year strategy of helping youth through school. If you know of any, please share links so I can add them to the Tutor/Mentor Library. However, without a long-term strategy a neighborhood might need multiple programs reaching different age groups, with different types of age-appropriate programs. If kids can move from program to program over their school years, this offers the same benefit as a single long-term program.

 

How many zip codes have such a network of programs?

This concept map shows support kids need.

View this concept map at this link.

 

This is a different way to visualize the various support kids need at each grade level as they move through school and into adult lives.

 

A planning process at the neighborhood and community level needs to build an understanding of what types of support already exists. A communications plan would draw these support providers together to learn from each other while drawing volunteers and donors to each program so they have the resources to constantly improve.

 

An analysis of the information would determine where gaps in service are and would lead to building new programs to fill those voids.

 

I've used free cMapTools since 2005 to create my concept maps. Other tools are available.

 

Here are some articles to stimulate your planning.

Does your planning process include these steps?

View this concept map at this link,

 

Step 1 involves collecting and organizing information, or creating the knowledge base. Step 2 and Step 3 involve motivating a growing number of people to visit the library regularly and helping them find what they are looking for and understand how to apply the information in Step 4, different places where youth and families would benefit from organized, on-going, volunteer-based tutor, mentor and learning programs. Here's one article where I explain the four steps.

 

While different people and organizations in a city may be collecting some of this information and drawing some people together this needs to be an integrated, on-going strategy. If you can't find someone in your city who visualizes and leads a strategy like this, share it with business, university and philanthropic leaders with the goal that one, or many, will adopt it.

 

Who leads this process in your city? Is someone visualizing the planning steps? Share links if you have them.

 

Is there an intentional strategy to expand the network of adults supporting K-12 youth in high poverty areas or your city?

Total Quality Mentoring chart from 1990s is a hub and spokes design

I used this graphic in the 1990s and 2000s to visualize how the tutor/mentor program I led connected youth from high poverty areas of Chicago with volunteers from different background, different careers and different universities. Each youth had a primary one-on-one tutor/mentor who often stayed with the youth for several years and a network of other volunteers who they connected with in weekly activities. They were all supported by a paid staff (although in the original program that I led from 1975 to 1992 the leaders were all volunteers up until it became a non profit in 1990.)

 

I did not realize in the early years that we were helping expand social capital for these kids....and our volunteers ... by expanding the network of "who they know". I was first introduced to the concept in the late 1990s and I've written about it often on blog articles like this and in these.

 

If you view websites of Chicago youth programs on these lists you'll find very few (if any) using graphics like mine to describe their programs, or using social capital in articles about their program design, yet you will see photos and stories of volunteers with kids. Thus, many are helping build social capital, even if they don't talk about it as part of their theory of change.

 

By sharing my program design graphic with program leaders, volunteers, parents, donors and policy makers my long-term goal has been to nudge the entire sector to grow programs that expand networks of support for kids living in high poverty areas.

 

Share links to websites that you think do this well.

Your planning should also aim to influence resource providers.

From 1990 to 2011 I led a non-profit youth tutor/mentor program in Chicago, after having led one of these as a volunteer for the previous 15 years. I was constantly networking with peers, reading research and looking for ways to improve how my program supported youth and volunteers. However, I was constantly frustrated by how difficult it was to find the money and talent needed. Thus, this final visualization focuses on INFLUENCE of resource providers (#9 on the graphic), not just program leaders and staff (#7 on the graphic).

 

I've posted several articles using this graphic. Here's one.

 

If leaders in Chicago and other cities champion this strategy, your volunteers and donors can be looking for your program, and looking for ways to help you help kids, in just as many ways as you are trying to find them.

 

Does your city have a strategy like this? Share links if you have them.

Use these additional resources in your planning and networking. See latest additions to the Tutor/Mentor Library at this link.

Recent Tutor/Mentor Blog articles:

 

 

Tutor/Mentor Programs need time and resources to become great - click here

 

Building and Sustaining Mentor-Rich support systems for K-12 youth - click here

 

Building Attention for Youth Tutor/Mentor Programs - click here

 

Birth-to-Work Goal and Use of Knowledge Base - click here

 

Building a Segmented Understanding of Youth Serving Programs - click here

 

Learn about Artificial Intelligence tools you can use in your school or non-school program. Follow the links in these #ETMOOC blog articles and in these ChatGPT articles.

 

 

 

Bookmark these Tutor/Mentor Resources

 

* Resource Library - click here

 

* Strategy PDFs by Tutor/Mentor - click here

 

* Concept Map library - click here

 

* Work done by interns - click here

 

* Political Action resources - click here

 

* Featured collections on Wakeletclick here

 

* Tutor/Mentor Institute Videos - click here

 

* About T/MI articles on blog - click here

 

* History of T/MC - T/MI articles - click here

 

* Chicago Youth Serving Organizations in Intermediary Roles - click here to view a concept map showing many organizations working to help improve the lives of Chicago area youth. Follow the links.

Resources & Announcements. These sites regularly update the information they share so visit them often.

 

* Chicago Mentoring Collaborative - click here

 

* National Mentoring Resource Center - click here

 

* Chicago Learning Exchange - click here

 

* Chicago STEM Pathways Cooperative - click here Learn about Landscape Surveys - click here

 

* University of Chicago Civic Engagement news - click here

 

* Connect Illinois Digital Equity Coalition - click here

 

* MyChiMyFuture - Chicago youth programs map and directory. click here; visit the website - click here

 

* To & Through Project website - click here: Follow on Twitter - @UChiToThrough

 

* Center for Effective Philanthropy - click here

 

* Forefront -Illinois' statewide association of nonprofits, foundations and advisors. click here

 

* Chicago Public Schools locator map - click here

 

* Chicago Health Atlas - click here

 

* Thrive Chicago collaboration - click here

* Incarceration Reform Resource Center - click here

 

* AfterSchool Alliance - resource center - click here

 

* ChiHackNight - remote civic technology meet-up; every Tuesday in Chicago - see weekly agenda

About this newsletter.
While I try to send this only once a month, I write blog articles weekly. Throughout the newsletter I post links to a few of the articles published in the past month or earlier. I encourage you to spend a little time each week reading these articles and following the links. Use the ideas and presentations in group discussions with other people who are concerned about the same issues.

View current and past newsletters at this link.

Encourage friends, family, co-workers to sign up to receive this newsletter. Click here.
(If you subscribe, don't forget to respond to the confirmation email).

Thank you for reading. Connect with me and share links to resources, on any of the social media platforms shown below.

Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC

Serving Chicago area since 1993
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | http://www.tutormentorexchange.net

Thank you for reading. And thank you to those who help fund the
Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC and this newsletter. Please send a 2023 contribution.

Connect with Dan (tutormentor) on one of these social media platforms.
Twitter
Linkedin
Facebook
Pinterest
Instagram