Chicago Government, Chicago Schools, Chicago Faith Based and Misc Chicago NPOs Resource
Links Section of the Tutor/Mentor Library.

In 1993 the Tutor/mentor Connection was created with a goal of building a library of resources that
people could use to support non-school tutor, mentor and learning programs.  We published our list in
a printed Directory until 2003, and begin to put it on line in 1998. This section of the library includes
links to Chicago government, Chicago schools, Chicago faith based youth serving orgs, and Non-Profit
organizations that don't fit any other category.   The site where this information has been hosted
is now only available as an archive.

The first Directory was published in 1994. A new, updated
Directory was published every year until 2003. At
this link you can view 1995 Directory.

The links below are sub-categories in this section of the library. 
These lists are not intended to included ALL Chicago resources.

Almost every other section of the library also points to
many Chicago based organizations. 

If you find broken links send information to tutormentor 2 at earthlink.net

City of Chicago government & misc NPO links - click here

Chicago schools links - click here

AD COUNCIL - RESOURCES NON PROFITS CAN USE
https://www.adcouncil.org/our-story/our-history
From the web site: "The Ad Council produces, distributes and promotes campaigns that improve everyday lives. Our memorable work inspires ongoing dialogue, engagement and action around significant public issues, creating a measurable difference in society."

AN OVERVIEW OF SOCIAL MEDIA RESEARCH TOOLS - 2019
click here
From the blog: "Twitter and other social media platforms represent a large and largely untapped resource for social data and evidence. In this post, Wasim Ahmed updates his recurring series on the Impact Blog, to bring you the latest developments in digital methods and methodologies for researching Twitter and other social media platforms."

ARTISTS AND WRITERS AROUND THE WORLD MOBILIZING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE
https://agamagenda.com/when-is-now-mobilizing-artists-and-writers-around-the-world-for-climate-action/
This campaign is called "When is Now" and is a project of The Agam Agenda, which is a project of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (https://icsc.ngo/).  

CAUSE MARKETING TRENDS 2021 - ARTICLE
https://www.dontpaniclondon.com/cause-marketing-trends-2021/
This is useful article showing 2020 cause marketing examples and what marketers can learn from them in 2021.  Submitted to the library by a company called "Don't Panic". 

CHOOSING THE RIGHT SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM FOR YOUR BUSINESS (2018)
https://aofund.org/resource/choosing-right-social-media-platform-your-business/
If you're using social media to build attention for your business or organization the tips in this blog article can be useful. 

CREATING PASSIONATE USERS – BLOG
https://headrush.typepad.com/
This blog contains some great advice for all of us who want to motivate kids to become learners who maximize their potential in life.  While we all feel we have something to say, our challenge is presenting our ideas in ways that motivate people to find and learn from our ideas, then put them to work in their lives.  This site is useful for anyone thinking about this.

DESIGN GOOD BLOG
https://designgood.com/blog
From the web site: "At DesignGood, we’re all about helping you and your business not only succeed, but thrive. We help you reach your business goals by setting you apart and allowing you and your unique offering to shine.  We’re 110% devoted to working collaboratively toward the development of your brand and your voice.'  The blog includes articles that any business or non-profit might learn from. 

EDELMAN TRUST BAROMETER - OPINION SHIFTS SHAPING THE WORLD
https://www.edelman.com/trust/2020-trust-barometer
From the website: "Edelman Trust Management is a suite of powerful, flexible analytical tools and consulting services that help a business or organization best manage its trust capital among its audiences, stakeholders and shareholders.  Over the last 19 years, the Edelman Trust Barometer has detected and documented some of the largest opinion shifts shaping the world. We have observed that the state and dynamic of trust in institutions was in many ways predictive of larger societal, economic and political changes to come.

GETTING ATTENTION FOR YOUR IDEAS - FROM KIDS OR ADULTS
https://www.middleweb.com/36205/were-not-the-only-ones-who-want-kids-attention/
This is an article posted on the Middleweb blog. While it is aimed at educating kids to be consumers of information, the information is a valuable primer on advertising and communications for the 2017 and forward years. Anyone could use these ideas.

HARNESSING THE POWER OF NARRATIVE FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
https://www.newtactics.org/conversation/change-story-harnessing-power-narrative-social-change
This site shares a conversation where participants " learn more about story-based strategy and how to integrate it into campaign planning." 

MAKING YOUR STRATEGY STICK - CREATING AND EMBEDDING YOUR STORY
https://www.anecdote.com/about-us/
This organization, based in Australia, provides a large number of thoughtful stories on its web site, related to collaboration, knowledge management, complexity, etc.  This link points to a page that shows what they do. 

MAXIMIZING SOCIAL IMPACT USING TWITTER
click here
This slide show was a presentation at the 7/7/15 ChicagoHackNight event, by Rachael Perrotta @plussone . Lots of great low/no cost ideas that tutor/mentor orgs could apply. 

PUBLIC NARRATIVE (WAS COMMUNITY MEDIA WORKSHOP)
https://publicnarrative.org/about/
It is essential that tutor/mentor programs have effective and on-going communications programs. This not only includes getting the media involved, but includes getting local churches, businesses and civic networks involved, as well as learning to communicate effectively to your students, volunteers, parents, local schools and your donor base. The Public Narrative trainings are an excellent Chicago resource to help programs build these skills. 

TEAM ROLES NEEDED FOR SOCIAL SOFTWARE PROJECTS
https://www.personalinfocloud.com/blog/2016/6/20/team-roles-needed-for-social-software-projects
This blog has quite a few articles that can expand the understanding of challenges and opportunities from using technology for communications, collaboration and problem solving.

TEN REASONS WHY WE NEED SOLUTIONS JOURNALISM
click here
This blog article is from the Solutions Journalism Network site. They "train and connect journalists to cover what's missing in today's news: How people are responding to problems."  This link points to an article showing 10 reasons why we need solutions journalism.  It's an important strategy. 

TERRORBULL GAMES - INNOVATION IN TECHNOLOGY
https://www.terrorbullgames.co.uk/about/manifesto.php
Read the Manifesto on this site and see how humor, satire and gaming are used to focus attention on social issues. T/MC note:  This type of gaming could help draw volunteer, donor and youth attention to the information we host on web sites like this, and help them understand and act on it.

THE COMMUNICATION INITIATIVE
https://www.comminit.com/communicating_children/content/overview-communication-initiative
Mission described at "To convene the communication and media development, social and behavioral change community for more effective local, national, and international development action".   Look at the activities as they are described on this link. In many ways this organization's goals are similar to those of the Tutor/Mentor Connection, although with a much broader focus and much better funding.

THE OPED PROJECT - HOW TO PITCH YOUR STORY
https://www.theopedproject.org/
From the web site: "The OpEd Project is a social venture founded to increase the range of voices and quality of ideas we hear in the world.  Our starting goal is to increase the number of women thought leaders contributing to key commentary forums—which feed all other media, and drive thought leadership across all industries—to a tipping point.  We envision a world in which the best ideas—regardless of where or whom they come from—will have a chance to be heard and shape society and the world." 

THE POYNTER INSTITUTE - SCHOOL FOR JOURNALIST
https://www.poynter.org/about/
The Poynter Institute is a school for journalists, future journalists, and teachers of journalists. Read the Blogs and find useful tips on how to tell the story of your organization, and how to work with media.

UNDERSTANDING DYNAMICS OF PEER-TO-PEER NETWORKS - 2008 SLIDESHARE PDF
https://www.slideshare.net/urbanlabs/understanding-p2p-presentation
This is a PDF presentation on Slideshare, focused on understanding networks. It used a range of visualizations.  If you're building a network-based strategy and looking for ways to generate income, this can be useful information.  While it was created in 2008 the ideas are still valuable.

USING DATA TO TELL STORIES
https://datasparkri.org/
From the web site: "DataSpark was founded to connect data and people, with the goal to inform, empower and inspire innovative decision-making. For over 25 years, we have been assisting policymakers in state and local governments, community leaders in nonprofits, and academic researchers across the country with their analytical needs. DataSpark, which began as part of a non-profit organization became a program unit of the University of Rhode Island (URI) Libraries in 2017."

VISUAL MAP OF SOCIAL MEDIA UNIVERSE - 2017
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/visual-map-social-media-universe/
This infographic comes from Brian Solis and JESS3, and it visualizes the massive social media universe of 2017.

ACADEMICS AS "INNOVATORS" AND "AGENTS OF CHANGE
http://www.ut-ie.com/about-ie.html
From the web site: "Intellectual Entrepreneurship is a philosophy and vision of education viewing academics as "innovators" and "agents of change." It focuses on creating cross-disciplinary and multi-institutional collaborations designed to produce intellectual advancements with a capacity to provide real solutions to society's problems and needs. Intellectual Entrepreneurship is academic engagement for the purpose of changing lives."

T/MC Note: If your university wants to apply this philosophy in partnership with the Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, we want to hear from you!!!

ACTION RESEARCH - VIDEO SHOWS PROCESS
https://research-for-real.co.uk/2012/08/13/how-action-research-can-help-to-deliver-better-services/
This site offers many ideas and resources for applying action research in building and sustaining effective social problem solving organizations

APPLIED COLLABORATION STUDIOS- SYSTEMS OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
https://timreview.ca/article/268
From the web site "This paper asserts that the voluntary or social sector plays a pivotal role in generating and disseminating social innovations through collaboration with diverse partners. The authors explore the potential to engender a quantum leap in the sector’s efficiency, reach, and impact through the combined use of open source technologies, social process tools and collaboration platforms. The objective is to contribute to a new generation of intelligent social systems, enabling an evolutionary recalibration of relationships among ourselves, our social and economic institutions, and the planet."

ASSESSMENT TOOLS IN INFORMAL STEM (ATIS) FROM PEAR WEBSITE
http://pearweb.org/atis/tools/jump?range=AC
This site host an extensive list of evaluation and assessment tools that focus on STEM, but probably could be used by many types of youth serving organizations.  

ASSET BASED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AT DEPAUL
https://resources.depaul.edu/abcd-institute/Pages/default.aspx
From the web site: " The Asset-Based Community Development Institute (ABCD) is at the center of a large and growing movement that considers local assets as the primary building blocks of sustainable community development. Building on the skills of local residents, the power of local associations, and the supportive functions of local institutions, asset-based community development draws upon existing community strengths to build stronger, more sustainable communities for the future."   The ABCD Institute originated at Northwestern University and moved to DePaul in recent years.

BENCHMARKING - WIKIPEDIA PAGE
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benchmarking
By looking at how others operate volunteer-based tutoring and/or mentoring programs and reading research about what works program leaders and donors can gather ideas that can help each program constantly improve their impact on young people and the volunteers involved in their programs.

BENCHMARKING. WHAT IS IT? HOW TO USE IT?
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/overview-and-examples-of-benchmarking-in-business-2275114
Benchmarking is the process of determining who is the very best, who sets the standard, and what that standard is. The links on this web site are intended to help tutor/mentor programs compare themselves to the very best as a part of ongoing innovation and process improvement strategies.

BOXES AND ARROWS: PRACTICE, INNOVATION, AND DISCUSSION OF DESIGN
https://boxesandarrows.com/about-boxes-and-arrows/
From the web site: "Boxes and Arrows is devoted to the practice, innovation, and discussion of design; including graphic design, interaction design, information architecture and the design of business. Since 2001, it’s been a peer-written journal promoting contributors who want to provoke thinking, push limits, and teach a few things along the way.

CHICAGOLAND TUTOR/MENTOR VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN - ARCHIVE
http://www.tutormentorexchange.net/chicagoland-volunteer-recruitment
When individual programs, volunteers, donors and business partners join together to build public awareness and draw volunteers to tutor/mentor programs throughout the city, more volunteers will respond and more youth will be connected to tutors and mentors.  Visit this link to learn about the campaign the Tutor/Mentor Connection hosted in Chicago each year between 1994 and 2003. This campaign has continued as an Internet campaign since 2003.  It's a strategy that requires many leaders, not just one small organization's efforts.

CLARIFYING IMPACT. LESSONS FROM CIVIC TECH TORONTO
click here
This article show how Civic Tech Toronto engaged in a planning process and produced a Theory of Change document.

COMMUNITY INTELLIGENCE - ENABLING THE NEXT STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT IN PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS
http://community-intelligence.com/
From the web site: "We, at Community Intelligence, believe a better world is possible and it needs the courageous and wise action of all of us who care for it. We hold our vision not as an agenda to accomplish but as a future, we feel passionately attracted to." Visit the site and learn more. 

COMMUNITY TOOL BOX - UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
https://ctb.ku.edu/en
This is an extremely helpful, comprehensive resource, committed to connecting people, ideas and resources for the work of community health and development. Sponsored by the University of Kansas. The site includes troubleshooting guides, like community planning and action. Also includes profiles of partners, such as The Access Project of Boston, Mass. which works to increase access to health care with a focus on people who are without insurance.

DAVID P. WEIKART CENTER FOR YOUTH PROGRAM QUALITY
https://forumfyi.org/weikartcenter/
From the web site: "The  David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality empowers education and human service leaders to adapt, implement, and scale best-in-class, research validated quality improvement systems to advance child and youth development." This is part of the Forum For Youth Investment.

FORWARD AND BACKWARD MAPPING: REVERSIBLE LOGIC IN THE ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC POLICY ARTICLE BY DR. RICHARD ELMORE
https://www.jstor.org/stable/2149628
Dr. Elmore's backward mapping article is the basis of much of the thinking of the Tutor/Mentor Connection. If we start with a goal in mind, then work backward, we can frame flexible steps, and define resources, needed to achieve the goal.  You can download the PDF from this site.

GETTING RESULTS AND SOLVING PROBLEMS (GRASP)
https://cominofoundation.org.uk/our-history/getting-results-and-solving-problems-grasp/
From the web site: "Demitri Comino initiated GRASP many years ago and the Comino Foundation revived its use as a descriptive shorthand for the approach. As the title infers, its emphasis is on getting results, that is to say making those things happen that we wish to make happen. It concentrates on outcomes - what we want to achieve rather than what we want to do. It is a process of achieving. It springs from a belief that each of us has the potential to achieve far more than we do, and that through education and training young people can develop their ability and motivation to learn, to succeed and to make things happen for themselves and others."

GLOBAL FAMILY RESEARCH PROJECT
https://globalfrp.org/
From the web site: "The Global Family Research Project is the successor to the Harvard Family Research Project (1983-2016), which separated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education Jan. 1, 2017, and it is no longer affiliated with Harvard University. With our long history, we have an established track record in defining and advancing the fields of family, school, and community engagement."

KNIGHT FOUNDATION COMMUNITY PARTNERS PROGRAM
https://knightfoundation.org/programs/communities/
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Community Partners Program aims to improve the quality of life in 26 U.S. communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers. In each city and town, community advisory committees have developed funding strategies, focusing on no more than three of Knight's six funding priorities. Visit the web site to learn more.

MEASURING IMPACT - MULAGO FOUNDATION
https://www.mulagofoundation.org/articles/real-world-impact-measurement
This is one of many articles that share ideas of The Mulago Foundation. This is one of three 2012 articles focuses on five steps to determine impact and calculate bang for the donor buck.

MOZELLA OPEN LEADERSHIP TRANING MODULES
https://mozilla.github.io/open-leadership-training-series/articles/introduction-to-open-leadership/introduction-to-working-open/
https://mozilla.github.io/open-leadership-training-series/articles/introduction-to-open-leadership/stating-your-project-vision/
From the website: "This website introduces you to the basic concepts of working open.  When you are 'working open' you use the power, knowledge, and skills of a diverse community of volunteers (called "contributors") to accomplish something that a single person or a small team couldn't do alone."

NATIONAL SERVICES RESOURCE CENTER
https://americorps.gov/grantees-sponsors
This is the resource and knowledge center page of the Corporation for National and Community Service. It connects service programs and others with targeted training and information.

ONLINE EVALUATION RESOURCE LIBRARY (OERL)
https://oerl.sri.com/
From the web site: "Welcome to OERL, the Online Evaluation Resource Library. This library was developed for professionals seeking to design, conduct, document, or review project evaluations. The purpose of this system is to collect and make available evaluation plans, instruments, and reports for NSF projects that can be used as examples by Principal Investigators, project evaluators, and others outside the NSF community as they design proposals and projects. OERL also includes professional development modules that can be used to better understand and utilize the materials made available."


OPEN LIFE SCIENCE AND OPEN SEEDS - DEDIDICATED TO CAPACITY BUILDING AND DIVERSIFYING LEADERSHIP IN RESEARCH
https://openlifesci.org/
https://openlifesci.org/openseeds/
This non-profit organization offers online mentoring and training programs for individuals and teams worldwide to learn about and adopt open research practices. The "Open Seeds" is a mentoring and training program for Open Science ambassadors.

OUTCOME MAPPING - AN EVALUATION APPROACH SUPPORTED BY IDRC
https://idl-bnc-idrc.dspacedirect.org/bitstream/handle/10625/59318/IDL-59318.pdf
From the web site: "The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) funds research in developing countries to promote growth, reduce poverty, and drive large-scale positive change. A Crown corporation, we support leading thinkers who advance knowledge and solve practical development problems. We provide the resources, advice, and training they need to implement and share their solutions with those who need them most. In short, IDRC increases opportunities — and makes a real difference in people’s lives." Search on the https://www.idrc.ca/en site for "outcome mapping" to find several projects that focus on this.

OUTCOMES INDICATORS PROJECT AT THE URBAN INSTITUTE
click here
From the web site: "The Outcome Indicators Project provides a framework for tracking nonprofit performance. It suggests candidate outcomes and outcome indicators to assist nonprofit organizations that seek to develop new outcome monitoring processes or improve their existing systems."

PIRE EVALUATION RESOURCES
https://www.pire.org/
From the web site: "PIRE is an independent, nonprofit organization merging scientific knowledge and proven practice to create solutions that improve the health, safety, and well-being of individuals, communities, and nations around the world."

PLANNING TOOL FOR CHANGE: ACTION MAPPING
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED444266
This article by Bruce I. Matsui, The Claremont Graduate School, August 1997,  explores Backward Mapping and Action Mapping concepts.   It's one of the articles that have influence strategies of the Tutor/Mentor Connection since the mid 1990s.

ROADMAP TO SOCIAL IMPACT - STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
https://www.csi.edu.au/research/tools-and-guides/roadmap-to-social-impact/
The full title of this 2021 article is "Roadmap to social impact: Your step-by-step guide to planning, measuring and communicating social impact.  From the Center for Social Impact in Australia. 

SOCIAL PROGRAMS THAT WORK
https://evidencebasedprograms.org/
From the web site: "This site seeks to identify those social programs shown in rigorous studies to produce sizable, sustained benefits to participants and/or society. The purpose is to enable policy officials and other readers to readily distinguish these programs from the many others that claim to have such evidence."

SYSTEMS THINKING IN SCHOOLS - THE WALTERS CENTER
https://waterscenterst.org/why-systems-thinking?tab=benefits
From the web site: "We help create positive change and improved performance through the Habits and tools of systems thinking. We’re all about delivering benefits and working with others to help them do the same — whether it’s in a classroom, school, district, business or community, systems thinking helps people of all ages and walks of life see beyond the heart of a problem to find equitable and essential solutions."

TACTICAL TECHNOLOGY - INVESTIGATES HOW DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES IMPACT SOCIETY
https://tacticaltech.org/projects
From the web site: "We work with an international audience of engaged citizens and civil society actors to investigate and mitigate the evolving impact of technologies on society. Our work has gone through a number of phases since the organisation was founded in 2003, but the core principle hasn't changed: we examine how issues arise in different contexts, explore what responses are needed and find strategies and tactics to work with and around them in a sustainable way."

TOOLS & RESOURCES FOR ACCESSING SOCIAL IMPACT (TRASI)
click here
From the web site: "Tools and Resources for Assessing Social Impact (TRASI) is a searchable, expert-reviewed database of over 150 approaches to measuring the impact of social programs and investments. It also features a community portal for nonprofits, grantmakers, and social enterprises to connect with peers and evaluation experts."

TUTOR/MENTOR CONNECTION (T/MC) ACTIONS DOCUMENTATION SYSTEM
http://tutormentorinstitute.wikidot.com/project:ohats-t-mc
The T/MC Organizational History and Tracking System (OHATS) was created in 2000 and was intended to capture the many actions that add up to achieving its mission over a period of years. This link points to a planning wiki with a history describing the OHATS system.  The OHATS system site is now only available as an archive. However, it is still a model that others might duplicate.

USING BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS FOR NON PROFITS - PLANNING TOOL
http://weblog.tetradian.com/2011/07/16/bmcanvas-for-nonprofits/
This article can be used by non profits or social entrepreneurs to help develop their plans and strategies. Great use of visualization to illustrate ideas.

USING CASE STUDIES TO EXPLORE AND EXPLAIN COMPLEX INTERVENTIONS
https://blogs.worldbank.org/impactevaluations/using-case-studies-explore-and-explain-complex-interventions
This is one of many articles on the World Bank web site. It focuses on the complexity of change efforts focused on multiple locations.  Worth reading.

YOUTH PROGRAM QUALITY ACCESSMENT AND PLANNING TOOLS - FROM THE FORUM FOR YOUTH INVESTMENT
https://forumfyi.org/weikartcenter/assessments/
From the website: "This page hosts a variety of resources designed to  help programs effectively observe and collect data", which is a crucial first step in planning and program improvement processes.

A GIS PRIMER. WHAT IS GIS? THE POWER OF MAPPING
https://www.esri.com/en-us/what-is-gis/overview
This ESRI site starts out saying "A geographic information system (GIS) lets us visualize, question, analyze, and interpret data to understand relationships, patterns, and trends.  GIS benefits organizations of all sizes and in almost every industry. There is a growing interest in and awareness of the economic and strategic value of GIS."
Note: The Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present) and Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) have been trying to harness this capacity since 1993 to help build more consistent support for all volunteer based tutor/mentor programs in the Chicago region.

AN ARTICLE ABOUT USING MAPS – EXTENSIVE RESOURCES
https://kit.exposingtheinvisible.org/en/how/maps.html
From the website: “In this article you will explore how to use maps, geographic data and satellite imagery to find and visualize information, how common mapping tools can help you investigate a physical place and what happens there, and how you can document your own physical investigative journeys.

AMMAP - INTERACTIVE MAPPING TOOL
https://www.amcharts.com/demos/
Visit this page and see the many types of maps and charts that can be created using the tools offered by this company.

ArcGIS LIVING ATLAS OF THE WORLD - ESRI PRODUCT
https://livingatlas.arcgis.com/en/browse/#d=2
From the website: "ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World is the foremost collection of geographic information from around the globe. It includes maps, apps, and data layers to support your work."  Take time to get familiar with this huge resource.

ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN GEOGRAPHERS
http://www.aag.org/cs/projects_and_programs
From the web site: "The AAG offers a variety of programs and special projects to support the work of geographers in the U.S. and internationally. We also provide services for geographers and academic departments seeking to enhance diversity, obtain disciplinary data about geography, and conduct outreach activities with youth."

BATCHGEO - TURN SPREADSHEETS INTO MAPS
https://batchgeo.com/
From the web site: "BatchGeo is the fastest way to create Google Maps from your spreadsheets. Founded in 2006, we believe there is a story within your data waiting to be told. Maps create a visual representation that a list of addresses or other locations just can't possibly communicate." 

CARES ENGAGEMENT NETWORK
https://careshq.org/
From the web site: "The Engagement Network is a national platform where you can find public and custom tools produced by the Center for Applied Research and Engagement Systems (CARES) at the University of Missouri. The Engagement Network hosts:
*A national Map Room with 15,000+ data layers
*The premier Community Health Needs Assessment reporting tool with 80+ health-related indicators
* A Hub Network with 30+ partner organizations using CARES technology
You may have seen these data, tools, and Hubs in Community Commons in the past. Community Commons is transitioning to a new platform and the Engagement Network has been created to ensure that communities, organizations, and agencies that rely on free access to the maps and tools can continue to get reliable data and visualization tools."

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. 

CARTODB - MAP MAKING MADE EASY
https://carto.com/
From the web site "Whether it's more efficient delivery routes, strategic store placements or targeted geomarketing campaigns - CARTO makes it simple." 
CHICAGO COMMUNITY AREA MAP - POPULATION CHANGES SINCE 1950S
https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=203818
This site shows changes in population from 1950 to 2010 for each community area in Chicago. Also includes an interactive map showing demographic changes since 1920s.

CENTER FOR SPATIAL DATA SCIENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO (CSDS)
https://spatial.uchicago.edu/
From the website: "At CSDS we think spatially about research problems; We develop state-of-the-art methods for geospatial analysis; implement them through open source software tools; apply them to policy-relevant research in the social sciences; and disseminate them through education and support to a worldwide community."

CHIVES - A CHICAGO DATA COLLABORATIVE AND COMMUNITY MAPPING APPLICATION
https://chichives.com/
From the website: "ChiVes brings data on Chicago's environment together at the neighborhood level.  It's a partnership of researchers, community organizations, and civic groups.

CITY EXPLAINED, INC USES GIS PLANNING TOOLS
https://communityviz.city-explained.com/
From the web site: "City Explained, Inc. is a software and services firm specializing in GIS-based planning services and technology. National leaders in scenario planning and related fields, our professional services consultants assist communities and regions with innovative visualization and analysis technology for planning. Our award-winning software, CommunityViz®, is widely used throughout North America and the world for scenario-based land-use planning and 3D visualization. In addition, our custom software developers create innovative, interactive applications for a wide variety of planning analysis and outreach needs."

CHANGES IN NEW YORK STATE 2022 CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT LINES - LOCATIONS OF HOSPITALS - USE OF GIS MAPS
https://hanys.askflorence.org/Data/redistricting/index#rendered
This interactive website shows changes in each of New York's 27 Congressional Districts, resulting from 2022 Census data. The site's maps are easy to view and show additions and deletions with color shaded areas. This platform was created by HANYS, the Healthcare Association of New York State, thus shows hospitals and health care centers on the maps. 

COOK CENTRAL - COOK COUNTY BOARD - GIS PORTAL (MAPS, DATA, ETC)
https://hub-cookcountyil.opendata.arcgis.com/
This link points to “Cook Central” – "a mapping and geographic data hub for sharing information with the public. Cook Central is a one-stop shop for the County’s Department of Geographic Information Systems (GIS)."

CREATING MEDIA RICH MAP STORIES - ARTICLE
https://ditchthattextbook.com/how-to-create-media-rich-interactive-maps-for-deeper-learning//
This article shows how students, volunteers and/or advocates can add text and data to maps to enhance learning or the stories they are telling. 

CUNY CENTER FOR URBAN RESEARCH
https://www.gc.cuny.edu/CUR
From the web site:  "The Center for Urban Research organizes basic research on the critical issues that face New York and other large cities in the U.S. and abroad, collaborates with public agencies, nonprofit organizations, and other partners to help them understand how to respond to the challenges they face, and informs the media, opinion-shapers, and the public about urban research at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY)." 

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. 

DATA MAPPING RESOURCES ON THE CHICAGO COVENANTS WEBSITE
https://www.chicagocovenants.com/resources
Chicago Covenants is collecting data about racial real estate covenants from the past century. On their website they point to a list of resources that inspire their efforts. Take a look. 

ESRI GIS EDUCATION COMMUNITY BLOG
https://community.esri.com/t5/community-blog/bg-p/community-blog
The ESRI blog is a place to gather new ideas and meet new people involved with GIS work.

ESRI WEB SITE DEMONSTRATES USES OF GIS
https://www.esri.com/en-us/home
ESRI is among the world leaders in GIS technology its almost limitless enthusiasm for the possibilities of GIS mapping.
Note: Most of the maps created by the Tutor/Mentor Connection  between 1994 and 2010 were created using software donated by ESRI.

EXAMPLES OF USES OF MAPS - STAMEN DESIGN
https://stamen.com/work/maps-stamen-com/
This article in the New York Times described the thinking behind the map making at Stamen Design. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/06/a-makeover-for-maps/  Browse the web site and see examples of ways maps can communicate ideas and knowledge.

EXPLORING NEIGHBORHOOD CHANGE - CHICAGO
https://savingplaces.github.io/equitymapCHI/
From the website: "The National Trust for Historic Preservation developed the Exploring Neighborhood Change mapping series for 10 cities as a part of an initiative of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. The mapping series is designed to complement a written report entitled Preserving African American Places: Growing Preservation’s Potential as a Path for Equity, which explores the historical and present day context of African American neighborhoods to develop effective preservation-based strategies that promote justice, inclusion, and equity in our movement today."

EXPLORING THE URBAN COMMUNITY: A GIS APPROACH (PDF)
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2747/0272-3638.27.2.193?journalCode=rurb20&
Article demonstrates use of GIS, written by Richart P. Greene, Northern Illinois University and James B  Pick,  University of the Redlands.  Note: Dr. Greene and students helped set up the GIS system at the Tutor/Mentor Connection in 1995.

GEOSPATIAL ANALYSIS OF CHICAGO AND NEIGHBORHOODS NEEDING IMPROVEMENT
http://proximityone.com/gallery/guide/index.htm?il_chicago.htm
Visit this web site to see innovative uses of GIS maps to show demographics and education levels. Map resources like this can be used by planners, philanthropists, and others to help drive resources to areas where most school improvement is needed.  The site is hosted by a company called ProximityOne. Learn about them at http://proximityone.com/about.htm

GEOSPATIAL DATA PROJECT SUPPORTS GIS USE BY BIG TEN UNIVERSITIES
https://sites.google.com/umn.edu/btaa-gdp/about
From the website: "This project is collectively managed by librarians and geospatial specialists at thirteen research institutions from across the Big Ten Academic Alliance.  The GEO Portal hosts "GIS data produced in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Ohio, & Wisconsin."

GIS RESOURCE LIST FROM SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY 
https://onlinegrad.syracuse.edu/blog/gis-data/
This blog article includes a GIS data resource published by Syracuse University's online Master of Science in Library and Information Science Program.  The resource defines geographic information systems, offers a glossary list of GIS terms and lists 20 free, open-source software resources for building GIS maps.  Take al look. 

GIS DATA MAPS FROM ST. LOUIS FEDERAL RESERVE BANK
https://geofred.stlouisfed.org/
The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis collects economic data (FRED) and shares it on various GIS mapping platforms. Includes capacity to build your own maps.

GIS IN EDUCATION ARTICLES BY JOSEPH KERSKI, PHD
https://www.xyht.com/author/joseph-kerski/
These articles show growth of GIS learning in higher education as well as in K-12. 

GIS MAPPING RESOURCE FOR UK - ORDNANCE SURVEY
https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/
Ordnance Survey is "at the forefront of the digital economy, producing digital mapping products and paper maps for business, leisure, administrative and educational use. We are still part of the UK Government, but we cover our costs by selling our products and licensing others to use our data."

GIS WEB SITES FOR EDUCATORS - COLLECTION
https://sites.google.com/mrpiercey.com/resources/geo/websites
This is a list of geography websites/tools that can be used to supplement classroom instruction. This site was recommended by a participant in the weekly #worldgeochat on Twitter.

GLOBAL CHAOS MAP PROJECT
https://aru.ac.uk/global-sustainability-institute-gsi/research/global-risk-and-resilience/global-chaos-map-project
From the website: "Governments, the private sector and NGOs all have a role to play in mitigating social unrest and effectively managing our natural resources. Early intervention policy and programme design, anchored in risk management and peace building, is crucial. The Global Chaos Map Project is led by the Global Sustainability Institute at ARU. By recording past events of unrest or deaths related to access to natural resources, the project gives us valuable insights into patterns of unrest and global trends – and the factors that contribute to regions being vulnerable, now and in the future. Findings from the project support early intervention design." 

GOOGLE MAPS MANIA - IS A BLOG SHARING GOOGLE MAPS CREATED SINCE 2005
https://googlemapsmania.blogspot.com/2008/10/blog-action-day-2008-poverty.html
This blog is a huge, rich archive showing hundreds of ways maps can be used.  I saw this link on BlueSky and searched to see if Tutor/Mentor Connection had ever been mentioned.  I found this 2008  post where I'd introduced our mapping work with a comment.   

GREAT SCHOOLS FINDER - MAKE YOUR OWN MAP
https://www.greatschools.org/
The Great Schools web site includes information you can use to find public and private schools in Chicago and many other cities. It also includes information people can use to help improve schools. This link points to a page where you can create your own map and embed it into a blog or web site.

HEALTH MAP - SHOWS GLOBAL DISEASES
https://www.healthmap.org/en/
This map demonstrates ways to use a mapping application to help people understand where different diseases are most concentrated in the world at any given time. It's an effective demonstration of the power of a Geographic Information System.

ILLINOIS HOUSE & SENATE DISTRICTS - INTERACTIVE MAP
http://media.apps.chicagotribune.com/legdistricts/final.html
This 2011 map on the Chicago Tribune web site was one of the best I've found for zooming into different parts of the state of Illinois to locate different political districts, based on where they are on the map. It no longer (2019) connects correctly to Google maps, but still is usable resource.

I-MAP BUILDER TOOL - INTERACTIVE MAPPING SOFTWARE
https://www.imapbuilder.com/screenshot.php
From the web site: "iMapBuilder interactive maps software is an user-friendly, interactive image map making software. iMapBuilder has a desktop version for MS-Windows, and a web-app version which runs in browsers on Windows, Mac OS and Linunx.   iMapBuilder comes with a built-in world map templates gallery. You can also import your own photo/images. This enables easy creation of interactive image maps for a wide variety of applications. For example, a real-estate map, a branch office locator, or a network diagram. Map creation and editing is easy using iMapBuilder, no any programming skills or additional flash editing software is required."

INFORMATION GEOGRAPHIES AT THE OXFORD INTERNET INSTITUTE
https://geography.oii.ox.ac.uk/about/
Purpose of this site described as "Our goal is to produce a comprehensive atlas of contemporary information and Internet geographies, that will draw on four years of focused research conducted at the Oxford Internet Institute. Specifically, the atlas will draw on unique data, visualisations, and maps in order to tell a story about three key facets of global information geographies (access, information production, and information representation)."

LEARN ABOUT COOK COUNTY (IL) USE OF GIS DATA
https://sites.google.com/umn.edu/btaa-gdp/news/2021/03-24-todd-schuble
From the Geospatial Data Project website: "This interview focuses on GIS data use by Cook County government. It is part of our Data Provider Series, which highlights local governments and institutions that offer open GIS data. In each interview, providers tell us about their missions and data resources. We hope this will be a great way for readers to learn more about local GIS developments and new initiatives."

MAP LOCATIONS OF FAITH GROUPS; FIND DEMOGRAPHIC DATA
https://maps.nazarene.org/ARDADemographics/index.html
From the web site: "The Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA) strives to democratize access to the best data on religion. Founded as the American Religion Data Archive in 1997 and going online in 1998, the initial archive was targeted at researchers interested in American religion. The targeted audience and the data collection have both greatly expanded since 1998, now including American and international collections and developing features for educators, journalists, religious congregations, and researchers. Data included in the ARDA are submitted by the foremost religion scholars and research centers in the world."  One section of the site enables visitors to enter a zip code and get a map showing faith groups within a .5 to 5 mile radius. Also includes demographic data for that search area. 

MAP OF CHICAGO BY RACE/ETHNICITY AND INCOME
http://www.radicalcartography.net/index.html?chicagodots
This link shows innovative uses of maps to visualize data on race and income in Chicago. The site has links to many other resources and ideas related to mapping and visualization.

MAPHUB - MAKE YOUR OWN MAPS FOR YOUTUBE, MORE
https://maphub.net/
From the web site: "MapHub was created (in 2016) by Zsolt Ero and Gergely Matyus because of their frustration with Google Maps' UI and the extremely closed attitude it has towards data. It's built on OpenStreetMap and aims to make sharing maps as simple as sharing YouTube videos, while offering GitHub like collaboration for teams."

MAPLINE - MAPPING MADE SIMPLE
https://mapline.com/category/blog/
Browse this site to see the benefits of using Mapline's web based mapping tool.

MAPPING FOR JUSTICE BLOG - TUTOR/MENTOR CONNECTION RESOURCE
https://mappingforjustice.blogspot.com/
This blog, created in January 2008, shows the Tutor/Mentor Connection's use of maps and visualizations as part of an on-going strategy to build more resources and public support for volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs in all high poverty areas of Chicago. The blog also points to web sites where others are creating maps that focus on poverty areas of the country.
Since 2011 this has been operated by Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC

MAPPING LATINO POPULATION IN US BY STATE
https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/states/
This web site has extensive demographic information useful to planners and policy makers.

MAPPING OF ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS - FOREST RESTORATION
https://news.mongabay.com/2010/12/map-15-million-sq-km-of-land-suitable-for-forest-restoration/
This site host an interactive map of the world that you can zoom into and build your understanding of environmental issues. Great tool for activist and educators. This link points to a 2010 article about global forest restoration. Still important. 

MAPPING PHILANTHROPY - FOUNDATION MAPS BY CANDID
https://maps.foundationcenter.org/home.php
View the video on the web site and learn how maps can help donors, non profits, policy-makers, etc. This was originally the Foundation Center, but merged into new organization called Candid.

MAPPING SCIENCE - USES OF GEOGRAPHIC INFO SYSTEM
https://scimaps.org/home
From the web site: "The Places & Spaces: Mapping Science exhibit aims to introduce science mapping techniques to the general public and to experts across diverse disciplines for educational, scientific, and practical purposes. It is meant to inspire cross-disciplinary discussion on how to best track and communicate scholarly activity and scientific progress on a global scale.

MAPPING SEGREGATION IN US CITIES - INTERACTIVE RESOURCE
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/07/08/us/census-race-map.html
Interactive map enables you to look at different cities and see patterns of racial segregation.

MAPPING TOOLS AND RESOURCES ON THE WEB - COMMUNITY COMMONS LIBRARY
https://www.communitycommons.org/collections/Maps-and-Data
The Community Commons web site is a resource for creating maps to support community change. On this page they point to other websites which have similar resources.

MAPS4MEDIA - HELPS JOURNALISTS CREATE MAPS
https://maps4news.com/
If you're trying to create a map to go with a news story this resource offers 10 maps for free. Check it out. 

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.

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.  This story map provides an overview of what's on the site, and is an example of the many other story maps that are available. Take a look.  

MINNESOTA EXECUTIVE MAP PORTFOLIO
https://www.esri.com/about/newsroom/blog/statewide-maps-help-governor-walz-guide-policy/
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/c44d98d602804d6d885af299ac5db754/
Read this 2024 ESRI blog article and learn about Governor Tim Walz's commitment to using GIS maps to support planning, then visit the Map Portfolio and explore the interactive maps.  Three collections are shown on the first page. Each collection has several interactive maps.  

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.

OPPORTUNITY MAPPING - SEE WORK DONE BY KIRWAN INSTITUTE AT OSU
https://kirwaninstitute.osu.edu/opportunity-mapping
The Prezi on this site provides a great introduction using maps and visualization to show why areas of high poverty need extra support. 

OVERVIEW OF GIS: A GIS STORY
https://www.gislounge.com/stroll-through-the-story-of-gis/
From the web site: "this site takes viewers through a cursory overview of the origin of geographic knowledge before providing an overview of GIS."

PARTICIPATORY AVENUES - INTEGRATED APPROACHES TO PARTICIPATORY DEVELOPMENT (IAPAD)
http://www.iapad.org/about/about-p3dm/
This paragraph offers a sample of what you'll find on this web site: "P3DM is the method that facilitates the visualization of mainly tacit (spatial) knowledge, and increases through an intensive learning process the amount of knowledge we are fully aware of. This enhances our capacities to analyze, communicate and interact on specific issues, which got much clearer in our mind. Cognitive maps (also known as mental maps) are internal representations of the world and its spatial properties stored in memory. They frequently represent portions of our tacit and explicit knowledge and are visualized with the use of sketch maps, transect diagrams, scale maps, drawings and physical or virtual 3-dimensional models.
Different from other visualizing tools (i.e. sketch mapping) characterized by variable levels of accuracy, 3-D modeling offers the opportunity to produce relatively precise geo-referenced and scaled qualitative and quantitative data, adding substantial value and communication power to indigenous technical knowledge (ITK)."

POLICY MAP - DATA MAPPING RESOURCE
https://www.policymap.com/blog/
From the web site: "PolicyMap offers easy-to-use online mapping with data on demographics, real estate, health, jobs and more in communities across the US. From the classroom to the boardroom, thousands of organizations trust PolicyMap to find the right data for their research, market studies, business planning, site selection, grant applications and impact analysis."  There is a fee to use the data and tools on this site to make your own map, but there is also a map-blog library pointing to stories of data maps made by others.

POWER OF COMBINING MAPS WITH DATA
https://proximityone.wordpress.com/2014/11/11/power-of-combining-maps-with-data/
From the web site: "This ProximityOne blog covers topics related to decision-making information resources and solutions.  It is focused on the development, integration and use of geographic-demographic-economic data to help stakeholders better understand where we are now; the what, when and where things will change in the future; and how change might impact us."

POVERTY AND CRIM MAPPING - SEE MORE USES OF MAPS IN THIS SECTION OF THE TUTOR/MENTOR LIBRARY
https://tutormentorexchange.net/resource-links/law-justice-links/poverty-mapping

QGIS - FREE OPEN SOURCE GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM
https://www.qgis.org/en/site/
From the web site: "QGIS is a user friendly Open Source Geographic Information System (GIS) licensed under the GNU General Public License. QGIS is an official project of the Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo). It runs on Linux, Unix, Mac OSX, Windows and Android and supports numerous vector, raster, and database formats and functionalities."

RELIEF WEB USES MAPS TO POINT TO AREAS OF NEED
https://reliefweb.int/
From the web site: "ReliefWeb is the leading humanitarian information source on global crises and disasters. It is a specialized digital service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
We provide reliable and timely information, enabling humanitarian workers to make informed decisions and to plan effective response. We collect and deliver key information, including the latest reports, maps and infographics and videos from trusted sources."

SEARCHABLE MAP TEMPLATE - RESOURCE FOR MAP BUILDERS
https://derekeder.com/searchable_map_template/
This site shows how map overlays can be created that enable people to search for information within specific areas that is related to specific topics. The site contains a list of additional work done by others, so is a valuable resource.

STAMEN MAPS - AVAILABLE FOR USE
http://maps.stamen.com/#watercolor/16/35.9030/-77.8866
From the web site: "Stamen is building web services and open source tools to display public data in easy-to-understand, highly visual ways. We’d love to see these maps used around the web, so we’ve included some brief instructions to help you use them in the mapping system of your choice. These maps are available free of charge."

SYRACUSE COMMUNITY GEOGRAPHY
https://communitygeography.org/
From the web site: "Syracuse Community Geography works in partnership with community-based organizations and university affiliates to map and spatially analyze topics of concern to Central New York communities. SCG helps communities to identify and address challenges in new ways using GIS (Geographic Information Systems) mapping and other forms of spatial analysis."

TALENTED - USING ESRI STORY MAPS TO HELP WITH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
click here
From the web site: "Through TalentED, students can visualize regional workforce needs and available educational opportunities. Counselors can also help others plan out a career path that reflects personal and financial goals.
Alongside the central TalentEd Story Map, industry-level Story Maps give students access to information on careers, colleges, and living costs, all targeted to their specific location. Within each industry-level Story Map, users can watch short videos on the wide range of jobs associated with each industry. They can also view all companies in Orange County that are involved in a specific industry, and find a community college where they can continue their studies for a job in that field. Further interactive display options allow users to also tailor their experience to their needs, placing themselves on the path to a great career."  Take time to browse through the site and the story maps to see what an innovative resource this is.

TEACHING SPATIAL THINKING WITH GEOTECHNOLOGIES - ARTICLES
https://www.josephkerski.com/
This is the website of ESRI geographer Joseph Kerski, which contains numerous articles & podcasts.  He introduces his site with "Teaching with Geotechnologies (Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Virtual Globes, and Remote Sensing not only can engage the learner in inquiry-driven, problem-based, project-based investigations of real-world issues, but it is essential for 21st Century sustainability of the planet and the health of its people. If we do not foster spatial thinking about issues such as water quality and availability, energy, sustainable agriculture, land use, urban sprawl, biodiversity loss, human health, natural hazards, and soil erosion, population and migration, at scales from local to global, who will?"

TEXAS CONNECTOR - MAP BASED RESOURCE SUPPORTS NON PROFITS
https://www.texasconnects.org/Default.aspx
From the web site: "Texas Connector is an online, interactive mapping tool that links needs and nonprofits to strengthen Texas communities.  It provides a visual snapshot of social service needs and resources to allow funders, local and state government leaders, research, and the nonprofit community to more effectively meet Texas' growing needs.  Texas Connector bridges the information gap between the areas served by nonprofits and the underserved communities of Texas." 

THE ATLAS OF REURBANISM
https://forum.savingplaces.org/act/research-policy-lab/atlas/map
From the web site: "The Atlas of ReUrbanism is an evolving and expanding tool, allowing users to explore the built environment of American cities, block by block. Using our maps, you can interact with data on your city's built assets, and click to layer demographic, economic, and environmental data from the U.S. Census, American Community Survey, and more. The maps focus on the Character Score for buildings and blocks across 50 U.S. cities, as established in the Preservation Green Lab’s Older, Smaller, Better report. Individual building and block characteristics are also selectable and viewable."

THE CENTRE FOR ADVANCED SPATIAL ANALYSIS
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/casa/research
From the web site: "The Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis (CASA) is an interdisciplinary research institute focusing on the science of cities. It is part of the Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment at UCL.  CASA's research is focused on the application of computer models, data visualisation techniques, innovative sensing technologies, mobile applications and urban theory linked to city systems."

THE HUMAN IMPRINT - A HUMAN GEOGRAPHY WEB SITE
http://www.thehumanimprint.com/?cat=48
This site is aggregating blog stories under nine different categories. In this link I point to a category titled Agriculture, Rural Lands & Foodways .

THE NATIONAL MAP - OF THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY'S (USGS)
https://www.usgs.gov/core-science-systems/national-geospatial-program/national-map
From the website: "The National Map is a suite of products and services that provide access to base geospatial information to describe the landscape of the United States and its territories. The National Map embodies 11 primary products and services and numerous applications and ancillary services."

TUTOR/MENTOR CONNECTION MAP GALLERY
https://tinyurl.com/archive-TM-map-gallery
This site shows maps and blog articles created by Tutor/Mentor Connection since 2008 that are aimed at drawing volunteers and donors to the maps, then to volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs in different parts of the Chicago region. This is only available as an archive.

TUTOR/MENTOR CONNECTION INTERACTIVE MAP BASED CHICAGO PROGRAM LOCATOR
https://tinyurl.com/ProgramLocatorMap-archive
The Tutor/Mentor Connection started collecting information about Chicago volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs in 1993 and published a printed directory from 1995 to 2003, using maps to show locations of programs with overlays showing which were in high poverty areas. In 2004 this was put on the Internet at https://tinyurl.com/ProgramLocatorSearch. In 2008 the interactive map-based version was created. These sites are only available as archives now, but represent models that could be built for future use since cities still have a need to find ways to build and sustain non-school, mentor-rich programs to help K-12 youth move through school and into jobs.

TUTOR/MENTOR CONNECTION MAP GALLERY (2000-09)
http://www.horizonmapping.net/projects/tmc/tmc_gallery/Tutor_Mentor_map_gallery.html
This site demonstrates potential uses of maps to draw volunteers and donors to tutor/mentor programs in different neighborhoods. T/MC maps aim to pinpoint potential partners for tutor/mentor programs in these areas, such as businesses, hospitals and churches. Maps can show expressways -- demonstrating the accessibility to the neighborhood and the tutor/mentor site to all those who use it each day. This means that one day a week, someone could stop at a tutor/mentor site to serve as a tutor, a mentor, a role model, for kids who don't have as many adult friends as they need. Visit the TMC MAP LIBRARY for the REST OF THE STORY.

UK MAPPING PLATFORM SUPPORTS FUND RAISING EFFORTS
https://beacon-dodsworth.co.uk/tools/
From the web site: "Any organisation contacting people at home or needing to understand the types of people that live in an area would benefit from a solution like this. Prospex is a market analysis GIS built for this task by us and contains many features not found in generic mapping packages"

UNITED STATES MAP GALLERY - VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY
https://scholar.valpo.edu/usmaps/#
This is extensive collection of USA maps showing demographics, ethnic distributions, and other information. All can be downloaded. The slide show with the first map shows all other maps in the collection.

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO LIBARY - DIGITAL COLLECTIONS
https://www.lib.uchicago.edu/collex/?digital=on&view=collections
The University of Chicago Library's digital collection is huge and includes several different collections of maps. Search the digital collection by topic, subject, category, etc.

USE ARCGIS TO CREATE YOUR OWN MAP - LEARN MORE
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/
This gallery shows story maps made using this ArcGIS portal.

WALKSCORE.COM - INTERESTING USE OF GIS
https://www.walkscore.com/
From the website: "Walk Score helps people find walkable places to live. Walk Score calculates the walkability of an address by locating nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks, etc. Check out how Walk Score works by visiting the web site and putting your address in the address bar. It's FREE.

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES AND PRIORITIES FOR GEOSPATIAL INDUSTRY LEADERS - 2019
https://www.geospatialworld.net/article/challenges-priorities-geospatial-industry-leaders/
What are trends for 2019 and the next few years?  This is worthwhile reading for any who are working with data, geospatial technology, or other digital tools.

ZEE MAPS - MAP YOUR LISTS
https://www.zeemaps.com/
This looks like an easy to use Free or low-cost (if you don't want ads in your maps) tool to map data from Excel spread sheets or databases