"BEING BLACK IS NOT A RISK FACTOR" - STRENGTHS-BASED SOLUTIONS IN ILLINOIS (PDF)
click here
This introduction provided via mentoring email list serve: "In 2013, the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) released its national report, "Being Black Is Not a Risk Factor: A Strengths-Based Look at the State of the Black Child." This report challenged the prevailing discourse about Black children, which overemphasizes limitations and deficits and does not celebrate the considerable strengths, assets and resilience demonstrated by our children, families and communities. Since then, partners at the state level have began developing reports that assess and address the strengths and needs of young Black children and their families where they live. Like the national report, "Being Black Is Not a Risk Factor: Statistics and Strengths-Based Solutions in the State of Illinois," and the materials to follow, will serve as resources for policymakers, practitioners, advocates and parents."

2019 ILLINOIS KIDS COUNT REPORT - VOICES4ILLINOIS KIDS
https://www.voices4kids.org/2019-illinois-kids-count-report/
The annual KIDS COUNT report shows continued "significant racial and ethnic disparities in economic status, education, health, and housing for Illinois children."  Visit this link and download the full report. Find annual Kids Count Reports at https://www.voices4kids.org/publications-multimedia/kids-count-reports/

A MATTER OF TIME: RISK AND OPPORTUNITY IN THE NONSCHOOL HOURS
https://www.carnegie.org/publications/a-matter-of-time-risk-and-opportunity-in-the-nonschool-hours/
From the web site: "This 1992 report stresses the importance of creating networks of community support for young adolescents during nonschool hours. It pays special attention to the needs and interests of youth from low-income families and of diverse backgrounds."  The report can be downloaded from this link. 

AMERICAN YOUTH POLICY FORUM
https://www.aypf.org/topic-areas/
The American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF), a nonprofit, nonpartisan professional development organization based in Washington, DC, provides learning opportunities for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers working on youth and education issues at the national, state, and local levels. 

ANNIE E. CASEY FOUNDATION (AECF)
https://www.aecf.org/
Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF) works to build better futures for disadvantaged children and their families in the United States. The primary mission of the Foundation is to foster public policies, human service reforms, and community supports that more effectively meet the needs of today's vulnerable children and families. The web site has extensive resources, such as the  Kids Count Data Book. 

ANNIE E. CASEY FOUNDATION’S KIDS COUNT DATA BOOK - 2021
https://www.aecf.org/resources/2021-kids-count-data-book
This annual report provides data about the well-being of kids in the US. The web site describes this year's book. The Data Book also looks at trends in child well-being during a period that saw continued improvement in economic well-being but mixed results in the areas of health, education and family and community factors. The report includes the Foundation's signature rankings in key areas of child well-being. This year, New Hampshire is at the top of the rankings." 

BUILD INITIATIVE - RESOURCE LIBRARY - FOCUS ON YOUNGEST CHILDREN
https://buildinitiative.org/Resources/ResourceCenter.aspx
From the web site: "BUILD’s QRIS National Learning Network brings together state implementers, technical assistance providers and national research organizations to advance quality rating and improvement systems in ways that truly meet the needs of our most at-risk child and family populations. Through the learning community BUILD is able to work with states to articulate cutting edge issues and questions, support pilots that experiment with new strategies, and create practical tools to support sate efforts. By playing a coordinating and leveraging role, BUILD capitalizes on the unique strengths each of the national and state players brings to the work." Browse the Resource Center section to learn what's available. 

CENTER FOR CITIES & SCHOOLS,UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-BERKLEY
https://citiesandschools.berkeley.edu/
From the web site:   "The Center for Cities + Schools at UC Berkeley conducts high-quality, non-partisan policy research, engages youth in urban planning, and cultivates collaboration between city and school leaders to strengthen all communities.  CC+S works to advance policies and practices that create opportunity-rich places where young people can be successful in and out of school."

CENTER FOR STUDY OF SOCIAL POLICY AT UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
https://cssp.org/
From the web site:  "The Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) works to secure equal opportunities and better futures for all children and families, especially those most often left behind.   Underlying all of the work is a vision of child, family and community well-being. It’s a unifying framework for the many policy, systems reform and community change activities in which CSSP engages."

CHILD TRENDS - RESEARCH RESOURCE
https://www.childtrends.org/publications
From the web site: "Child Trends improves the lives and prospects of children and youth by conducting high-quality research and sharing the resulting knowledge with practitioners and policymakers."

CHILDREN'S DEFENSE FUND
https://www.childrensdefense.org/
From the web site: "The Children’s Defense Fund Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. 

COMMUNITY SCHOOLS AS COLLABORATIVES - PDF
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/communitycollab.pdf
This 2011 Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA, paper "reviews different agenda for establishing school-community connections in general and community schools specifically. A Comprehensive Community School is discussed as an entity that emerges from system building by school-family-community collaboratives. Establishing effective collaboratives requires policy that supports shared governance, a well-designed operational infrastructure, and the weaving together of overlapping institutional missions and resources. Policy implications for facilitating the types of systemic changes involved are underscored."

COMMUNITY SERVICE SOCIETY NYC
https://www.cssny.org/
From the web site: "The Community Service Society of New York (CSS) is a 168 year-old institution that has been on the cutting edge of public policy innovations to support poor New Yorkers in their quest to be full participants in the civic life of the nation’s largest city. CSS employs a variety of tools – advocacy, direct service, research and policy analysis, and strategic partnerships – to forge consensus on appropriate policy interventions to facilitate the economic mobility of low-income New Yorkers."

COMPASSPOINT NONPROFIT RESEARCH AND TRAINING
https://www.compasspoint.org/
From the web site: "CompassPoint intensifies the impact of fellow nonprofit leaders, organizations, and networks as we achieve social equity together.  We are a national nonprofit leadership and strategy practice based in Oakland, CA. For over 40 years, we have strengthened nonprofit leadership and supported organizations and movement networks to adapt and operate strategically. We also collaborate with fellow capacity builders and regularly share research and tools with the field at large."

CONSORTIUM FOR POLICY RESEARCH IN EDUCATION (CPRE)
https://www.cpre.org/
From the web site:  "The Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE) brings together education experts from renowned research institutions to contribute new knowledge that informs PK-20 education policy and practice. Our work is peer-reviewed and open-access."

CONSORTIUM ON CHICAGO SCHOOL RESEARCH
https://consortium.uchicago.edu/
From the web site: "The University of Chicago Consortium on School Research builds the capacity for school reform by conducting research that identifies what matters for student success and school improvement."

DC ACTION FOR CHILDREN - EDUCATION POLICY
https://www.wearedcaction.org/our-priorities/early-childhood
This site shows how data from the annual Kids Count is used in on-going effort to influence public policy regarding the well-being of kids

EDUCATIOIN 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. 

EDUCATION WEEK RESEARCH CENTER
https://www.edweek.org/research-center/
From the web site: "The Research Center conducts annual policy surveys, collects data, and performs analyses that appear in the Quality Counts and Diplomas Count annual issues of Education Week. The Center also manages the Education Counts database of state policy indicators, releases periodic special reports on a variety of topics, and contributes data and analysis to coverage in Education Week."

ELDIS - AN INTERNATIONAL POLICY RESEARCH PORTAL
https://www.eldis.org/about
From the web site: "Eldis provides free access to relevant, up-to-date and diverse research on international development issues. Our database includes over 40,000 summaries and provides free links to full-text research and policy documents from over 8,000 publishers. Each document is selected by members of our editorial team.  To help you get the information you need we organise documents into collections according to key development themes and the country or region they relate to. You can browse these on the website or find out about our subscribe options to get updates in a format that suits you."

EMERSON COLLECTIVE - REMOVING BARRIERS TO OPPORTUNITY
https://www.emersoncollective.com/
From the web site: "We are an organization dedicated to removing barriers to opportunity so people can live to their full potential. Established by Laurene Powell Jobs, we center our work on education, immigration reform, the environment and other social justice initiatives. We use a wide range of tools and strategies—partnering with entrepreneurs and experts, parents and policymakers, advocates and administrators—to spur change and promote equality."

ENRICHING EDUCATION THROUGHOUT CHILDHOOD PAYS BIG DIVIDENDS FOR DISADVANTAGED - PDF
https://web.archive.org/web/20181008131746/http://www-news.uchicago.edu:80/releases/06/061115.education.pdf
From the web site: "While studies have shown that disadvantaged children benefit from high-quality preschool programs, they would benefit even more if they had additional tutoring and mentoring during their elementary and high school years, according to a 2006 study by James Heckman, a Nobel-Prize winning economist at the University of Chicago."  T/MC Note: You can also find the press release at: http://www-news.uchicago.edu/releases/06/061115.heckman.shtml

EVERY CHILD, EVERY PROMISE, 2006 REPORT - PDF
https://www.americaspromise.org/resource/every-child-every-promise-turning-failure-action
This report presents the first national research that comprehensively measures the presence of the essential resources -- the Five Promises -- that correlate with success in both youth and adulthood. The report clearly shows that we have much work to do as a nation. But it also shows how we can turn failure into action and improve the lives of young people at risk.

EXTENSIVE SCHOOL DATA SETS- NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS
https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d15/tables/dt15_103.10.asp
National Center for Education Statistics has extensive education datasets, dating back to the 1970s. This data table  shows "Percentage of the population 3 to 34 years old enrolled in school, by sex, race/ethnicity, and age group: Selected years, 1980 through 2014". Browse the site and look at other data sets. 

FORUM FOR YOUTH INVESTMENT - 'READY BY 21' COMMUNITY BUILDING
http://www.readyby21.org/
Ready by 21 is a Forum for Youth Investment project, helping state and community leaders improve the family, school and community supports available to young people, in order to help all children and youth get fully ready for college, work and life.

GLOBAL FAMILY RESEARCH PROJECT (FORMERLY HARVARD FAMILY RESEARCH PROJECT)
https://globalfrp.org/Archive
From the web site: "The Global Family Research Project is an independent, entrepreneurial nonprofit organization that supports all families and communities in helping children find success in and out of school. We connect research, policy, and practice to support a community of people dedicated to advancing children’s learning and development. We foster collaboration among child- and family-serving organizations so they can create equitable learning pathways across time and place. We strengthen knowledge and skills through technical assistance, professional development, and evaluation.

HOW TO MAKE A CITY GREAT - MCKINSEY & COMPANY 2013 REPORT
https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/urbanization/how-to-make-a-city-great
Since the Tutor/Mentor Connection focuses on helping youth living in big cities, reports like this should be included in the learning library of anyone who shares the same concerns.

INSTITUTE FOR POLICY RESEARCH AT NORTHWESTERN U.
https://www.ipr.northwestern.edu/who-we-are/index.html
Extensive policy resources hosted at Northwestern University

ISSUE LAB - AN EXTENSIVE ON-LINE RESOURCE LIBRARY
https://www.issuelab.org/special-collections
From the web site: "First started in 2006 as a searchable, browseable website set up to collect and share the social sector’s knowledge, IssueLab became a service of Foundation Center in 2012. Since then, IssueLab’s mission has grown beyond the “simple” collection and distribution of knowledge products, to include the support of social sector organizations in adopting the practical and necessary steps to openly publishing what they fund and produce." In many ways the Issue Lab site is a more comprehensive and powerful version of the Tutor/Mentor web library. We hope you'll find both useful. 

JUVENILE JUSTICE INITIATIVE OF ILLINOIS
https://jjustice.org/
From the web site: "The Juvenile Justice Initiative is a statewide advocacy coalition to transform the juvenile justice system.  The JJI advocates to reduce reliance on detention, to enhance fairness for all youth and to develop adequate community based resources throughout the state. The Juvenile Justice Initiative works to inform and educate policy makers, the media, and the general public about the alarming increase in number of juveniles held in custody, about the disparate number of minority youth in custody, and about the lack of adequate community based alternatives to detention.

LATINO POLICY FORUM
https://www.latinopolicyforum.org/
From the web site: "The Latino Policy Forum is the only organization in the Chicago area that facilitates the involvement of Latinos at all levels of public decision-making. The Latino Policy Forum conducts analysis to inform, influence, and lead. Its goals are to improve education outcomes, advocate for affordable housing, promote just immigration policies, and engage diverse sectors of the community, with an understanding that advancing Latinos advances a shared future."

MATHEMATICA POLICY RESEARCH, INC.
https://www.mathematica.org/
Mathematica conducts high-quality, objective research to support decisions about our nation's most pressing social policy problems. The web site hosts much of this research, with topics on welfare, health, education, nutrition, etc

MDRC - BUILDING KNOWLEDGE TO IMPROVE SOCIAL POLICY
https://www.mdrc.org/about/about-mdrc-overview-0
From the web site: "MDRC is committed to finding solutions to some of the most difficult problems facing the nation — from reducing poverty and bolstering economic self-sufficiency to improving public education and college graduation rates. We design promising new interventions, evaluate existing programs using the highest research standards, and provide technical assistance to build better programs and deliver effective interventions at scale. We work as an intermediary, bringing together public and private funders to test new policy-relevant ideas, and communicate what we learn to policymakers and practitioners — all with the goal of improving the lives of low-income individuals, families, and children."

NATIONAL GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION CENTER FOR BEST PRACTICES
https://www.nga.org/bestpractices/
From the web site: "The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) develops innovative solutions to today's most pressing public policy challenges and is the only research and development firm that directly serves the nation's governors."

NATIONAL INDICATORS OF CHILDREN'S WELL-BEING
https://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/index.asp
From the web site: "The Federal Inter-agency Forum on Child and Family Statistics (Forum) is a collection of 22 Federal government agencies involved in research and activities related to children and families. The Forum was founded in 1994 and formally established in April 1997 under Executive Order No. 13045. The mission of the Forum is to foster coordination and collaboration and to enhance and improve consistency in the collection and reporting of Federal data on children and families. The Forum also aims to improve the reporting and dissemination of information on the status of children and families.

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."

REDEFINING CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES: DIRECTIONS FOR THE FUTURE
https://web.archive.org/web/20170106111556/http://www.chapinhall.org/sites/default/files/old_reports/436.pdf
This report published by The Center for Children at Chapin Hall in 1994 was originally issued as a white paper in December 1992.  The Tutor/Mentor Connection used the recommendations in this report as some of the fundamental reasons to launch the T/MC strategy in 1993.  In 2011 the strategy was moved into the Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC. 

REGIONAL INDICATORS PROJECT AND CHICAGO METROPULSE - PLANNING RESOURCE
https://www.cmap.illinois.gov/data/metropulse
From the web site:  "The Regional Indicators Project and its MetroPulse website are a joint project of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) and The Chicago Community Trust (the Trust). Together, CMAP and the Trust have developed a comprehensive system of key indicators for measuring and tracking regional quality of life over time in the seven counties of metropolitan Chicago. The project is designed as a tool that can be used by policy makers, community leaders, media and the general public to gather objective data that can inform their work. ? An indicator is a quantitative measure that describes an economic, environmental, social or cultural condition over time. Examples include the unemployment rate, infant mortality rates, number of new business start-ups, or air quality indices."

SAVING FUTURES, SAVING DOLLARS - ISSUE BRIEF
https://all4ed.org/reports-factsheets/saving-futures-saving-dollars-the-impact-of-education-on-crime-reduction-and-earnings-2/
Here's some facts you can put into your funding proposals as you make a case for investment in volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs.  This is a link to an Issue Brief from the  Alliance for Excellent Education  that shows the Impact of Education on Crime Reduction and Earnings. It says, "Increasing high school graduation rate and college matriculation of male students by only 5 percent could lead to combined savings and revenue of almost $8 billion each year." Download and read the full report. 

SIX KEY POLICY AREAS TO SYSTEMICALLY ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES BLACK BOYS AND MEN FACE
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/how-we-rise/2020/12/15/six-policies-to-address-social-problems-affecting-black-boys-and-men/
This December 2020 Brookings Edu article shows six policy recommendations that would improve the social and economic outcomes and opportunities for Black men and boys, addressing the unique challenges they face, from the earliest days of life through adulthood.

STATE OF ECONOMIC EQUITY IN DETROIT - 2021 REPORT
https://detroitfuturecity.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/May_14_Annual-Report-Detroit_Future-City.pdf
This report, produced by Detroit Future City’s new Center for Equity, Engagement, and Research, is a comprehensive and sophisticated compilation of data to track economic equity — which is to say, economic inequity — across the city of Detroit.  The State of Economic Equity in Detroit is a resource for those in the private and public sectors, foundations, nonprofits, community organizations, and residents to inform their actions to advance economic equity. These actions can include agenda setting, advocacy, policy, subject area research, and goal-setting.

STRENGTHENING OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME NON PROFITS
https://www.wallacefoundation.org/knowledge-center/pages/strengthening-out-of-school-time-organizations.aspx
This is The Wallace Foundation Knowledge Center. "Find hundreds of free reports, videos, tools, infographics and other useful material about school leadership, the arts, learning and enrichment, and other issues."

TEACH FOR ALL - HELPING BUILD EDUCATION, SUPPORT, AND OPPORTUNITY ALL KIDS NEED TO THRIVE.
https://teachforall.org/
From the website: "Teach for All envisions a world where educators, policymakers, parents, and students are working together to ensure that their communities' children have the foundation they need to shape a better future for themselves and all of  us. Teach for All was created by Wendy Kopp,  the founder of Teach for America, and is a growing network (as of 2020) of 53 independent partner organizations and a global organization that works to accelerate the network's progress. Through the global network, partners and their teachers and alumni can share ideas and innovations across borders and adapt promising ideas in their own countries."

THE ASPEN INSTITUTE POLICY RESEARCH
https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/
From the web site:  "The Aspen Institute mission is twofold: to foster values-based leadership, encouraging individuals to reflect on the ideals and ideas that define a good society, and to provide a neutral and balanced venue for discussing and acting on critical issues."  Browse the site to see the wide range of resources.

THE BROAD CENTER AT YALE
https://som.yale.edu/faculty-research-centers/centers-initiatives/the-broad-center-at-yale-som/the-network
From the web site: "The mission-driven Broad Center network includes nearly 900 talented leaders. Alumni of The Broad Academy and The Broad Residency programs are committed to the tough but critical work to ensure every child, every day, gets what they need to be successful. That’s why the network remains connected as a community and grows together long after graduation."

THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION RESEARCH TOPICS
https://www.brookings.edu/center/brown-center-on-education-policy/
From the web site: "The mission of the Brown Center on Education Policy, housed in the Governance Studies program at Brookings, is to produce quality, independent research that impacts the efficiency of schools and the lives of all students. Brown Center experts use the best tools available from the quantitative social sciences to bring data-based evidence to bear on education policy discussions in a timely manner. Thus, the Brown Center occupies a unique niche by bringing scientific sensibilities and methods to the issues of the day in education policy."

THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF REDUCING VIOLENT CRIME - CASE STUDY OF 8 CITIES
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/economy/reports/2012/06/19/11755/the-economic-benefits-of-reducing-violent-crime/
From the web site:  "This report presents the findings and conclusions of a yearlong project to examine and analyze the costs of violent crimes in a sample of eight major American cities and estimate the savings and other benefits that would accompany significant reductions in those crimes. This analysis draws on data pinpointing the incidence and location of murders, rapes, assaults, and robberies."

THE GLOBAL ACHIEVEMENT GAP
https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/08/08/global-achievement-gap
This article talks about a book by Tony Wagner, titled The Global Achievement Gap. It challenges our best schools to re-examine the skills they teach.&  I encourage you to use this to challenge schools in poverty, and non-school tutor/mentor programs, to apply this same thinking to what they are doing to help disadvantaged kids compete.

THE JAMES IRVINE FOUNDATION - WHAT WE'RE LEARNING
https://www.irvine.org/our-approach/impact-assessment-learning/
From the web site: "Grantees, employers, thought leaders, and other stakeholders across California identified areas with the most (and least) potential for impact to increase economic opportunity for Californians who are working yet struggling to make ends meet. We share syntheses of their input from these 2017 convenings in an effort to further our collective understanding of ways to help all Californians create a better life for themselves and their families."

THE PERSPECTIVE OF INNER-CITY YOUTH (ARTICLE)
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/109/6/1136
The study Enhancing Their Likelihood for a Positive Future: The Perspective of Inner-City Youth,  is based on multiple, detailed surveys of 1,700 urban Philadelphia middle and high school students. The survey questions were created by small focus groups of students who were asked to generate, prioritize and explain their own solutions for achieving a positive future. The survey results revealed that though adults considered violence and teen pregnancy to be the biggest problems affecting youth, all the students surveyed gave highest importance to solutions that promoted education or increased job opportunities. The survey results also showed that inner-city youth believe supportive solutions, such as job training, better books for school, and positive connection and interaction with adults, would do more to enhance their chances for a positive future than would attempts to reduce "negative" behaviors or disruptive surroundings.

STRENGTHENING FIELD OF BLACK MALE ACHIEVEMENT 2014 – PDF
https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/uploads/facf3d61-1e38-425d-8750-b7516250a1c5/Building-Community-Black-Male-Achievement-20140512.pdf
This PDF report offers a comprehensive view of what's in place now and what needs to change for the nation to provide needed supports that help more Black Males move through school and into careers.  Take some time to download and read it.

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU – EXPLORE DATA
https://data.census.gov/cedsci/
The US Census Bureau conducts nearly one hundred surveys and censuses every year and shares this information via the American Fact Finder and many other reports that can be found on this site.

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
https://extension.umn.edu/customized-education#leadership
From the web site: "Drawn from best practices and research, Extension's model of civic engagement guides leaders and community members in addressing public issues and solving public problems. By bringing together experience, information and diverse perspectives in a respectful process allows communities to reach decisions that are more thoughtful, broadly supported and ultimately sustainable. To help leaders succeed, Extension offers workshops as well as long-term cohort programs that help groups plan for successful community engagement." This is one of several focus areas.

URBAN INSTITUTE - ECONOMIC/SOCIAL POLICY RESEARCH
https://www.urban.org/research
From the web site: "Founded in 1968 to understand the problems facing America’s cities and assess the programs of the War on Poverty, the Urban Institute brings decades of objective analysis and expertise to policy debates—in city halls and state houses, Congress and the White House, and emerging democracies around the world. Today, our research portfolio ranges from the social safety net to health and tax policies; the well-being of families and neighborhoods; and trends in work, earnings, and wealth building. Our scholars have a distinguished track record of turning evidence into solutions."

URBAN STRATEGIES COUNCIL - DATA AND REPORTS
https://urbanstrategies.org/resources/
From the web site: "The mission of Urban Strategies Council is to eliminate persistent poverty in the Bay Area by working with partners to transform low-income neighborhoods into vibrant, healthy communities. We leverage research, policy, innovation, collaboration, and advocacy to achieve equity and social justice." This link points to a page with reports produced by the Institute.

US CITIES - RANKING ON UN GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY GOALS - 2018
https://assets.ctfassets.net/5on2ovymmpym/1gLk2LTbPKmaIecSgWq8W6/16b4cf6a9f3290724a3cf84a2feb5682/US-Cities-Index-Report.pdf
This report shows how well (or poorly) the largest 100 US metro areas are performing on achieving the United Nation's 2030 Global Sustainability Goals.  Includes maps and charts. Should be a resource for every city. 

USING DATA TO INFLUENCE POLICY - WHAT WE KNOW AND DON'T KNOW
https://oxfamapps.org/fp2p/what-do-we-know-about-when-data-doesdoesnt-influence-policy/
With so much emphasis on providing evidence and data to support your work, so donors provide the dollars to do it, this article is an important read, showing challenges, shortcomings and opportunities.

VOICES FOR ILLINOIS KIDS - KIDS COUNT REPORT
https://www.voices4kids.org/our-priorities/kids-count/
From the website: "Voices for Illinois Children leads the Illinois Kids Count project as part of a national and state-by-state effort funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation to track the status of children and families in the United States. Since 1992, we have worked to provide policymakers and citizens with benchmarks for child well-being in Illinois. Guided by the data, we seek to strengthen public action and investments to secure a brighter future for all our children"  Voices merged with the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago in late 2019."

WILEY ONLINE LIBRARY
https://olabout.wiley.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-390001.html
From the web site "Wiley Online Library hosts the world's broadest and deepest multidisciplinary collection of online resources covering life, health and physical sciences, social science, and the humanities. It delivers seamless integrated access to over 4 million articles from 1500 journals, almost 10,000 online books, and hundreds of reference works, laboratory protocols and databases."

US DEPT OF LABOR LIBRARY
https://www.dol.gov/
The Dept of Labor web site has extensive workforce data, with histories reaching back many decades.

WOODLAWN CHILDREN'S PROMISE ZONE. POLICY REPORT - 2011 PDF
https://uchicago.app.box.com/s/6hdbae1xx9cn4b0mdwkwqvqir40e5s4u
This is report by Chicago Policy Research Team (CPRT), the undergraduate Public Policy Studies Program at the University of Chicago, which has worked in partnership with the Woodlawn Children’s Promise Community (WCPC) to conduct an early-stage exploration and evaluation of WCPC programs.