May 2026 Tutor/Mentor eNews

Here's a new look at Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference 1994-2015 participation

Last fall a team of students at Indiana University created a "Network Mapping Tool" that anyone can use to analyze participation in events they organize. They used data from the 1994-2015 conferences that I hosted in Chicago. This spring another team looked at that data, and the work done by the Fall 2025 team, and created a new analytics dashboard that builds on what was done last fall. I wrote about it in this article.

Any organization can use these tools and apply the process. In addition, I'd welcome teams from other universities who might want to take a look at the same data, and create their own analysis. Just introduce yourself to me on LinkedIn.

 

Have you read about the "Alliance for Youth Thriving?"

 

"With Federal and State Funding Hanging in the Balance, Where do Local Leaders Find New Ways to Support Children and Youth?

That was the focus of this article from the Children's Funding Project. 

I see articles like this every day as I scroll through my BlueSky and LinkedIn accounts.  Are you using these resources?

 

Have you seen the new Chicago Social Impact Atlas?

The Chicago Social Impact Atlas is described as a "Free, searchable map of Chicago's nonprofits, funders, and support organizations -- built from IRS 990 filings and public data. The graphic shown above is from the interactive map. On the left are categories. I selected just a few on Chicago's West Side.

These are color coded, based on the categories shown at the left. I also selected for organizations with budgets under $5 million. You can put your mouse over any of the dots on the map and get the name of the organization, and often a website.

The map of nonprofit organizations is just one part of the website. Click the "Funding" tab at the top of the website and you will find a useful resource for finding sources of funding for your organization.

The site developers call this a "first version" and plan to update it for a new release in 2027. If you have suggestions use the "contact" information at the bottom of the site.

 Another example of using Kumu.io visualizations  

For the past decade I've shared articles on the Tutor/Mentor blog showing uses of data visualization tools. The work being done by the IVMOOC teams at Indiana University is one example. However, I continue to find articles on LinkedIn that expand my understanding and commitment to these tools.

This graphic is from an animation found in this post on LinkedIn. The article starts with: "What does evidence look like when you visualize it all in one place?"

Then it says, "In many areas of health research, hundreds of studies exist, but the findings are scattered and the gaps aren't always obvious. Professor Michelle Krahe of James Cook University used Kumu to create visual evidence maps that help reveal patterns across the field of digital health. Some great examples from Professor Krahe's work are shown."

Take a look. Let me know if you've been using data visualizations like this.  See more articles like this on my blog. 

 Dig deeper into why the Tutor/Mentor Connection was created in 1993 and what strategies it has piloted.

Since 2005 I've posted more than one-thousand articles on the Tutor/Mentor blog and created dozens of pages of content on the www.tutormentorexchange.net website. It's all intended to help you understand, support and adopt strategies that build the youth support ecosystem described in the Youth Today article that I featured at the top of this newsletter.

However, for most people it's Information Overload.

That's why I started a series of articles on Substack.com last August. These focus on core concepts and strategies. I shared the list in this article on the Tutor/Mentor blog. I hope you'll take a look, and subscribe, so you get reminders in your email.

 Take time to browse my lists of youth-serving programs in the Chicago region and around the USA

If you are part of a Chicago area youth-serving program, spend time this summer looking at the lists of programs that I point to from this page. You can borrow ideas from existing programs. Volunteers, parents, donors, media and/or researchers can use the lists to learn about tutor, mentor and learning programs in the region. Leaders in other cities can duplicate this, if they don't already have a resource like it.

Most of all. Make sure your program is listed and that the website link is working.

 View latest links added to the Tutor/Mentor library - click here