This image shows the logic of the Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present) and Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present).

If we agree that connecting a youth with an adult tutor and/or mentor is a good thing, then we need to think of strategies that make such connections happen in more places. In high poverty neighborhoods of big cities like Chicago, this requires organized tutor/mentor programs, located at sites near where kids can easily attend, and where volunteers will be able to join at least once a week for a couple of hours. If you look at the map of Chicago, and its large population, you see that many organized programs are needed. Our goal is to provide information that supports the actions of others who are trying to make such programs available to youth in more places. Read this blog article about our Logic Model.

Dan Bassill, founder of Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, and Leo Hall, who Dan first met in 1973, are featured in 12-2016 article titled "Mentoring's Promise and Limits"

This is included in the list of media stories started in 1993.

Wouldn't it be great to find an on-line resource that would help parents, social workers, volunteers and donors locate places in a city where K-12 youth could connect with tutors, mentors and extra learning in a safe, friendly space?

Wouldn't it be great if leaders could use the same resource to understand where non-school tutor/mentor programs were available, and where more are needed?

Wouldn't it be great if non school organizations offering tutoring, mentoring and learning services to youth in different neighborhoods could easily connect with others who do similar work, or find resource providers who would supply the dollars, technology, ideas and talent each program needs to operate and constantly improve?

These are some of the reasons the Tutor/Mentor Connection started building a Chicago Tutor/Mentor Programs Directory in 1994 which was distributed annually through 2002 (see PDF of 1997 Chicago Programs Directory) and an on-line Program Locator (shown at left) in 2004.

In 2008-9 an interactive map version of the program locator was created, which is described in this PDF essay.

NOTE: As of 2/2021 the Program Locator no longer working.  You can view the archive version at a) program locator (shown at right); b) interactive map using the Internet Archive.

I've not had the money, nor the volunteer talent, to update the program locator since 2010. I've kept it available because it still was useful in creating map stories. However, as of early 2021 I receive an error message when trying to open the pages. I've used archive links to show what the site was capable of and to serve as a template for anyone who'd like to help rebuild the site, make it open source, and make it available to other cities, and to other causes.     If you're from beyond Chicago,  your support enables us (YOU and me) top share this resource with city leaders and youth organizations in your own community, at a far lower cost of development than if they started to build their own Program Locator from scratch.

Visit this page in the Tutor/Mentor Institute LLC wiki to learn more about the Program Locator, its features and help needed to update and upgrade it.