April 2024 Tutor/Mentor eNews

April 2024 - Issue 231

Celebrate volunteers. National Volunteer Month.

If you lead a volunteer-based youth tutor, mentor program, or other types of activity that engages volunteers, they need to be recognized, and well-supported, throughout the year.

In one of the graphics I share in this month's newsletter is a "volunteer growth cycle" that shows how volunteers who stay with programs for multiple years often become leaders, advocates and resource builders who help the host organization attract needed resources.

This planning should lead to a constant improvement in what programs do to help kids and volunteers connect and build relationships.

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

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

Visit Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC Website

Volunteer Growth Cycle. Take a look.

The top graphic is a concept map created in the late 2000s to show volunteer growth in an organized, on-going, tutor, mentor program. The second graphic was created by a volunteer from the University of Michigan School of Information, to communicate the same idea. See it in this video. I describe the elements of the concept map in this blog article.

Changes to Constant Contact email address. Due to a new policy, all email coming from services like Constant Contact will have a different format. This may cause email to go into your spam box. That means the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. will now be different.

This is the address that will be on the email for this newsletter. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Think of volunteering as a form of adult service-learning

This graphic is the first page of an animation created in 2011 by an intern from South Korea to visualize the growth of volunteers in organized tutor/mentor programs. You can view it in this video, since Flash animation no longer works. This visualization was actually started in 2007 by an intern from Hong Kong. You can see his version in this blog post.

These visualizations illustrate work that youth in schools, non-school programs and colleges and universities can do to help mobilize and sustain volunteers involvement in organized tutor, mentor and learning programs.

If you read this final post by Sam Lee, who created this animation, you'll see that she said "As a result of internship, I learn more than I expected. So it's very special time to me." Schools and non-school programs who engage youth in projects like this are creating valuable learning opportunities while engaging youth in actual efforts to create a better world.

Look at the conversations posted in this Tutor/Mentor Connection group and see the ways I have coached interns to create visual interpretations of our ideas. Anyone could use these same conversations to engage their own students in doing the same type of projects.

"None of us is as smart as ALL of us" - read the president's message at the bottom of this April 2007 Tutor/Mentor Connection eMail newsletter.

Expand youth tutor/mentor program availability

In March I watched two Friends of the Children-Chicago discussions, titled - "Sounding the Alarm: Understanding the price we pay for illiteracy and what we can do about it". I wrote about them in this Tutor/Mentor blog article.

A week later I posted another article, pointing to a resource created by Matt Desmond, focused on "How We Can End Poverty in America". He has created a "teaching resource" that anyone can use to be what he calls a "Poverty Abolitionist"

As you view the first graphics about supporting volunteer involvement, think of ways you can point your volunteers and donors to these articles, and others like it on the Tutor/Mentor blog.

Look at the archives from 35 years of leading volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs in Chicago.

In this article, which I titled, "What motivates me?" I shared year-books and annual reports that showed the activities we offered to support the on-going involvement of youth and volunteers in our programs.

I've created archives of these that you can access, along with copies of our Tutor/Mentor Report newsletter, at this link.

If you're part of a volunteer-based tutor/mentor program I encourage you to look at the activities we used and consider including similar in your own programs. I also encourage you to create blogs and a page on your website to share what you do to help kids and volunteers connect, and stay connected, for many years.

Media, Maps and Map Story archives

The Tutor/Mentor Connection began creating maps and map stories in 1993, to draw attention and resources to organized, volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs in every high poverty area of Chicago.

In this article I point to these archives.

In this article I point to media stories that were generated by the Tutor/Mentor Connection event strategy.

Does someone in your city have a similar 30 year collection?

What you can do to end Poverty

In 2005 I wrote an article on the Tutor/Mentor blog titled "What you can do to end poverty". I reposted it in this April 2024 article. In March 2024 I included the graphic above, in this article, under the headline "Tutor/Mentor Connection needed in many places.

Most of my maps and graphics show where poverty is concentrated in Chicago. Some of the recent research I've pointed to uses maps to show areas of persistent, long-term poverty. They are the same places!

I use a "birth to work" timeline to show the long-term investment needed in each of the high poverty areas and I use a "hub and spoke" graphic to visualize organized programs that expand the network of "who you know" for kids who have limited connections to work and opportunity because of where they live.

Draw attention to these ideas - share them. Create your own.

The idea for the Tutor/Mentor Connection was born in late 1992 following the shooting death of 7-year-old Dantrell Davis in Chicago, and the media attention that followed it. Having worked in retail advertising for the Montgomery Ward corporation, I knew how we used weekly advertising, throughout the year, to draw attention and shoppers, to our 400 stores in 40 states. I recognized that Chicago needed a similar strategy, to draw volunteers, students and donors to every volunteer-based tutor/mentor program operating in Chicago, and to new programs that needed to grow where too few existed.

We did our planning in 1993 and launched in January 1994. Part of that planning was learning to use GIS maps to show "where" programs were located and where they were needed. Part of it was developing an event strategy, anchored by May and November leadership and networking conferences and an August/September volunteer recruitment campaign, to motivate the local news media to tell our story.

In this blog article I share links to a Google archive that shows dozens of media stories resulting from this strategy being followed for over 20 years.

I share this so leaders in other cities might develop their own strategy, borrowing from my archives and the history of the Tutor/Mentor Connection from 1993 till the present (since 2011 the T/MC has been led by the Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC and our website is http://www.tutormentorexchange.net)

Some day you should be able to find archives like mine in every city where there are areas of persistent poverty.

New Visual Essay. 30-Year History For 30 years I've reached out to universities in Chicago and beyond, to forge partnerships and campus commitments intended to help volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs grow in high poverty areas of Chicago and other places and help more kids through high school, college, and into jobs. Now you can review this in a new visual essay which I share in this issue of the Tutor/Mentor blog. Share this in your network and help find donors who will bring this strategy to colleges and the cities where they operate.

Below are resources to use. View latest links added to tutor/mentor library, click here

Recent Tutor/Mentor Blog articles that point to Tutor/Mentor Connection archived files:

More maps now in my archive" - click here

What you can do to end poverty - click here

What motivates Me? - click here

Using maps to draw attention and resources to high poverty areas - click here

Helping Tutor/Mentor Programs grow- for over 30 years - click here

Letters to the Editor - Was anyone listening? - click here

Visual essays created since 1990s - click here

30 years later. Same goals. - click here

These "Calls to Action" need new energy - click here

This is what I was doing in 2001 - click here

Tutor/Mentor Connection Vision - 2001 - click here

Bookmark these Tutor/Mentor Resources

* Chicago Volunteer-Based tutor, mentor program list - click here

* Resource Library - click here

* Strategy PDFs by Tutor/Mentor - click here

* Concept Map library - click here

* Work done by interns - click here

* Digital Divide resources - click here

* Political Action resources - click here

* Featured collections on Wakelet - click here

* Tutor/Mentor Institute Videos - click here

* About T/MI articles on blog - click here

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

* Create a New Tutor/Mentor Connection - click here

Resources & Announcements

* Arts Education in Chicago. View Ingenuity map and State of Arts Report.

* South Side STEM Asset maps - read about using maps - click here

* Extending Employee Volunteer Impact. From Realized Worth blog. click here

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

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

* Center for Effective Philanthropy - click here

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

* AfterSchool Alliance resources - click here

* Chicago Mentoring Collaborative - click here

* Chicago Public Schools locator map - click here

* Chicago Health Atlas - click here

* Proven Tutoring clearinghouse - click here

* Chicago Learning Exchange - click here

* Chicago STEM Pathways Cooperative - click here

* Chicago Digital Equity Coalition - click here

* Illinois Broadband Lab - click here

* Incarceration Reform Resource Center - click here

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

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

About this newsletter.

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

View current and past newsletters at this link.

Encourage friends, family, co-workers to sign up to receive this newsletter. Click here.

(If you subscribe, don't forget to respond to the confirmation email).

Thank you for reading. Please help fund the T/MI.

Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC

Serving Chicago area since 1993

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

Thank you for reading. And thank you to those who help fund the

Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC and this newsletter. Please send a 2024 contribution.

Connect with Dan (tutormentor) on one of these social media platforms.

Twitter (X)

Facebook

Bluesky

Instagram

Dec 2024 TM eNews

December 2024 - Issue 237

Support youth serving organizations with year-end and on-going contributions!

During the Holiday Season youth serving organizations are reaching out for financial support. Please use my lists to find and choose programs to aid with your contributions.

I wish you all a safe, healthy, happy and HOPE-filled holiday season.

The ideas and resources shared in this monthly newsletter are intended to help you build and sustain mentor-rich, school and non-school, tutor, mentor and learning programs that reach K-12 youth in all areas of persistent poverty. Use these in Chicago, or anywhere in the world.

While I spend most of my time every year trying to help hundreds of youth tutor, mentor and learning programs, I ask you to help me with a contribution in December.

Since 2011 I've created a fund-raising page to enable people to support my work by making a gift to support my birthday, which is on December 19th.

This year I'll be 78 and your help is needed more than ever for me to keep doing this work. Visit this page to make a birthday gift.

Since forming the Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC in 2011 I've depended on a small group of donors to make contributions throughout the year and in December to support my efforts. Please add your support, or repeat it if you've given in the past. Visit this page.

Thank you for your help.

Visit Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC Website

Ten additions to the Tutor/Mentor Library in 2024

I started putting the Tutor/Mentor library on the Internet in 1998 and have added new links each year. In 2024 I added 98 new links, which you can see on this page. Below are some of those.

1-2-2024 - Seek - Sense - Share - Personal Knowledge Mastery Process - https://jarche.com/pkm - I've followed Harold Jarche since 1990s and his ideas about learning motivate much of my own thinking.

1-17-2024 - Mapping Police Violence in America - https://mappingpoliceviolence.org

2-13-2024 - Art Makers Club - creative activities. shared in articles like this by Sherri Edwards of the CLMOOC group that I've followed since 2013 - https://sheri42.net/2024/02/12/fun-with-photo-doodles - Volunteers in tutor/mentor programs should look at Sheri's blog for ideas about creative work they can do with students

4-2-2024 - Daily STEM Learning Activities - weekly newsletter - https://dailystem.com/news

5-10-2024 - American Inequality Data Portal - https://www.americaninequality.io/maps

6-25-2024 - The Color of Wealth - Chicago - http://colorofwealth.org

7-10-2024 - Beyond the School Building: Examining the Association Between Out-of-School Factors and Multidimensional School Grades - https://epaa.asu.edu/index.php/epaa/article/view/8497

7-16-2024 - My Chi My Future - community collaboration pages - https://explore.mychimyfuture.org

8-18-2024 - Why Philanthropy Needs to Invest in Social Capital - https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2024/7/16/should-we-pay-for-relationships-why-philanthropy-needs-to-invest-in-social-capital

12-5-2024 - The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How our Government Segregated America - https://www.epi.org/publication/the-color-of-law-a-forgotten-history-of-how-our-government-segregated-america

Twelve Tutor/Mentor blog articles from 2024

1-22-2024 - 30 years later. New Year. Same Goals - https://tutormentor.blogspot.com/2024/01/30-years-later-new-year-same-goals.html

1-4-2024 - National Mentoring Month - Infrastructure focus - https://tutormentor.blogspot.com/2024/01/national-mentoring-month.html

2-28-2024 - Opportunity for All? Involvement of More. See maps - https://tutormentor.blogspot.com/2024/02/opportunity-for-all-involvement-of-more.html

2-12-2024 - Multiplying Good - Map the Sports Network - https://tutormentor.blogspot.com/2024/02/multiplying-good-map-network.html

3-28-2024 - What Motivates Me - See yearbooks from past - https://tutormentor.blogspot.com/2024/03/what-motivates-me.html

4-11-2024 - 30 year history of reaching out to universities - https://tutormentor.blogspot.com/2024/04/30-year-history-of-reaching-out-to.html

5-28-2024 - Repeat After Me! Try it! - https://tutormentor.blogspot.com/2024/05/repeat-after-me-try-it.html

5-14-2024 - Drawing Resources to Chicago Tutor, Mentor and Learning Programs - https://tutormentor.blogspot.com/2024/05/drawing-attention-resources-to-chicago.html

7-18-2024 - Understanding complex problems using concept maps - https://tutormentor.blogspot.com/2024/07/understanding-complex-problems-using.html

7-13-2024 - Build information base to support anti violence efforts - https://tutormentor.blogspot.com/2024/07/build-information-base-to-support-anti.html

8-5-2024 - Adopt this 4-part strategy to help kids in your community - https://tutormentor.blogspot.com/2024/08/adopt-this-4-part-strategy-to-help-kids.ht ml

11-25-2024 - What comes after the election? https://tutormentor.blogspot.com/2024/11/what-comes-after-election.html

Below are resources that I point to each month.

* What's next for the nonprofit sector - Dec. 2024 article in The NonProfit Times - click here

* Community Commons resource center - click here

* Registration now open for 2025 National Mentoring Summit, Jan 19-31, 2025 - click here

* National Mentoring Resource Center - click here

* Trust Talks - podcast by The Chicago Community Trust highlights the Trust's strategic priority to close Chicago region's racial and ethnic wealth gap - click here

* Addressing Wealth Inequality in America - click here

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

* CANDID - demographic data for NPOs and funders - click here

* AfterSchool Alliance resources - click here

* Chicago Mentoring Collaborative - click here

* South Side STEM Asset maps - read about using maps - click here

* Incarceration Reform Resource Center - click here

* Prison Policy Initiative - click here

Bookmark these Tutor/Mentor Resources

* Lists of Chicago area, volunteer-based tutor, mentor programs - click here

* Homework help and volunteer training resources - click here

* Resource Library - click here

* Strategy essays by Tutor/Mentor - click here

* Work done by interns in past - click here

* Intermediary organizations serving youth in Chicago area - click here

* Maps and Map-Stories from past 30 years - click here

* Political Action resources - click here

* Featured collections on Wakelet - click here

* Tutor/Mentor Institute Videos - click here

* About T/MI articles on blog - click here

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

* Create a New Tutor/Mentor Connection - click here

Thank you for reading.

I encourage others to duplicate what I'm doing. Write a blog and share your own vision, strategy and challenges. Share your link and I'll add it to this list in the Tutor/Mentor library.

View current and past newsletters at this link.

Please encourage friends, family, co-workers to sign up to receive this newsletter. Click here.

(If you subscribe, don't forget to respond to the confirmation email).

Changes to Constant Contact email address. Check your spam box to make sure this newsletter is coming to you.

This is the address that will be on the email for this newsletter. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC

Serving Chicago area since 1993

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

Thank you for reading. And thank you to those who help fund the

Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC and this newsletter. Please send a 2025 contribution.

Connect with Dan (tutormentor) on one of these social media platforms.

Twitter (X)

Facebook

Bluesky

Instagram

New Links - added 2025

New additions to Tutor/Mentor library - 2025

Since mid 2022 I've posted new additions to the Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC Library on a page like this. Each listing includes a link to the sub-section of the library where the link was posted. Those links are in alphabetical order. Learn to use the "find in this section" line below each entry to find a wide range of related information. New additions from 2024 are posted here. New additions from 2023 are posted here. New additions from 2022 are posted here.

7-31-2025 - IN THESE TIMES
https://inthesetimes.com/
From the website: "In These Times is an independent, nonprofit magazine dedicated to advancing democracy and economic justice, informing movements for a more humane world, and providing an accessible forum for debate about the policies that shape our future."
Find in this section

7-30-2025 - PARTNERSHIP FOR STUDENT SUCCESS AT jOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
https://www.partnershipstudentsuccess.org
From the website: "Based at the Johns Hopkins University Everyone Graduates Center, The Partnership for Student Success supports a nationwide effort in local and state communities across the country to bring evidence-based and people-powered support to all students. We bring together experts and practitioners in education, national service, and youth development to support locally-driven implementation of tutoring, mentoring, student success coaching, postsecondary transition coaching, wraparound/integrated student supports, and other evidence-based practices that support children and youth." Visit the RESOURCES page and find an extensive library.
Find in this section

7-30-2025 - NEW JERSEY TUTORING CORPS, INC (NJTC)
Home | NJ Tutoring Corps - In Person Tutoring - NJTC
NJTC's mission is to "provide high-impact tutoring services to academically vulnerable K-8 students in both mathematics and English Language Arts and to increase the educator pipeline." In 2025 NJTC launched America's first tutor apprenticeship program. See the press release at on this page.
Find in this section

7-30-2025 - CAMPAIGN FOR GRADE-LEVEL READING - FOCUS ON TUTORING
Home - LEO | Learning & Engagement Opportunities Network
From the website - " The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading launched GLR Learning Tuesdays in 2019 to inform and catalyze our network and the broader field in disrupting generational poverty by advancing early school success for children in economically challenged, fragile and marginalized families. GLR Learning Tuesdays webinars provide participants with a predictable and reliable set of learning opportunities on a range of critical topics. Since then, we expanded this weekly webinar series to create LEO — our Learning and Engagement Opportunities framework — a robust collection of webinars and other online learning opportunities. The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading hosts 70+ webinars each year, exploring critical topics from a wide range of perspectives. We use our blog posts to explore themes that are emerging across sessions and lift up takeaways." Be sure to visit their blog and library of webinar sessions. The July 29, 2025 webinar focused on building the workforce for tutoring. See it at Building the Workforce for Tutoring: Emerging Options & Strategies - LEO | Learning & Engagement Opportunities Network
Find in this section

7-28-2025 - new page added to library, with links to websites that show pro athletes' involvement with charitable causes.
Find in this section

7-28-2025 - MAPS IN THIS 2025 NEWSWEEK ARTICLE SHOW QUALITY OF LIFE IN DIFFERENT STATES
https://www.newsweek.com/map-shows-states-best-worst-quality-life-2100141
This 7-22-25 article includes a map that shows states with 'best-and worst- quality of life". Scroll to the bottom of the article and find additional maps showing "best and worst school systems, highest and lowest credit card debt, states where youth are most at risk, states with best and worst health care" etc.
Find in this section

7-23-2025 - INEQUALITY AND RACISM IN OMAHA - WHAT I LEARN SHARING HISTORY
click here
https://adamfletcher.net/blog-3/
This is an article posted on LinkedIn by Adam F.C. Fletcher. He shares what he has learned about poverty, inequality and racism in Omaha, Nebraska over the past 25 years. Adam leads a consulting firm called Commonaction Consulting and shares many ideas on his blog.
Find in this section

7-21-2025 - POVERTY & WEALTH INEQUALITY - MAPS CREATED TO HELP UNDERSTAND COMPLEX ISSUES
on LinkedIn - click here
keep reading - https://bra.in/4pWXYo
Follow this link to a set of concept maps where Gene Bellinger, of Systems Thinking Network, has created relationship maps to help understand these issues. My links point to one of Gener's articles on LinkedIn and to the first page of his collection.
Find in this section

7-21-2025 - LIBRARY OF HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES FROM ACROSS THE WORLD
https://www.humanrightscareers.com/all-issues/
The Human Rights Careers website provides "well-research information about human rights career opportunities and creates engaging, simple and inclusive human rights content". This link points to the "issues" page on the site, which has several dozen relevant articles.
Find in this section

7-19-2025 - FOR GOOD - A TECHNOLOGY-ENABLED DONOR-ADVISED FUND
https://www.forgood.org/
Through its platform and APIs, For Good enables turnkey opportunities for companies, campaigns, and donors to support their favorite charities. This was formerly "networkforgood dot org".
Find in this section

7-18-2025 - LATINO DATA HUB - INFORMATION ABOUT ISSUES FACING LATINOS
https://latinodatahub.org/
From the website: "The Latino Data Hub uses most recent data from the Census Bureau to give you information about ten critical areas." Use the tutorial on the site to learn to use their tools.
Find in this section

7-18-2025 - LITTLESIS - A TOOL FOR MAPPING POWER RELATIONSHIPS
https://littlesis.org/toolkit/
https://littlesis.org/resources/
From the website: "LittleSis is a free, open-source research platform. It is a database of who-knows-who at the heights of business and government and a p owerful tool for strategic research. This toolkit has been designed to provide people with the tools to conduct power research and develop a research pod, or crew of folks, that have the skills to investigate local corporate bodies and organize against them. You can use this toolkit as a starting point for organizing around a common target with your neighbors and friends,or to strengthen the work of your organization."
Find in this section

7-16-2025 - BETTER DATA. BETTER POLICY: THE IMAPACT MAP
https://theimpactproject.org/
From the website: "The Impact Project builds open-source data tools that objectively show how government decisions affect our communities." Their first tool, The Impact Map, "shows the local impacts of federal workforce, funding, and other policy decisions."
Find in this section and this section

7-11-2025 - ELECTION REFORM IDEAS FROM UNITE AMERICA
https://www.uniteamerica.org/articles/elons-right-but-election-reform-is-the-real-game-changer
If you're frustrated with the two-party system in the USA, you're not alone. Unite America offers many suggestions on "changing the rules so that every candidate can compete, every voter can participate, and more votes are meaningful." Take a look.
Find in this section

7-10-2025 - THE STATES PROJECT AND FORUM - WORKING ON SOLUTIONS TO TODAY'S MOST PRESSING ISSUES
https://statesproject.org/
https://statesforum.org/
The States Project was launched during Trump's first presidency, and focuses on winning government majorities in state legislatures. Visit its website and find a wide range of information and resources. The States Forum was launched in 2025. It's website says, "The States Forum is dedicated to advancing the American Promise: that all people are created equal with the right to life,liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that government secures these rights with the consent of the governed." Both of these websites are important resources.
Find in this section

7-10-2025 - THE JOURNALIST'S RESOURCE: INFORMING THE NEWS
https://journalistsresource.org/
From the website: "The Journalist's Resource bridges the gap between academia and journalism, informing the news by empowering journalists to rely on evidence-based research throughout every step of the reporting and editing process." This site fills a growing need as staff at news rooms across the country are getting smaller and smaller. The site's not limited to just journalists. Anyone can browse and read research articles and become better informed about issues.
Find in this section

7-10-2025 - AI TOOLS THAT ARE REPLACING POWER POINT
click here
This LinkedIn article by Ajit Kumar lists 10 tools that enable users to create presentations with AI in seconds.
Find in this section

7-9-2025 - DODGE (DEPT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY) CUTS BY CITY, STATE AND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT - INTERACTIVE MAP
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/doge-cuts-by-city-state-and-congressional-district/
This map of DODGE cuts in the Federal government is one of many resources on the website of The Center for American Progress.
Find in this section

7-9-2025 - 2028 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION INTERACTIVE MAP AND MORE
https://www.270towin.com/
The 270 to Win site ncludes maps of the United States with details upcoming elections.
Find in this section

7-9-2025 - EDUCATIONAL ENDEAVORS OFFERS ACADEMIC TUTORING AND ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS
https://educationalendeavors.org/blog/
Educational Endeavors was started in Chicago in 2001 as an academic tutoring provider. They now have enrichment programs and test prep. Their website says," All of their programs have been developed through thoughtful collaboration with our staff, sharpened by experience, and revised after trials." The link points to their blog.
Find in this section

7-8-2025 - A BLUEPRING FOR SCALING TUTORING AND MENTORING ACROSS PUBLIC SCHOOLS
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/23328584211042858
In this 2021 article the authors explore "how to make access to individualized instruction and academic mentoring more equitable by taking tutoring to scale as a permanent feature of the U.S. public education system." Principle authors were Matthew A. Kraft and Grace T. Falken of Brown University.
Find in this section

7-8-2025 - LOVING CITIES INDEX - 2025 - SCHOTT FOUNDATION REPORT
https://lovingcities.schottfoundation.org/
The Schott Foundation's Loving Cities Index "measures the supports a city provides children and families across every aspect of life". This link points to the 2025 report. Click here for the 2018 Loving Cities report. View the 2020 Loving Cities report at this link.
Find in this section

7-8-2025 - ARCHIVE OF 10,000+ HISTORICAL CHILDREN'S BOOKS, ALL DIGITIZED AND FREE TO READ ONLINE
https://www.openculture.com/2025/06/enter-an-archive-of-10000-historical-childrens-books.html
This is one part of the Open Culture website, which claims to have "the best free cultural & educational media on the web". This extensive archive of children's books is an example.
Find in this section

7-8-2025 - VIZDEX - A LIBRARY OF BLOGS DEDICATED TO DATA VISUALIZATION
https://vizdexproject.com/
This site has an extensive, and growing, collection of personal and independent blogs and newsletters dedicated to datavisualization. You can sort by several topics. Inspire your own work by learning from work done by others.
Find in this section

7-8-2025 - HARVARD UNIVERSITY TIES TO SLAVERY - ARTICLE IN "THE GUARDIAN"
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2025/jun/21/harvard-slavery-decendants-of-the-enslaved
The title of this article in The Guardian is "Harvard hired a researcher to uncover its ties to slavery. He says the results cost him his job: "We found too many slaves." The article offers an in-depth review of US universities and the legacy of slavery, while it also focuses on Harvard's response to the research."
Find in this section

7-8-2025 - MENTOR TUTOR CONNECTION OF MOUNTAIN VIEW AND LOS ALTOS, CALIFORNIA
https://www.mentortutorconnection.org/
This program started in 1996 as "Partners for New Generations" and changed its name to Mentor Tutor Connection in 2014. Its mission is to enhance the academic, social, and emotional growth of students in their community through meaningful connections with adult volunteer mentors and tutors."
Find in this section

7-8-2025 - POWER MAPPING - LEARN TO USE CONCEPT MAPS TO IDENTIFY WHO HAS THE POWER TO FIX THE PROBLEM YOU WANT FIXED.
https://commonslibrary.org/power-mapping-to-design-a-winning-campaign-strategy/
This is an article from The Commons Social Change Library. It describes a powerful planning and visualization skill, which it called "power mapping". The article recommends, "Use it to figure out who has the most influence over the issue you are focused on and who is most likely to give you what you want." This is a skill Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present) and Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) have tried to master for many years. Here's one article from our blog. https://tutormentor.blogspot.com/2025/03/mapping-ideas-information-and-networks.html
Find in this section

7-8-2025 - INDEPENDENT SECTOR'S ANNUAL REPORT: VALUE OF VOLUNTEER TIME
https://independentsector.org/research/value-of-volunteer-time/
For many years the Independent Sector has produced a report showing an estimated national dollar value for each volunteer hour. Download the current report at this link.
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7-8-2025 - CHICAGO SPORTS ALLIANCE WORKS TO REDUCE GUN VIOLENCE
https://www.mccormickfoundation.org/news/chicago-professional-sports-franchises-come-together-to-address-gun-violence-for-eighth-consecutive-year/
This page on the Robert R. McCormick Foundation website shows how Chicago professional sports franchises are coming together to address gun violence for the eigth consecutive year.
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7-7-2025 - OTHERING & BELONGING INSTITUTE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY - RACIAL DISPARITIES DASHBOARD
https://belonging.berkeley.edu/racial-disparities
From the website: "This project is designed to be an open resource repository on racial disparities in American society that are important, vital, and measurable. We have nearly 80 different indicators with measured disparities between Black and white Americans" Visit the website.
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7-7-2025 - BRIGHTPOINT FOCUSES ON HELPING FAMILIES AND CHILDREN IN CHICAGO AND THROUGHOUT ILLINOIS
https://www.brightpoint.org/about-us/who-we-are/about-brightpoint-2/
This organization was Children's Home & Aid until rebranding in 2025. View the "What we do" page to learn of their five areas of service.
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7-7-2025 - BRIDGING COMMUNITIES, EVENTS AND INSIGHTS IN A FRAGMENTED WORLD - FROM THE WEAVING LAB
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/bridging-communities-events-insights-fragmented-world-weavinglab-npp6c/
This article can be found on LinkedIn. It describes the network-building process, its challenges and its opportunities. Add you own thoughts.
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7-7-2025 - CHITOWN TUTORING -ACT TEST PREPARATION AND MORE
https://chitowntutoring.com/blog/
Read the blog articles on the ChiTown Tutoring site. Lots of helpful information. Browse the site and learn what help they can offer students in the Chicago region.
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7-7-2025 - EVERYTOWN LAW - DEDICATED TO ADVANCING GUN SAFETY IN THE COURTS AND THROUGH THE CIVIL AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS
https://everytownlaw.org/
https://everytownresearch.org/
From the website: "Everytown Law conducts independent, methodologically rigorous research, supports evidence-based policies and communicates this knowlege to the public", in many ways, including this website. Browse the research page at https://everytownresearch.org/research/ to find an extensive body of information.
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7-7-2025 - CITY OF CHICAGO VIOLENCE REDUCTION DASHBOARD
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/vrd/home.html
From the website: "The Dashboard shares real-time data on violence trends in Chicago and its inequitable impact across the city, as well as critical information about the City's community-centered and trauma-informed response." Visit this University of Chicago Crime Lab page and view a webinar that introduces the Dashboard. https://crimelab.uchicago.edu/2025/05/overview-of-the-city-of-chicagos-violence-reduction-dashboard/
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7-7-2025 - CITY OF CHICAGO'S VIOLENCE REDUCTION DASHBOARD - CREATED BY UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO URBAN CRIME LAB
https://crimelab.uchicago.edu/2025/05/overview-of-the-city-of-chicagos-violence-reduction-dashboard/
Visit this page and view the June 2025 webinar that provided an introduction to the City of Chicago's Violence Reduction Dashboard. Browse the site to see related reports.
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7-7-2025 - TOGETHER CHICAGO - FORMED IN 2017 TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY BUILDING THROUGH THE FAITH COMMUNITY
https://togetherchicago.com/
Together Chicago is a "collective impact" framework that focuses on economic development, education, violence reduction, gospel justice, and faith community mobilization.
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7-7-2025 - CHICAGO YOUTH COLLECTIVE - NEW INTERMEDIARY LAUNCHING IN 2025
https://www.chiyouthcollective.org/blog
The Chicago Youth Collective seeks to "build bridges between families and opportunities". Their website is not fully developed but you can read some of their blog articles.
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7-7-2025 - REACH PATHWAYS™ - HELPS HIGH PERFORMING STUDENTS ADVANCE TO COLLEGE AND CAREERS
https://www.reachpathways.com/
REACH Pathways™ is a social enterprise built on the research-based curriculum of Chicago Scholars, a nonprofit that has helped over 6,500 students navigate college and career with outcomes 2-7 times the national average, leading to an estimated $6.8 billion in additional lifetime earnings. REACH Pathways™ was launched to scale access to opportunities and connect under-resourced students with companies and colleges nationwide.
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7-7-2025 - TUTOR CRUNCHER KNOWLEDGE HUB
https://tutorcruncher.com/blog
TutorCruncher is a software platform buit specificallly to support the professional tutoring industry. Their Knowledge Hub is full of useful articles for many types of tutoring organizations.
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7-7-2025 - LEADING OUR FUTURE: REIMAGINING LEADERSHIP IN ONTARIO'S NONPROFIT SECTOR
https://theonn.ca/publication/leading-our-future/
This statement introduced this Ontario Nonprofit Network publication: "Nonprofits are being called on to do more with less in an impossible environment. With deepening polarization, an affordability crisis, and labour force shortages, it's time to reimagine leadership in our sector"
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7-7-2025 - KNOWLEDGE ALLIANCE - PROMOTING USE OF RIGOROUS RESEARCH FOR EDUCATION POLICY
https://www.knowledgeall.net/
From the website: "The mission is to collectively elevate the creation and use of rigorous research and evidence for systems change, sustainable resources, equitable public education and access to opportunity for all." Follow their updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/knowledge-alliance/posts/
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7-7-2025 - AI - ARTICLE - "PEOPLE ARE LOSING LOVED ONES TO AI-FUELED SPIRITUAL FANTASIES"
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/ai-spiritual-delusions-destroying-human-relationships-1235330175/
This article is from Rolling Stone and raises another concern about AI.
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6-26-2025 - IMPACT BORDERLESS DIGITAL (IBD) - AFRICAN MENTORING SUPPORT
https://impactborderlessdigital.com/
From the website: "Through mentorship and career development flora, IBD empowers youth with the knowledge, international exposure, and digital fluency they need to be emancipated global citizens with borderless influence for sustainable development." Based in Nairobi, Kenya.
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4-28-2025 - INDEPENDENT SECTOR - TRACKING THE POLICY LANDSCAPE FOR THE CHARITABLE SECTOR - 2025
https://independentsector.org/policy/tracking-the-policy-landscape/
With so much disruption coming from the new Federal administration, as a result of the 2024 election, funding for the charitable sector is in a state of chaos. The Independent Sector and partners are providing three trackers to monitor policy actions. 1) Tax and Federal Legislation Tracker; 2) Litigation Tracker; 3) Executive Action Tracker. Make sure your board, volunteers and donors are aware of this resource.
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4-28-2025 - MAPPING JUSTICE - EMPOWERING YOUTH THROUGH GEOSPATIAL INNOVATION
https://www.trubel.co/
This is the flagship program of an organization called trubel&co, who's mission is to "champion diverse youth by integrating STEM education with civic innovation to tackle societal challenges. Through our flagship program, Mapping Justice, we empower students to use geospatial technology for social change, fostering data literacy, critical thinking, and community advocacy."
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4-28-2025 - COLLECTIVE FOR YOUTH EMPOWERMENT IN STEM AND SOCIETY (CYESS)
https://cyess.org/
CYESS is an initiative of the Afterschool Alliance which is "leveraging the potential of afterschool programs for civic engagement and STEM learning." Browse the website to learn more.
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4-28-2025 - CHILDREN'S FUNDING PROJECT - SUPPORT FOR STRATEGIC PUBLIC FINANCING
https://childrensfundingproject.org/
The Children's Funding Project "helps communities maintain equitable, coordinated, and sustainable funding for comprehensive programs and services so that all children thrive." View video of April 2025 webinar to understand the support and resources they offer. https://childrensfundingproject.org/resource/public-financing-in-times-of-uncertainty/

Read the article on the Wallace Foundation website about the Children's Funding Project. https://wallacefoundation.org/resource/article/investing-youth-cradle-career
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4-28-2025 - 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.
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4-3-2025 - A BETTER CHICAGO - STATE OF OUR YOUTH 2025 REPORT
https://www.abetterchicago.org/reports-and-insights/state-of-our-youth-2025
This 2025 report provides extensive data showing the "Sate of Chicago Youth" and should be read by all who are concerned with the future of the city. In the summary the authors wrote "Chicago is among the major cities that continues to experience uneven investments and development across neighborhoods, resulting in inadequate access to essential services and disparities in economic, education and health outcomes. The data in this report reveals how these historical patterns continue to have a disproportionate negative impact on communities of color." Download the report from the A Better Chicago website.
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3-31-2025 - A 2025 UPDATE OF GENE BELLINGER'S SYSTEMS THINKING LIBRARY
click here
This site is related to the "And, It's all Connected" site. It is named "Gene's 2nd Brain" which is (as he says) "where I attempt to organize everything I touch that seems meaningful. Well, at least to me." This site uses an interactive concept mapping/visualization tool to organize hundreds, if not thousands, of links. Spend some time becoming familiar with it. Re-visit often. Create your own version. No password needed.
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3-28-2025 - EVERY HOUR COUNTS - A NETWORK OF LEADING INTERMEDIARIES BUILDING AFTER SCHOOL SYSTEMS
https://www.everyhourcounts.org/
From the website: "Every Hour Counts is a network of organizations from across the country that is leading a movement to expand learning beyond school so that all young people can thrive."
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3-27-2025 - COUNSELLOR TALK - CREATIVE RESOURCES FOR COUNSELLORS, EDUCATORS AND MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
https://www.counsellortalk.com/blog
On this site, launched in 2025, two long-term psychologists and former school counsellors share a legacy of meaningful connections and creative counselling practices with the goal of inspiring a new generation of counsellors and educators. The blog is full of resources.
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3-23-2025 - AMERICA'S VOLUNTEER-BASED U.S. GOV. DATA RESCUE PROJECT - 2025
https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-data-hoarders-resisting-trumps-purge
This article in The New Yorker describes an effort by hundreds of volunteers to save data that is being wiped by people working for the GOP leaders in Washington, DC. This is a massive effort to preserve history and public knowledge. Visit the Data Rescue Project website to learn more and get involved. https://www.datarescueproject.org/
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3-21-2025 - COMMUNITIES FOR JUST SCHOOLS FUND
https://www.cjsfund.org/
From the website: "Communities for Just Schools is a national collaborative that links philanthropy with the power of grassroots organizing to transform schools. It's a movement born to end the school-to-prison pipeline."
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3-19-2025 - CAREER COMMUNICATIONS GROUP, INC - PROMOTES ACHIEVEMENT IN STEM PROFESSIONAL CAREERS - HOSTS STEM CITY USA
https://intouch.ccgmag.com/page/pre-college-program
CCG website shows a wide range of programs, publications and events that promote achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math careers. One program is STEM CITY USA, which is a virtual reality learning platform which you can see at https://stemcityusa.com/. The link provided above points to the CCG pre-college program that provides middle and high school students the opportunity to learn about STEM careers and acquire skills.
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3-19-2025 - PICKLEBALL NOISE RELIEF - A GRASSROOTS EFFORT LAUNCHED IN 2023
https://www.pickleballnoiserelief.com/home
From the website: "Pickelball Noise Relief is a grassroots support network dedicated to addressing the issue of excessive noise from pickleball courts. We aim to inform, educate, and empower individuals affected by pickleball noise, providing resources and strategies to mitigate its impact." Take a look at the range of resources provided on this website. It's a model that other causes might duplicate.
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3-18-2025 - A MIGHTY GIRL - DEDICATED TO RAISING SMART, CONFIDENT, AND COURAGEOUS GIRLS
https://www.amightygirl.com/blog
The website says "A Mighty Girls is the worlds largest collection of books, toys, movies, and music for parents, teachers and others dedicated to raising smart, confident, and courageous girls and, of course, for girls themselves." This link points to the Mighty Girls blog. Follow A Mighty Girls on Facebook and see how they share relevant information on a regular basis. https://www.facebook.com/amightygirl
Find in this section and in this section

3-14-2025 - VISUALLY RECORD A CONVERSATION
https://visualthinkery.com/project/visually-recording-a-conversation/
This article on the Visual Thinkery site provides steps for visually recording a conversation. It's part of the creative process ideas shared on the site.
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3-12-2025 - SCHOLARSHIPS AND RESOURCES FOR MINORITY STUDENTS
https://www.publicservicedegrees.org/financial-aid/scholarships/minority-students/
This "Student Training & Education in Public Service" article includes a list of minority-focused scholarships and resources that focus on public-service degrees.
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3-7-2025 - THE EDUCATIONAL POWER OF FILMMAKING FOR YOUTH
https://octaneseating.com/blog/film-educational-benefits
NAVIGATING THE ART OF BOOK-TO-FILM ADAPTATION
https://octaneseating.com/blog/book-to-film-adaptations/
These are two visually illustrated blog articles on the website of a company that sells residential and theater seating! Both have valuable tips that student and adult film-makers might learn from. Take a look.
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3-7-2025 - UNLOCKING THE MAGIC OF CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: ESSENTIAL RESOURCES FOR PARENTS AND EDUCATORS
https://octaneseating.com/blog/childrens-literature/
This is a visually illustrated blog article on the website of a company that sells residential and theatrical seating. It offers many useful tips for parents, teachers, tutors and mentors.
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3-4-2025 - INCREASING STEM ENGAGEMENT THROUGH OPPORTUNITY LANDSCAPING - 2025 RESEARCH PAPER
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691825000186?via%3Dihub
This paper on Opportunity Landscaping, co-authored by Nichole Pinkard, with Sheena E., Caitlin K. Martin, Yolanda J. Majors, PhD, & Natasha Smith-Walker, explores how we can better understand and design learning ecosystems to ensure equitable access to STEM and out-of-school learning opportunities. An example of this work is the South Side STEM Opportunity Landscape described at https://www.southsidestemlandscape.org/
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2-28-2025 - BEYOND AID: WHY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT NEEDS A MARKET-CREATING SHIFT - 2-2025 ARTICLE
https://www.christenseninstitute.org/blog/beyond-aid-why-global-development-needs-a-market-creating-shift/
The long-standing global development model has been overly reliant on foreign aid. That has decreased from 2019 to 2023 and now is being drastically cut by the new administration in Washington. This article makes a case for developing market-creating innovations to alleviate poverty.
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2-28-2025 - FOM BLACK BOYS TO BLACK MEN - WHAT DOES IT TAKE?
https://www.hattieschild.com/mentoring
Visit this website and learn from educator, author and mentor, Steve White. Use the curriculum in your own mentoring programs.
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2-28-2025 - THE MIS-EDUCATION OF THE NEGRO - BY DR. CARTER. G. WOODSON
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mis-Education_of_the_Negro
This book was published in 1993 but remains a fundamental resource for understanding Black history.
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2-27-2025 - OTHERING & BELONGING INSTITUTE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY
https://belonging.berkeley.edu/resources
From the website: "OBI advances groundbreaking research, policy, and ideas that examine and remediate the process of exclusion, marginalization, and structural inequality -- what we call othering -- in order to build a world based on inclusion, fairness, justice, and care for the earth -- what we call belonging." This link points to the resources page.
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2-26-2025 - STEM LEARNING ECOSYSTEMS - CONNECTING LOCAL COMMUNITIES WITH A NATIONAL NETWORK OF PEERS AND STEM LEADERS
https://stemecosystems.org/
From the website: "Built on over a decade of research, the STEM Learning Ecosystems Community of Practice is a first-of-its-kind global collaboration of 114+ communities growing STEM collaborations that prepare all people for emerging opportunities. More than 70 million learners find themselves going from cradle to career within the space of a STEM Learning Ecosystem."
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2-26-2025 - VISION FOR AMERICAN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (VAST) - 2025
https://www.vastfuture.org/
This website shows the vision of individuals representing industry, academia, government, and the non-profit sector of a future state in which American science and technology can continue to serve America. Planning started in 2024.
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2-20-2025 - MELANIN MEETUPS - SHAPING THE AMERICAN BLACK COMMUNITY AND EXPERIENCE IN THE 21ST CENTURY
https://www.melaninmeetups.org/about
From the website: "The mission of Melanin MeetUps is to Rewrite the Narrative. This means to create a better understanding of the African-American experience and overall story to create a more unifying identity due to the deliberate erasure of persons, culture, values, and beliefs from systems designed to do so." Visit the site to learn more.
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2-20-2025 - FITFO NETWORK - "A NETWORK FOR NETWORKS"
https://www.fito.network/boosting-funding
This site was created in 2023, based on many years of previous experience. The network is made up of thousands of people, with leaders from Africa, India, South America and Europe. It's goal is to help networks get the ideas, connections and resources each needs to do their work well. One section focuses on boosting funding for networks.
Find in this section and in this section

2-20-2025 - FORWARD MOMENTUM CHICAGO - INSPIRES POSSIBILITIES THROUGH DANCE EDUCATION PROGRAMS
https://www.forwardmomentumchicago.org/
From the website: "Forward Momentum Chicago programs are designed to increase dance skills and awareness, and to foster creativity, critical thinking, and social-emotional learning. Forward Momentum Chicago offers a variety of dance experiences for all ages and ability levels."
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2-12-2025 - 'ORIGINAL SINS" - BOOK EXAMINES HOW EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO HURT BLACK AND INDIGENOUS STUDENTS
https://thetriibe.com/2025/02/eve-l-ewing-examines-how-the-education-system-is-designed-to-hurt-black-and-indigenous-students/
This link points to an interview of Eve L. Ewing, author of "Original Sins", published in Feb. 2025 in The Tribe.
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2-6-2025 - KEVIN'S MEANDERING MIND - BLOG BY CONNECTED LEARNING EDUCATOR
https://dogtraxwrites.com/blogging4life/blogging4life-the-platforms/
Kevin Hodgson is a middle school teacher from Western Massachusetts who I've followed since 2014. Several links on this blog list go to articles he wrote. I point to his blog many times from the Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC blog. He launched a new blog site in 2025. Check it out.
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2-5-2025 - AUTHENTIC CONNECTION PLATFORMS: THE FUTURE OF DISINTEGRATING SOCIAL MEDIA - 2025 ARTICLE
https://www.conferencesthatwork.com/index.php/social-media-2/2025/02/authentic-connection/
This article on the Conferences that Work blog focuses on the demise of traditional social media as a place to connect and share ideas and the rise of smaller platforms, that are part of the Fediverse, a network of servers interconnected via a common protocol. Mastodon is one of these.
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2-4-2025 - 3 TOOLS TO HELP TEACH ABOUT BLACK HISTORICAL FIGURES IN A MODERN LIGHT
https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/64931/three-tools-to-help-teach-about-black-historical-figures-in-a-modern-light
This article on the KQED website offers tips for engaging children in learning about Black history throughout the year and beyond the surface level. Take a look.
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1-26-2025
LUV CITY - ENGAGES YOUTH IN MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTION
ttps://luvcity.org/
From the website: "LUV City offers a 5-week Summer Institute where Chicago youth are immersed in workshops in filmmaking, editing, sound design, multimedia production, acting, storytelling and music production. Youth are invited to continue on with programming during fall, winter and spring semesters."
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1-21-2025 - LANDLORD MAPPER - NATIONAL LANDLORD DATBASE INITIATIVE
https://landlordmapper.org/chi/home/
Landlord Mapper is an initiative to advance research into urban property ownership networks. We seek to address the problem of ownership obscurity by leveraging data science techniques to uncover networks of taxpayer records. The goal is to provide tenants with easy access to information about landlords. We also seek to assist and collaborate with other researchers to improve the overall access to landlord data. The site uses network analysis and interactive GIS maps to share information about property owners in Chicago, Milwaukee.
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1-18-2025 - SEGREGATION ACADEMIES: DECADES AFTER DESEGREGATION, PRIVATE SCHOOLS STILL DIVIDE US
https://www.propublica.org/series/segregation-academies
This ProPublica series includes "a Private School Demographics database, which ProPublica launched in 2025, that anyone, anywhere can use to look up a school and view the years of data we were relying on for our reporting." The research shows that "Hundreds of the private schools that opened for white children fleeing the arrival of Black students still operate across the South. And they play a key role in persistent segregation."
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1-18-2025 - BACKBONE LEADERSHIP IS DIFFERENT: THE SKILLS AND MINDSET SHIFTS NEEDED FOR COLLECTIVE IMPACT
https://collectiveimpactforum.org/resource/why-is-backbone-leadership-different/
This page on the Collective Impact Forum shares a new podcast discussion of how backbone leadership in collective impact efforts is different from traditional, more hierarchical leadership styles. The site has links to reports and is the result of over 10 years of work.
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1-18-2025 - DEEPER LEARNING ARTICLES ON TERRY ELLIOTT'S BLOG
Unflattening. Unfurling. https://impedagogy.com/wp/blog/2024/11/06/unflattening-unfurling-unflattening-nick-sousanis-unfurling-stuart-kaufmann/
Invisible Practice - https://impedagogy.com/wp/blog/2025/01/11/ye-will-know-them-by-their-practices/
These are links to two long articles on Connected Learning (clmooc) member Terry Elliott's blog. Both focus on deeper learning. One includes podcasts created using Google Notebook LM's artificial intelligence product. These point to habits that teachers, tutors and mentors need to help students learn.
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1-18-2025 - GOOGLE NOTEBOOK LM - AN AI-POWERED COLLABORATOR
https://support.google.com/notebooklm/answer/15724458?hl=en
It's described as a tool that "helps you do your best thinking". Look at the podcasts that I point to in this article to see ways this has been used in 2025.
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2024 T/MI Newsletters

The Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present) and Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) have been
sending newsletters to a wide range of stakeholders in the youth development, tutor and mentor
ecosystem, since 1993. The newsletters are intended as study guides, for all who are working
to help youth in high poverty areas move more safely through school and into adult lives, jobs and careers.

On the left side of this page you can open links to all 2024 newsletters. Links to each are also shown below.

Dec 2024 - click here
Nov 2024 - click here
Oct 2024 - click here
Sept 2024 - click here
Aug 2024 - click here
July 2024 - click here
May-June 2024 - click here
April 2024 - click here
March 2024 - click here
Feb 2024 - click here
Jan 2024 - click here

View 2023 Newsletters at this link
View 2022 Newsletters at this link
View 2021 Newsletters at this link
View pre 2021 Newsletters at this link

Jan 2025 TMI eNews

January 2025 - Issue 238

National Mentoring Month - Celebrate. Focus on Building Infrastructure.

Happy New Year! Once again it's National Mentoring Month, when mentoring in all forms is celebrated.

In this newsletter I'll point to where you can learn more about celebrations and also point to articles where I focus on segmenting our understanding of who is being mentored and by what type of programs. I'll also focus on ways to draw operating resources to every volunteer-based tutor, mentor and learning program, not just the most visible.

I only send this once a month.

It's full of links, so save it and refer to it throughout the month. Use the ideas and resources to help you build and sustain mentor-rich, school and non-school, tutor, mentor and learning programs that reach K-12 youth in all areas of persistent poverty. These resources can be used by anyone, in Chicago, or around the world.

Please share this so others in your city can find and use these resources!

Visit Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC Website

Learn about January National Mentoring Month activities

Last January I led off the month with this article, where I shared the US Postal Service Mentoring Stamp, released in 2001.

The first photo shows the introduction of the Mentoring stamp at a spring 2001 Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference, organized by my organization every six months from May 1994 to May 2015.

The article also included the second graphic that shows the range of young people who might benefit from having a mentor. At the top of this graphic I show my focus on helping organized, long-term, volunteer-based, tutor, mentor and learning programs reach K-12 youth in every high poverty area of Chicago and other places with concentrations of persistent poverty.

In another article I ask "How many youth programs exist in your area?" and urge research programs in every city begin to answer this question, using maps to show where programs are most needed, and where programs already exist.

If you agree that connecting youth in areas of concentrated poverty with adult tutors and mentors and extra learning is a good thing to do, then understand how organized non-school programs are needed in big cities like Chicago to support on-going connections between youth and volunteers. If you look at a map of your city that shows high poverty areas, and provides a number of youth living in these areas, you begin to see that many organized programs are needed. Read this logic model article on the Tutor/Mentor blog.

Instead of depending on organizers to build programs AND raise money to pay the bills, why can't we motivate business and philanthropy to provide on-going, flexible, operating funding and volunteers to help programs grow in more places? Read the "Virtual Corporate Office" and "Role of Leaders" visual essays in this article.

I urge people to build marketing plans, using this research, to draw needed dollars, volunteers, technology and trained staff, to EVERY ONE of the exiting programs, and to help new programs where research show more is needed. In this article I encourage you to "borrow" from year-round strategies I piloted since forming the Tutor/Mentor Connection in 1993.

I hope you'll spend time looking at these ideas in January and implementing your own solutions during the rest of 2025. Next January, report what you've done!

Visit these websites to learn more about National Mentoring Month

* Registration now open for 2025 National Mentoring Summit, Jan 19-31, 2025 - click here

* National Mentoring Resource Center - click here

* Chicago Mentoring Collaborative - click here

Changes to Constant Contact email address. Due to a new policy, all email coming from services like Constant Contact will have a different format. This may cause email to go into your spam box.

This is the address that will be on the email for this newsletter. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Get to know the resources available in the Tutor/Mentor library.

I started building the Tutor/Mentor Library in 1973 when I first became a volunteer tutor/mentor and was looking for ideas for what to do each week with my student. When I began leading that program in 1975 I expanded my search for ideas, connecting with leaders of other programs, to get ideas I could use in my own efforts.

In 1993 when we formed the Tutor/Mentor Connection, we expanded our search further to find ideas for bringing programs together and for changing how programs are funded. I began sharing this information with other programs from our offices in Chicago, then in 1998, began putting the library on the Internet. I've added to it every year for the past 25 years. You can find the library at http://www.tutormentorexchange.net

The concept map below shows the four main sections of the library and sub-sections within each main section. On this page I show new links added in 2024.

Below are resources to use. View latest links added to tutor/mentor library, click here

Resources & Announcements

(New additions are at top of this list)

* ACT Now - Championing Quality Afterschool Programs in Illinois - click here

* BlueSky - the growth of charity on BlueSky - click here

* Trust Talks - podcast by The Chicago Community Trust highlights the Trust's strategic priority to close Chicago region's racial and ethnic wealth gap - click here

* Why Philanthropy Needs to Invest in Social Capital - click here

* International travel opportunities provided by Farther Foundation - click here

* Unlocking the Power of Systems Thinking - click here

* Chicago Community Area Hardship Index (2019-2023) - click here

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

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

* Center for Effective Philanthropy - click here

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

* AfterSchool Alliance resources - click here

* Chicago Public Schools locator map - click here

* Chicago Health Atlas - click here

* Digital Divide resources - click here

* Proven Tutoring clearinghouse - click here

* Chicago STEM Pathways Cooperative - click here

* South Side STEM Asset maps - read about using maps - click here

* Incarceration Reform Resource Center - click here

* Prison Policy Initiative - click here

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

Recent Tutor/Mentor Blog articles:

(Do you have a blog? Share it on social media)

Inequality. So much data. So little change - click here

President Jimmy Carter - 2008 message - click here

The Six Triple Eight movie - watch it! Reflect. - click here

Long term tutor/mentor connections - click here

Deeper Learning and Lost Digital Archives - click here

Who uses Slideshare or Scribd? - click here

What comes after the election? - click here

Bookmark these Tutor/Mentor Resources

* Lists of Chicago area, volunteer-based tutor, mentor programs - click here

* Homework help and volunteer training resources - click here

* Resource Library - click here

* Strategy essays by Tutor/Mentor - click here

* Work done by interns in past - click here

* Maps and Map-Stories from past 30 years - click here

* Political Action resources - click here

* Featured collections on Wakelet - click here

* Tutor/Mentor Institute Videos - click here

* About T/MI articles on blog - click here

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

* Create a New Tutor/Mentor Connection - click here

* Inviting Universities to adopt the Tutor/Mentor Connection strategy - click here

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

Thank you for reading.

I encourage others to duplicate what I'm doing. Write a blog and share your own vision, strategy and challenges. Share your link and I'll add it to this list in the Tutor/Mentor library.

View current and past newsletters at this link.

Please encourage friends, family, co-workers to sign up to receive this newsletter. Click here.

(If you subscribe, don't forget to respond to the confirmation email).

Thank you to the small group of people who sent contributions in 2024 to help me keep this resource available to the world.

Please continue in 2025.

Visit this page and add your support.

Tutor/Mentor Connection, Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC

Serving Chicago area since 1993

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

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