Hi Lisa. I lead a volunteer-based tutor/mentor program in Chicago. Visit http://www.cabriniconnections.net and you can see some videos our kids and volunteers have created. I also lead the Tutor/Mentor Connection, www.tutormentorexchange.net, which is trying to help programs like Cabrini Connections operate in all high poverty neighborhoods of Chicago and other big cities.

One way we do this is by maintaining a database of more than 200 different organizations, which people can search by type of program, age group, and zip code, at http://www.tutormentorprogramlocator.net

Another way is to try to create more frequent advertising, or media exposure of tutor/mentor concepts, and tutor/mentor programs, so more volunteers and donors will seek out programs.

We don't have dollars to do the advertising since we're a small non profit, thus we look for other ways. One way is to enlist intermediaries, who will tell the story of one or more tutor/mentor programs on a consistent basis. I think kids in high school and college writing and journalism classes could take on this idea as a mission, and build a mountain of stories that could serve as advertising to help tutor/mentor programs in cities all over the country.

If you and your students might be interested, browse our web sites and let's start a discussion.

Hi Lisa. I lead a volunteer-based tutor/mentor program in Chicago. Visit http://www.cabriniconnections.net and you can see some videos our kids and volunteers have created. I also lead the Tutor/Mentor Connection, www.tutormentorexchange.net, which is trying to help programs like Cabrini Connections operate in all high poverty neighborhoods of Chicago and other big cities.

One way we do this is by maintaining a database of more than 200 different organizations, which people can search by type of program, age group, and zip code, at http://www.tutormentorprogramlocator.net

Another way is to try to create more frequent advertising, or media exposure of tutor/mentor concepts, and tutor/mentor programs, so more volunteers and donors will seek out programs.

We don't have dollars to do the advertising since we're a small non profit, thus we look for other ways. One way is to enlist intermediaries, who will tell the story of one or more tutor/mentor programs on a consistent basis. I think kids in high school and college writing and journalism classes could take on this idea as a mission, and build a mountain of stories that could serve as advertising to help tutor/mentor programs in cities all over the country.

If you and your students might be interested, browse our web sites and let's start a discussion.

Thanks for considering this. However, one thing I'd like to try to clarify. I only operate a single tutor/mentor program, called Cabrini Connections. Through the Tutor/Mentor Connection, we maintain a database of more than 200 organizations in Chicago alone who do different types of tutoring and/or mentoring in different places. Thus, my goal is that writers are adopting different programs in Chicago and different cities, and telling their story on a continuous basis. This helps every program get more attention, and more resources, while it helps build a greater public understanding of what tutoring/mentoring is, based on the wide range of stories being told.

As students in one or more schools begin telling these stories, my hope is that teachers and students in hundreds of other schools will take on the same role.