Building a network of non-school tutor/mentor programs

This is a map of the Chicago region showing concentrations of poverty and locations of poorly performing schools (according to state information). Our aim is that people use these maps to focus attention, and resources, on neighborhoods where non-school volunteer- based tutoring, mentoring, arts and/or technology programs might help keep kids safe, model different careers and aspirations than might be modeled in a high poverty area, and help kids build aspirations that bring them to school better prepared to learn each day.

My hope is that service learning programs in the city and suburbs, and even in other states, will use these maps and other information on the http://tutormentor.blogspot.com as study material, that they learn, discuss, and then share, via their own media and communications, with other students, adults, and a wider community of people who might support the growth of tutor/mentor programs in their own community, or in communities where kids were born in more economically challenging circumstances.

If you're leading a program like this, or already using this information, please let us know.

Tags: communications, innovation, learning, maps, mentoring, poverty, service, tutoring, volunteering

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Comment by Mark Cruthers on October 18, 2008 at 12:13pm: Hi Daniel,

You're welcome to try WiZiQ's Virtual Classroom. It has a free basic service.

Comment by Daniel Bassill on January 24, 2009 at 11:36am: This map shows Chicago area schools on the school warning list for 2008, and shows changes from 2007. There were more schools added than removed and many are in the suburbs. Read more about this in the MappingforJustice blog.

A service learning and web 2.0 strategy for educator can be to teach your students to use this type of information to become communicators and network builders who mobilize support from their own network to help build and sustain tutor/mentor programs in areas with poverty and schools on the warning list. Such activities teach kids to be leaders and to use web 2.0 tools for knowledge management, network building and collaborative problem solving. These are good skills to acquire for 21st century jobs and careers.