What's Your Strategy for Helping Inner City Kids Move Through School and into Jobs?

Every day we read something about violence, poverty, poorly performing schools, or about public officials not meeting the high (or low) expectations we have for them.

How many of you spend time each week creating your own blueprint for changing some of the problems we face? Above is a strategy map that you can find on the Tutor/Mentor Connection web site.



If you'd like to review the animated version, click here.

I'm not claiming this is the best strategy, but it is presented in quite a bit of detail. If you're mapping your own strategy to help kids to careers, please share it on your own web site or blog, and send me your link.

I've been working on this for almost 20 years, since I lead a volunteer-based tutor/mentor program, and formed the T/MC in 1993 to help high-impact tutor/mentor programs operate in all parts of the Chicago region.

I've never had much money to do this work. The most in any give year has been about $225,000. That's not much when you think we're talking about the third largest city in America. The Mayor spends more than that per year on public relations consultants.

So, how do we expect to achieve this vision?

We can't by ourselves. We can, as readers take this to their faith groups, civic groups, business and professional groups, and try to adopt the ideas as their own. Or they use this to stimulate their own creativity, and begin to publish their own strategy maps, on their own web sites.

However, if you like what you're seeing, please send a donation to Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection, 800 W. Huron, Chicago, Il. 60642, so we can find a little more money to try to make this strategy work for Chicago's most disadvantaged kids.