Chicago in News for Wrong Reasons

National media are converging on Chicago this week, not because of the Bears, or the Olympics, but because our kids keep killing each other.

Here are articles in the Tribune and SunTimes, showing how national leaders are coming to Chicago to discuss strategy and solutions.

I'm not at these meetings. I was not invited. I'm only occasionally interviewed for media stories. Sometimes these don't even get on air (we had a CBS New York producer here last Thursday but I don't think the story made the news). Thus, I post my ideas on this blog and hope you'll all pass them on to people who want to solve these problems.

It's not that I have all the answers. I don't. What I'm doing is pointing to places where everyone can learn more about the problem, and about how volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs should be part of the solution. I'm also leading a volunteer-based tutor/mentor program where we try to put these ideas to work every day.

Here's a map of our resource library:



There are four sections of information. The map below shows the section with links to research and articles that would help more people understand the problem, and potential solutions, if they were to spend on-going time reading and reflecting on these.




This is a map showing links that volunteers (or donors) can use to find contact information, and web sites, of various tutoring/mentoring programs in Chicago. You can even use this to find places to volunteer all over the country.


You can view an animated version of these charts here.

Here's the final chart, it shows how one person can reach out to the people they know to invite them to look at this information, then to do something, such as make a donation, or volunteer time and talent, to help one or more tutor/mentor programs grow in Chicago or other cities with similar problems.






We're doing some fund raising this weekend. Visit these links and read about Martini Madness (Oct 9) or Nicole and Nick's Run in the Chicago Marathon (Oct. 11) or http://www.giveforward.org/mappingforjustice/. If you like the Program Locator, please donate to support our map making.

If you're a Northwestern or Illinois alum, maybe you can support us in this contest to see which school can raise more to support Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection.

There's many ways to be part of the solution. Pass it on.