Chicago Youth In Poverty Report - updated from 2011

In 2011 I produced a PDF report showing the number of Chicago youth, age 6-17, who were living in high poverty households in each community area.

This week I've received new information from the Social Impact Research Center at the Heartland Alliance, and have updated the presentation to show current numbers.

The map shown above is from the new report.  2011 numbers are shown in yellow and 2018 number in blue. This map shows the lower far West side where the number of high poverty youth in the South Laundale neighborhood has increased from 5321 to 7144 since 2011, which is the largest increase of any community area. Along with the Austin neighborhood, just to its North, this community area has the largest number of youth in poverty in the city of Chicago.

Yet, I've seen very little increase in the number of organized tutor/mentor programs since 2011 in either area. Both were under-served in 2011. 

Here's the full presentation which I've posted on Slideshare:

Chicago Community Areas: Youth In Poverty-2018 from Daniel Bassill

My goal is that people form study groups, planning groups and support groups in each community area and they use this data in an on-going effort to help build and sustain well-organized, non-school, volunteer-based tutor, mentor and learning programs in areas with a large number of kids living in poverty.

I'd be happy to spend time with such groups, helping them understand the data and the resources available to them on the Tutor/Mentor Connection and Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC web sites.

In the report I indicated that the maps came from the Chicago Tutor/Mentor Program Locator which was created in 2008-09. I also said that I've not been able to update this since 2013 due to lack of funds and technology support.

The Program Locator still works and serves as a demonstration of the type of mapping portal needed to help people find existing tutor/mentor programs, understand the availability of such programs in different community areas, and understand who some of the assets are who should be supporting youth  in different community areas because they have facilities in those areas.

From Brookings.edu report

While the maps and program list that I host focus on Chicago, a structure like the Tutor/Mentor Connection, with a similar mapping platform, needs to be operating in every major city of the United States...and the world.  Browse articles like these on the MppingforJustice blog to see what I mean.

You don't need to build this from scratch. You can use all that I've done for the past 25 years to help tutor/mentor programs grow in Chicago as your starting point....with me as your consultant!

If you'd like me to help you, then I also need you to help me upgrade the Tutor/Mentor Program Locator and other technology that was built during 2000-2010 so it helps programs grow in Chicago and serves as a template for you to use in your own city.

If you want to help, or want to meet with me,  introduce yourself on Twitter, LinkedIN or Facebook or email me at tutormentor 2 at earthlink dot net.