To Make Tutor/Mentor Support Available, More Programs Are Needed - Chicago North

view map - click here

I've been updating links in a list of Chicago non-school tutor and/or mentoring programs that I've hosted since 1993, in an on-going effort to help great programs reach more k-12 kids in high poverty areas. I organize my list by sections of the city, so just finished looking at programs in the far North part of the city, near Lake Michigan.

Below is a map I've created, using data provided by the Hearthland Alliance, to show the number of kids, age 6-17, who are below poverty, living in this area.

West Rogers Park and Rogers Park, Chicago Far North, by Lake Michigan
See map of Chicago programs here

The blue box shows data from 2017 and the yellow box shows same data from 2011. Thus you can see if the numbers went up, or down. In this case, there is a dramatic increase in the number of low income kids in West Rogers Park while the number in Rogers Park, near the lake, has stayed about the same, at 2106.

What concerns me is how few organized tutor/mentor programs I can find in the area.  Click this link and view my list. It actually covers a wider range of area than just the far North, but each of the green icons on the map I'm showing is included.

Are there more?  Between 1993 and now there were tutoring programs at several churches in the area. Over the past few years I've deleted many of these from my list since there is no information on the church web site indicating they still offer an organized, on-going, tutor/mentor program.

However, look at the number of faith groups in this area:

Faith groups in Chicago far North - from ARDA web site

I have been seeking help (and contributions) to update my list of tutor/mentor programs, add new programs, delete those that  no longer exists, then give attention to them on an on-going basis.  Below is a Tweet I sent out this week to highlight the Inspired Youth Tutoring Program.

Beth Palmer has led the Inspired Youth Tutoring Program on #Chicago's North side since 1990s. I enjoy reading here newsletters. https://t.co/wI1o1ymoNr pic.twitter.com/DNFLqHuhTz

— Daniel Bassill (@tutormentorteam) February 15, 2019

Others can do this. Perhaps there is a youth group at one of the churches in the area, or at a local high school, who would take on the Tutor/Mentor Connection as an on-going project.  Perhaps someone like the new #InVESTinChi anti violence program would help with finding partners, and funding.

Over the weekend I'll start looking at other sections of the Chicago Programs List. I already updated links for programs in the central part of the city.

If you want to help I'm on Twitter @tutormentorteam and on Facebook and LinkedIN. You can also introduce yourself with a comment below.

If you want to make a contribution visit this page.