Below is the text that I received. The [1, 2] in the text refers to the two articles I provided.
Bridging Divides: A Framework for Youth Development
To honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the author of the blog posts will be working at his computer to connect people with information and ideas to bridge divides and create opportunity [1, 2]. The author is also focused on learning and adding information to his web library [2]. Specifically, the author is:
To honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the author of the blog posts will be working at his computer to connect people with information and ideas to bridge divides and create opportunity [1, 2]. The author is also focused on learning and adding information to his web library [2]. Specifically, the author is:
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Making an effort to connect people who can help with information and ideas they can use to help bridge the divides in America, to create greater opportunity for all [1].
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Doing research and learning to identify places where people need help, and offering time, talent, dollars, and other types of support to organizations and businesses in those areas [1].
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Working on creating a page listing Instagram sites of Chicago area programs [2].
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Sharing what he has learned about leading a youth tutor/mentor program in Chicago from 1975 to 2011 [2].
The author's goal is to create an organized framework that encourages volunteers to serve as tutors, mentors, coaches, advocates, friends, and leaders in ongoing efforts that make a life-changing difference for kids [2]. The aim is to ensure that kids will not live in poverty as adults because they will have the academic, social/emotional, and workplace skills needed for 21st-century jobs, as well as a network of adults who can open doors to jobs and mentor them in their careers [2].
The author has been working on this goal since 1993 (Tutor/Mentor Connection) and continues it through the Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC since 2011 [1, 2]. The author uses maps to focus attention on places where people need extra help [1]. The author states that he has been collecting and mapping data since 1994 [3]. Additionally, the author stresses the importance of making information accessible and encouraging others to use it for planning and action steps, emphasizing that the internet is a meeting place to support this goal [1, 2].
Summary
These notes detail Dan Bassill's decades-long commitment to using geographic information systems (GIS) mapping to address social inequality in Chicago, particularly among youth. His work, initially reliant on volunteer efforts and limited resources, received a significant boost from funding in 2007, enabling the creation of an interactive online mapping platform. However, subsequent funding loss due to the 2008 recession has left the platform defunct, highlighting the critical need for sustained philanthropic support to maintain such vital public service tools.
These notes detail Dan Bassill's decades-long commitment to using geographic information systems (GIS) mapping to address social inequality in Chicago, particularly among youth. His work, initially reliant on volunteer efforts and limited resources, received a significant boost from funding in 2007, enabling the creation of an interactive online mapping platform. However, subsequent funding loss due to the 2008 recession has left the platform defunct, highlighting the critical need for sustained philanthropic support to maintain such vital public service tools.
Bassill's mapping projects visualize disparities in poverty, crime, and access to resources, aiming to inform community planning and advocate for equitable resource allocation. He connects this mapping work to a broader framework for youth development, emphasizing accessible information, collaboration, and mentorship as key components for fostering opportunity and breaking cycles of poverty.
Mapping Inequality in Chicago
This blog post reflects on how the author will honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day by using mapping technology to connect people and resources to address inequality in Chicago. The author analyzes data from various sources, including maps showing demographics, shootings, poverty levels, and existing youth programs, to highlight disparities and advocate for increased investment in underserved communities. Specific organizations and initiatives are mentioned as potential partners in this effort, and the author seeks to connect with others to build collaborative partnerships. The author also describes their past work in this area and seeks funding to rebuild their mapping platform to support ongoing community planning efforts. Ultimately, the author aims to leverage data visualization to improve opportunities and address social injustices.
Mapping Chicago's Needs
Dan Bassill uses maps to focus attention on areas in Chicago where people need extra help [1]. He has been collecting and mapping data since 1994 to support this work [1, 2]. His approach to using maps includes:
• Identifying areas needing support: Bassill uses maps to pinpoint neighborhoods that require additional assistance [1].
• Visualizing disparities: Maps help to show the overlap between areas with high concentrations of African Americans, poverty, and locations of shootings [1]. He also uses maps to show health disparities, which are indicators of investments needed [1].
• Highlighting resource gaps: By mapping the locations of youth tutor/mentor programs, Bassill can identify areas within Opportunity Zones that lack these critical resources [1].
• Showing investment patterns: Maps can show how areas with the least investment are often the opposite of those targeted by Opportunity Zones [1].
• Using mapping platforms: Bassill utilizes various data mapping platforms to create maps that tell stories about specific places [1]. He points out that it is a challenge to motivate and teach people how to use these platforms [1]. He also notes that many data-maps are no longer online, creating a challenge to locate the needed information [1].
• Focusing on specific areas: Bassill zooms in on maps to concentrate on particular neighborhoods, such as North Lawndale, to show hospitals and other resources [1].
• Creating interactive maps: He has built an interactive platform using ARC GIS software that enables users to create maps showing layers of information [2]. This platform, however, is no longer functioning properly due to lack of funding [2].
• Advocating for map accessibility: Bassill emphasizes that maps should be interactive and online so they can be easily used by those who need them [1]. He notes that PDF maps are less useful because they cannot be easily manipulated or layered [1].
• Supporting planning and action: Bassill aims to use maps to encourage planning and action steps that bring people together to drive resources to non-profits and growing businesses in specific areas [1].
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Integrating maps with other information: He combines maps with other layers of information, such as locations of service providers and community assets, to support neighborhood-based planning [2]. He also uses maps with his blogs and ongoing communications [2].
Through his use of maps, Bassill seeks to support his goal of creating a framework to help youth in poverty by making information accessible, promoting collaboration, and directing resources to the areas where they are most needed [1, 3].
Funding and the Fate of Bassill's Mapping Projects
Funding significantly impacted the evolution of Dan Bassill's mapping projects over time [1]. Here's a breakdown:
• Early Stages (1994-2007): For many years, Bassill relied on volunteers and donated software to collect and map data [1]. This suggests that his mapping efforts during this time were likely limited by resources and capacity, but still a focus of his work [2].
Funding significantly impacted the evolution of Dan Bassill's mapping projects over time [1]. Here's a breakdown:
• Early Stages (1994-2007): For many years, Bassill relied on volunteers and donated software to collect and map data [1]. This suggests that his mapping efforts during this time were likely limited by resources and capacity, but still a focus of his work [2].
• Funding Boost (2007): A $50,000 anonymous gift, combined with a grant from HSBC North America, enabled Bassill to rebuild his in-house mapping platform and to create an online interactive platform [1]. This funding allowed him to utilize ARC GIS software to create maps with layers of information, and to empower others to create similar maps using the interactive platform [1].
• Recession and Funding Loss (2008-2011): The recession starting in 2008 led to a drying up of funding by mid-2010 [1]. As a result, Bassill has not had the funds to update or create these maps since 2011 [1]. This highlights the vulnerability of his projects to external economic factors and the challenges of maintaining data platforms without consistent funding.
• Current State: Bassill's mapping platform is no longer functioning properly [2]. He states that it would take a significant investment to rebuild his capacity [1]. This indicates that without renewed financial support, the interactive mapping project is unlikely to be revived. The lack of resources affects his ability to provide updated, interactive maps that combine multiple layers of information useful for community planning [1].
• Need for Philanthropic Support: Bassill points out that data resources are not profit centers and thus do not qualify for investment zone capital [2]. He suggests that one role of philanthropy or other government resources could be to support the long-term development, maintenance, and use of platforms like his [2]. This highlights his view that mapping projects are essential public services deserving of non-profit or public support.
In summary, Bassill's mapping projects experienced a significant boost from a one-time influx of funds in 2007, but this momentum was cut short by the economic recession and subsequent funding loss [1]. This has led to the current situation where his interactive mapping platform is no longer functioning and requires considerable investment to rebuild, emphasizing the crucial role of consistent funding for such initiatives [1, 2].
• Recession and Funding Loss (2008-2011): The recession starting in 2008 led to a drying up of funding by mid-2010 [1]. As a result, Bassill has not had the funds to update or create these maps since 2011 [1]. This highlights the vulnerability of his projects to external economic factors and the challenges of maintaining data platforms without consistent funding.
• Current State: Bassill's mapping platform is no longer functioning properly [2]. He states that it would take a significant investment to rebuild his capacity [1]. This indicates that without renewed financial support, the interactive mapping project is unlikely to be revived. The lack of resources affects his ability to provide updated, interactive maps that combine multiple layers of information useful for community planning [1].
• Need for Philanthropic Support: Bassill points out that data resources are not profit centers and thus do not qualify for investment zone capital [2]. He suggests that one role of philanthropy or other government resources could be to support the long-term development, maintenance, and use of platforms like his [2]. This highlights his view that mapping projects are essential public services deserving of non-profit or public support.
In summary, Bassill's mapping projects experienced a significant boost from a one-time influx of funds in 2007, but this momentum was cut short by the economic recession and subsequent funding loss [1]. This has led to the current situation where his interactive mapping platform is no longer functioning and requires considerable investment to rebuild, emphasizing the crucial role of consistent funding for such initiatives [1, 2].
The two blog articles used were:
Jan 18, 2021 - Service-Learning in Support of Dr. M.L. King, Jr's Dream. click here
Jan 18, 2021 - Service-Learning in Support of Dr. M.L. King, Jr's Dream. click here
Jan 20, 2019 - How I'll Honor ML King Jr. Holiday - click here
Google Notebook LM includes a feature that creates a podcast sharing notes created. Here is one version of several podcast that I created from the AI analysis of these two blog articles.
click here to open
My first impression when I started using this feature was "Wow! I'd love to have had people in Chicago and other places having this type of discussion about what I was sharing in my blog articles, newsletters and website."
That's still possible and I hope this inspires you to start that discussion in your own network.
My second impression from using the Notebook LM podcast feature, is that there are a lot of exaggerations, mis interpretations and downright fabrications in the podcast, and so far, I've no way to edit that.
However, after reading research about my work, done by various college students over the past 30 years, I realize that this is not just a problem of an AI generated podcast. I've read many reports with misinterpretations of what I was doing. As with the podcast, once the report was published, I've had no way to correct it....
Other than continuing to write blog articles and share information that reflected accurately on what I was trying to do and the challenges I faced.
This picture is from the mid 1990s, with me sharing a Chicago Tribune story with a map showing areas of high poverty in Chicago. I've been sharing similar maps for 30 years!
Or just do as interns did in past years. Read the articles and use Power Point, Prezi, concept maps, videos and other tools to share what you're learning and to start a conversation in your community.
Thank you again Terry Elliott for inspiring me to dig into Google Notebook LM. I'll probably keep using it.
I'm not on social media today and am avoiding TV and news because of the terrible event taking place in Washington. However, I'll be back later in the week and look forward to connecting with you.
If you appreciate what I'm sharing, please visit this page and help fund the Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC.
Thank you.
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