OnTheTable2016 participation map

I asked Marc Smith to create a Node XL map showing participation in May 10th OnTheTable2016 which I wrote about yesterday.

This Tweet was created about 4pm on May 10 showing participation up to that point.

@tutormentorteam #onthetable2016 #yourvoicematters > NodeXL https://t.co/xemJCBqAlp@chitrust@dregan@cherylhughes20@danoash@evanstonlive

— Nodexl Project (@nodexl) May 10, 2016

This tweet includes the map produced mid-afternoon, May 11.

#onthetable2016 by NodeXL https://t.co/J8AtW4WU1V@chitrust@danoash@dregan@cherylhughes20@tomdart@evanstonlive@chipublib@jeanwestrick

— Marc Smith (@marc_smith) May 11, 2016

Compare the two maps and see the increased participation resulting from another 24 hours of gatherings and social media reporting.  To help leaders learn to use network analysis maps, I created this blog article as a tutorial for using NodeXL.

It will take quite a bit of work on the part of volunteers, interns or staff to draw information out of this map and make sense of it. However, my goal in sharing this is to encourage event organizers to find ways to engage people over and over for many years, so there is deeper engagement and more commitment to providing time, talent and dollars to solve complex problems.  The graphic below is from this page on my web site where I talk about network building and network analysis.

I've been focusing on network building for over 20 years. I started writing this blog in 2005, so if you look at the tags to the left, you can find categories like network building, network analysis, learning, complex problems, etc.

In many articles I read about education reform and poverty fighting, as well as challenges facing non-profits, I see a frequent criticism that resources are not applied long enough for an idea to take root and have impact. In my 35 year leadership of a volunteer-based tutor/mentor program I realized that it takes many years for a program to recruit and build an army of volunteers and a tradition and learning culture. It takes eight years of continuous support for a youth in 3rd grade today to be finishing high school eight years later, or finishing college and/or entering the workforce, 4 to 6 years after that.  

Few donors, media or other public figures support single organizations for that length of years, and if you look at the map of the Chicago region, or the large numbers of youth living in poverty, you'll realize that the city needs hundreds of programs providing long-term support, spread throughout the region. 

Thus, I write articles focused on building and sustaining public will. 

I write other articles focused on building and sustaining funding support for programs in different poverty neighborhoods....because this needs to be part of any conversation about reducing violence, poverty and inequality.  

My efforts for over 20 years, since forming the Tutor/Mentor Connection, have been to provide information that leaders could use to make the commitment shown in the strategy map below, then sustain that commitment for a decade or longer.

 
When you look at one of the NodeXL maps in the future, you should be able to click into web sites for a growing percent of people, representing all parts of the region, and everyone who we consider "part of the village" and see a version of this map, indicating their commitment to the strategy.

I can't make that happen by myself, but leadership from The Chicago Community Trust, a series of mayors, and leaders of business, sports and media, could, if they focused part of their weekly attention and resources on this goal.

If you spend time reading the articles on my blog and web sites, and using the ideas in your own efforts, perhaps we will see evidence of network mapping and network building being applied in 2017 and beyond.