Mass-Market Retailers and Tutoring/Mentoring (CVS Example)

I saw an article in the Chicago Sun-Times print-edition business section on August 26th with the headline "CVS Finds Its Inner Beauty." (I'd link to it, but for some reason, it's been removed from the Sun-Times archive.)

Any rate, the reporter, Sandra Guy, was focusing on CVS' "Beauty 360" boutiques. While this has little to do with poverty and tutoring/mentoring, there was one line in there that made me start to think. "CVS expanded its Chicago presence two years ago when it acquired 60 stand-alone Osco drugstores and started building new stores in growing neighborhoods."

Perhaps companies with multiple locations in a city... "mass market retailers such as Walgreens and CVS [who] are trying to position themselves into more of the heath and beauty and wellness areas," would be interested in working to develop the community's wellness in other ways.

CVS LOCATIONS, shown with "Failing Schools"

(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

So I headed to the company website and, sure enough, in the CVS "community" link, the corporate website states that "as our company continues to grow, and touch the lives of more people, we strive to make the biggest and best impact possible in the communities we serve."

They explain that "giving back to our communities is a deeply ingrained value that has defined our culture since the company’s founding in the 1960s. Our Vision to improve the quality of human life inspires us to extend our support and try to make a difference. Our contributions, including grants made through the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust, corporate giving, employee volunteerism and in-kind donations, touch people from all walks of life, and reflect the diversity of the thousands of communities in which our customers, clients and colleagues live and work."

Wow! This is exactly what tutoring and mentoring programs need. And not to single out CVS... they and their charitable spirit just got me to thinking. I bet there are tons of companies with a presence in every corner of the city - with locations in affluent areas as well as impoverished areas. All with an interest in the community.

CVS LOCATIONS, shown with Tutor/Mentor Programs

(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

I realize that these mass-market retailers would have difficulty funding tutor/mentor programs near every location, but perhaps a company like CVS could work to develop strategies that help programs in every location get volunteers, donors, and support from other businesses, churches and hospitals.

Perhaps they could sponsor the Tutor/Mentor Connection, creating a "be a volunteer tutor/mentor" link on their web site... or point to links like the T/MC web site which help people learn where, why and how they can be involved.

Some companies may already even be using maps to plan store locations, or to analyze their philanthropy, social marketing, and volunteer involvement strategies. If companies share their strategies on their own web sites, T/MC can point to them as "best practices," and other companies can learn to duplicate good ideas in more places.

This may seem at odds with the competitive nature of business. When Dan Bassill first proposed some of these ideas to me, my first thoughts were, "Companies sharing strategies? Companies "giving money away"? What's in it for them? Why would they do that?"

But think about it. Isn't it possible that, through collaboration and charity, businesses could develop the workforce it needs for the 21st century, instead of having to go out of state and overseas, thus keeping jobs and dollars in the local economy? (Not to mention creating new markets from revitalized neighborhoods, where once impoverished employees now have money to spend.)

As always, please contact the Tutor/Mentor Connection if you'd like to be a sponsor and if you'd like their help developing tutor/mentor strategies for your company.

Get Your College Involved (Time Magazine)

I had just finished this past week's blog about how politicians such as Congressman Danny Davis, who share the T/MC and Barack Obama's interest in "Service," can use the Tutor/Mentor Connection's (T/MC) maps as tools to help build additional support for tutor/mentor programs...

When on my way home, I saw the week's issue of Time Magazine, featuring McCain and Obama on the cover. The headline read, "Second annual National Service Issue." How perfect. Another exploration of this word "service" that both candidates keep throwing around. So I'll be looking at some of this issue's articles in the near future, highlighting instances where our maps and Time's stories on "service" might collide in the name of tutoring and mentoring.

One section of this issue offers "21 Ways To Serve America" - a list of quick and easy ways you can serve America, each written by important leaders in different sectors of society.

For instance, Lawrence S. Bacow, president of the prestigious Tufts University in Boston, contributed an essay titled "Get Your College Involved." He writes that "Colleges and universities have a special responsibility to educate the next generation of active, engaged citizens... If we are to address this nation's major challenges, we need people across the political spectrum to serve in government, to run for office and to work to build stronger, more vibrant communities... Helping young people pursue their passion for service is one of the best investments our society can make." I immediately thought of all the alumni and college-aged volunteers working with the "next generation of active, engaged citizens" at Tutor/Mentor programs throughout the city.

(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

President Bacow also references the fact that many "colleges have set up programs to facilitate community service."

This is great news! Since they are in such close proximity to high-poverty neighborhoods where students have a dire need for more tutoring and mentoring. In fact there is a document in the Tutor/Mentor Institute's library called "University Connection," wherein the T/MC demonstrates how beneficial the T/M programs are for universities themselves, in an effort to secure an even greater investment by academia in T/M programs.

(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

But the "University Connection" document does not only show how tutoring and mentoring benefits universities. It also discusses goals and strategies universities can use in implementing new initiatives. If not doing so already for instance, university leaders might consider "operating mentoring-to-career programs" themselves. Or perhaps, a university's faculty or student body can "lead mobilizations that recruit students, faculty and workplace volunteers who support the growth of tutor/mentor programs near the university and throughout the city"...

Both of these are important (and needed) roles academia can play in their own best interest, and in the fight against poverty.

Working with Maps and Politicians To Promote the Development of T/M Programs

Barack Obama told an audience in Mt. Vernon, Iowa last year that:

“Your own story and the American story are not separate — they are shared. And they will both be enriched if we stand up together, and answer a new call to service to meet the challenges of our new century … I will ask for your service and your active citizenship when I am president of the United States.”

His platform's focus on "Service" has been brought up a lot in recent weeks, and promises to be a focus of future political strategy.

While Obama is busy campaigning for the Presidency at the moment, many Democratic U.S. Representatives are already serving as elected leaders, and are entrenched in positions where they can be unifying figures in his/her districts, serving to organize and promote service-oriented programs such as Tutor/Mentor Programs.

I would like to focus on the Illinois 7th Congressional District today - currently represented by Congressman Danny Davis - as another example of how the Tutor/Mentor Connection's (T/MC) maps can be used as tools to help politicians and their constituants work to create strategies that promote the development of tutor/mentor programs.

(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

Similar to Illinois Sentor Emil Jones, Congressman Davis works with a constituency that is split between city and suburban voters. This Chicago border marks a clear division between the highly impoverished West side, and the relatively affluent near west suburbs.

Notice how commuters use the Eisenhower (I290) expressway, daily, to get downtown, bypassing the heavy poverty areas along the way. Commuter trains such as the CTA's green and blue lines also provide east-west access through the heart of the 7th District.

There is a noticible tie between "failing" schools and poverty visible on this map. Pockets of failing schools represent areas where students need more tutoring/mentoring than they are receiving. This has been looked at in detail in a recent blog. Fortunately, highways provide access for commuters interested in "service" to volunteer or make donations, in support of tutor/mentor programs in these areas of high poverty.

Descriptions of these individual tutor/mentor programs (green stars on the map) can be found using the Tutor/Mentor Program Locator Database.

(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

In this map, we show Universities and Hospitals that may (or may not) already be working with the district's tutor/mentor programs. As we've discussed in earlier blogs, Universities and Hospitals have important and intimate relationships with their communities, and can work to support the growth of Tutor/Mentor programs in their district.

Imagine that each hospital or university on this map is hosting learning circles, with the organizations' leaders actively developing engagement strategies to reach youth throughout the entire district. For more information, please review the presentation for the Tutor/Mentor Hospital Connection.

(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

As discussed in the blog on Chicago's Places of Worship, the Tutor/Mentor Institute has a document called "How Faith Communities Can Lead Volunteer Mobilization For Tutor/Mentor Programs, detailing how "churches in affluent suburban areas, as well as in inner city areas, can be delivering sermons on a regular basis, that tie scripture and service, and point members to tutor/mentor programs that already exist, or to neighborhoods, where new programs need to be created."

Here we look at Baptist churches, Catholic churches, and other "general" Christian congregations in the 7th.

(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

And here are the Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches in the district. Again, each of these locations represent sites where congregations can meet to learn about tutoring and mentoring, and where church leaders can evangelize to get donors to contribute to the growth of programs.

Please also take a look at Tutor/Mentor Institute's suggested communications strategy for Faith Communities.

In general, I am hopeful that these maps can be used as important tools by leaders throughout Chicago who share the T/MC and Barack Obama's interest in "Service," and that hopefully a high powered political figure like Danny Davis can take a look at them, help mobilize other public and private leaders in his district, and build additional support needed for tutor/mentor programs.

I should mention, if it's not clear, that these maps are not intended to show where service work is, or is not occurring. They are also not meant to endorse, or criticize elected leaders. The voters should make those decisions.

Chicago's Presbyterian Churches

(click on the map above to see "full-sized")

Continuing to look at the Tutor/Mentor Institute's document,"How Faith Communities Can Lead Volunteer Mobilization For Tutor/Mentor Programs"...

There are at least 123 Presbyterian Churches spread throughout the area. A handful are situated in the midst of heavily impoverished areas, but as you can see in this map, most are located in relatively affluent communities in the city and suburbs. Presbyterians in these affluent areas can be tying "scripture and service, and pointing members to tutor/mentor programs that already exist, or to neighborhoods, where new programs need to be created."

Please take a look also at the blog entry for Chicago's Places of Worship for more information on why this is important, and on how faith communities can use the T/MC's strategies to increase the reach, frequency and consistency of tutoring and mentoring programs. And as always, please visit the T/MC website to get information about programs in all parts of the region.

And, check out the T/MC Program Locator, or the Interactive Zip Code Map to find locations of programs that can use your volunteer or donor help.

Chicago's Eastern Orthodox Churches

(click on the map above to see "full-sized")

Continuing to look at the Tutor/Mentor Institute's document,"How Faith Communities Can Lead Volunteer Mobilization For Tutor/Mentor Programs"...

There are approximately 48 Eastern Orthodox churches in the area. As you can see in this map, most are located in more affluent areas, versus areas that are suffering from poverty. Interestingly, around the pocket of high poverty on the city's West side, Orthodox churches stand almost like outposts on the periphery. These churches, and those in other relatively affluent areas can be tying "scripture and service, and pointing members to tutor/mentor programs that already exist, or to neighborhoods, where new programs need to be created."

Please take a look also at the blog entry for Chicago's Places of Worship for more information on why this is important, and on how faith communities can use the T/MC's strategies to increase the reach, frequency and consistency of tutoring and mentoring programs.

And as always, please visit the T/MC website to get information about programs in all parts of the region. And, check out the T/MC Program Locator, or the Interactive Zip Code Map to find locations of programs that can use your volunteer or donor help.

Chicago's Methodist Churches

(click on the map above to see "full-sized")

Continuing to look at the Tutor/Mentor Institute's document,"How Faith Communities Can Lead Volunteer Mobilization For Tutor/Mentor Programs"...

There are 164 Methodist Churches that we're aware of, and they are spread pretty evenly throughout the area. As you can see in this map, some are located in more affluent areas, and others are working in communities that suffer from high levels of poverty. Methodists in all these areas can be tying "scripture and service, and pointing members to tutor/mentor programs that already exist, or to neighborhoods, where new programs need to be created."

Please take a look also at the blog entry for Chicago's Places of Worship for more information on why this is important, and on how faith communities can use the T/MC's strategies to increase the reach, frequency and consistency of tutoring and mentoring programs.

Check out the T/MC website to get information about programs in all parts of the region. And, please head to the T/MC Program Locator, or the Interactive Zip Code Map to find locations of programs that can use your volunteer or donor help.

Chicago's Lutheran Churches

(click on the map above to see "full-sized")

Continuing to look at the Tutor/Mentor Institute's document,"How Faith Communities Can Lead Volunteer Mobilization For Tutor/Mentor Programs"...

There are at least 307 Lutheran Churches spread throughout the area city. As you can see in this map, the majority are located in more affluent areas, versus areas that are suffering from high poverty. Many are in the suburbs within a stone's throw from major highways that can bring commuting members past high-poverty areas. Suburban Lutheran leadership in these areas can be tying "scripture and service, and pointing members to tutor/mentor programs that already exist, or to neighborhoods, where new programs need to be created."

Please take a look also at the blog entry for Chicago's Places of Worship for more information on why this is important, and on how faith communities can use the T/MC's strategies to increase the reach, frequency and consistency of tutoring and mentoring programs.

Also, please check out the T/MC website to get information about programs in all parts of the region. And, visit the T/MC Program Locator, or the Interactive Zip Code Map to find locations of programs that can use your volunteer or donor help.

Chicago's Jewish Congregations

(click on the map above to see "full-sized")

Continuing to look at the Tutor/Mentor Institute's document,"How Faith Communities Can Lead Volunteer Mobilization For Tutor/Mentor Programs"...

With no fewer than 101 congregations, mostly located in more affluent communities, and clustered near I94 (a major artery leading into high-poverty communities throughout Chicago), Jewish congregations are in a strong position to take leadership roles and "point members to tutor/mentor programs that already exist, or to neighborhoods, where new programs need to be created."

Please take a look also at the blog entry for Chicago's Places of Worship for more information on how this can happen, why it's so important, and how all faith communities - regardless of denomination or belief - can use the T/MC's strategies to increase the reach, frequency and consistency of tutoring and mentoring programs.

Also, please visit the T/MC website to get information about T/M programs in all parts of the region. And, go to the T/MC Program Locator, or the Interactive Zip Code Map to find locations of programs that can use your volunteer or donor help.

Chicago's Episcopal Churches

(click on the map above to see "full-sized")

Continuing to look at the Tutor/Mentor Institute's document,"How Faith Communities Can Lead Volunteer Mobilization For Tutor/Mentor Programs"...

There are 78 known Episcopal Churches spread throughout the area. As you can see in this map, they are mostly located in more affluent areas, versus areas that are suffering from poverty. Episcopalians in these affluent areas can be tying "scripture and service, and pointing members to tutor/mentor programs that already exist, or to neighborhoods, where new programs need to be created."

Please take a look also at the blog entry for Chicago's Places of Worship for more information on why this is important, and on how faith communities can use the T/MC's strategies to increase the reach, frequency and consistency of tutoring and mentoring programs.

And please visit the T/MC website to get information about programs in all parts of the region. And then head to the T/MC Program Locator, or the Interactive Zip Code Map to find locations of programs that can use your volunteer or donor help.

Chicago's "Christian" Churches

(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

Continuing to look at the Tutor/Mentor Institute's document,"How Faith Communities Can Lead Volunteer Mobilization For Tutor/Mentor Programs"...

There are at least 454 Churches that consider themselves generally "Christian." Like the Baptist churches, many of these are located in impoverished communities. Yet some have more congregations in relatively affluent areas. In either case, church leaders can be be tying "scripture and service, and pointing members to tutor/mentor programs that already exist, or to neighborhoods, where new programs need to be created."

Please take a look also at the blog entry for Chicago's Places of Worship for more information on why this is important, and on how faith communities can use the T/MC's strategies to increase the reach, frequency and consistency of tutoring and mentoring programs.

And please visit the T/MC website to get information about programs in all parts of the region. And then head to the T/MC Program Locator, or the Interactive Zip Code Map to find locations of programs that can use your volunteer or donor help.

Chicago's Catholic Churches

(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

Continuing to look at the Tutor/Mentor Institute's document,"How Faith Communities Can Lead Volunteer Mobilization For Tutor/Mentor Programs"...

We know of at least 325 Catholic Churches spread throughout the city - in impoverished neighborhoods, as well as more affluent areas. Catholics in more affluent areas can be tying "scripture and service, and pointing members to tutor/mentor programs that already exist, or to neighborhoods, where new programs need to be created."

Please take a look at the blog entry for Chicago's Places of Worship for more information on why this is so important, and how faith communities can use the T/MC's strategies to increase the reach, frequency and consistency of tutoring and mentoring programs.

And as always, please visit the T/MC website to get information about programs in all parts of the region. And then head to the T/MC Program Locator, or the Interactive Zip Code Map to find locations of programs that can use your volunteer or donor help.

Chicago's Baptist Churches

(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

Continuing to look at the Tutor/Mentor Institute's document,"How Faith Communities Can Lead Volunteer Mobilization For Tutor/Mentor Programs"...


"Maps showing the location of Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist and Presbyterian Churches in Chicago... show which are in poverty neighborhoods and which are not. We'd like to help faith groups develop evangelism strategies which would lead to a more active, and strategic, role of every church in every faith group in helping inner city kids be part of total quality, comprehensive one-on-one tutor/mentor programs."

There are 960 known Baptist churches in our data, many clustered in high-poverty communities just off the highway arteries on the west and south sides of the city. Easily accessible for commuters, these are ideal locations for "faith communities to present a 'tutor/mentor message' at least four times a year, in their sermons, newsletters, and web sites, [which] can dramatically increase the reach, frequency and consistency of our call for help. "

Please visit the T/MC website to get information about programs in all parts of the region. And then head to the T/MC Program Locator, or the Interactive Zip Code Map to find locations of programs that can use your volunteer or donor help.

Chicago's Places of Worship

(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

The Tutor/Mentor Institute has a document called "How Faith Communities Can Lead Volunteer Mobilization For Tutor/Mentor Programs."

The document provides Tutor/Mentor Connection (T/MC) strategies for helping "faith groups develop evangelism strategies which would lead to a more active, and strategic, role of every church in every faith group in helping inner city kids be part of total quality, comprehensive one-on-one tutor/mentor programs."

Ideally, "churches in affluent suburban areas, as well as in inner city areas, will be delivering sermons on a regular basis, that tie scripture and service, and point members to tutor/mentor programs that already exist, or to neighborhoods, where new programs need to be created."

Because "getting faith communities to present a 'tutor/mentor message' at least four times a year, in their sermons, newsletters, and web sites, can dramatically increase the reach, frequency and consistency of our call for help. "

Please visit the T/MC website to get information about programs in all parts of the region.

And as always, please take a look at the T/MC Program Locator, or the Interactive Zip Code Map to find locations of programs that can use your volunteer or donor help.

Tutor/Mentor Programs in Chicagoland, By Type

A continuation of this week's theme, today I want to show maps that show locations of tutor/mentor programs, alongside areas of greatest need in the fight against poverty.


I haven't done enough of this, but I would love to direct you to the Tutor/Mentor Connection's extensive library of documents ... docs that offer analysis and strategy pertaining to tutoring/mentoring/collaborating, and ultimately addressing poverty and its effects, through tutoring and mentoring. Please take a look at the Tutor/Mentor Institute to learn more about why your participation through volunteering and donation is so important to the entire community.


Here is a map that shows the locations of programs that work in a purely tutoring capacity.

(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

Here is a map that shows the locations of programs that work in a purely mentoring capacity.

(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

And here are programs that use a mixed tutoring AND mentoring strategy, similar to the one espoused by Cabrini Connections.

(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

Use the zip codes on the maps to find more information on a region of the city, either by using the Tutor/Mentor Connection's interactive zip code map, or their Program Locator.

Tutor/Mentor Programs in Chicagoland, With Failing Schools)

Our "failing schools" are overflowing with frustrated students... angry students... deperate students. I met a lot of them when I was working at Raby High School in Garfield Park... exceptionally bright kids with tons of talent and potential, about to give up on a system that has failed them for their entire lives. There is a real and open sense of "why even try anymore... I'm sick of being told I'm a 'failure.'"

And this is a very universally human response. I bet you've felt that way at jobs, for instance, where you've been "set up to fail." But I'm not here (today) to discuss inequalities in schools or issues pertaining to school funding. And I'm not going to discuss (at this point) how sad it makes me that all this talent is about to potentially be wasted.

What I'm here to do today is champion tutoring and mentoring programs... programs that are making a difference in the lives of kids - kids who will soon be frustrated, angry, and desperate adults.

You don't have to go far around here at Cabrini Connections to find kids and parents who testify that the help they receive(d) through tutoring and mentoring programs have made the difference between failure in school, and scholarships to college... between safe and honest employment, and employment on the streets.

And with that in mind, make no mistake - these programs don't just help the kids who participate. They help you. They help all of us. Are you concerned about poverty? Are you concerned about street violence? I am. What can you do?


Well, I'm going to lay it on the line here. You can help a tutor/mentor program that is fighting poverty and its symptoms.

How? Your time and your dollars. It's that simple. In fact, without your time and your dollars, these programs will disappear, and these problems that affect us all will rage on without anyone fighting at the front lines.

Please take a look at the following maps showing the locations of Tutor/Mentor programs, alongside "failing school" data, to get a better sense of where your help is needed most. And then use the interactive zip code map or the program locator to learn how you can contact the programs and offer your help.


This map shows the location of programs that work with Elementary School-aged kids:

(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

This map shows the location of programs that work with Junior High-aged kids:

(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

This map shows the location of programs that work with High School-aged kids:

(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

This map shows the location of programs that offer purely tutoring services:

(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

This map shows the location of programs that offer purely mentoring services:

(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

This map shows the location of programs that offer a mixture or tutoring and mentoring for students. A program like Cabrini Connections is a perfect example of such a program:

(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

Tutor/Mentor Programs in Chicagoland, By Age Group

Continuing the theme I started last week, I want to look at more maps that feature Chicago area programs that work with students in a tutoring, mentoring, or mixed capacity during non-school hours.

However, unlike the last set of maps I posted, which show the locations of ALL known programs, this set of maps in this blog will filter the data by "age group served." In other words, what grade level are the kids at, in school?

Some programs focus their attention on Elementary school-aged students:

Others work with High School kids:

Some work with Junior High kids alone, although this is somewhat rare. The number of green stars on this map are probably a result of the fact that many programs work with a range of kids, instead of one age group alone. For instance, a program might work with ALL kids, in which case Junior High kids will attend their programs alongside High School and/or Elementary students too:

So how do you use these maps? What good does it do to see these clusters of stars?

Again, notice here that the maps contain 2000 poverty data, and remember that the T/MC mission mentions that...

The Tutor/Mentor Connection (T/MC) is dedicated to improving the availability and quality of comprehensive, long-term, volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs in high-poverty areas of the Chicago region and other large US cities through an ongoing, dynamic exchange of ideas.

... And that the major highways on most of our maps show potential volunteers how easily they can find a program alongside their normal commutes.

But why else are these maps important tools?

Well, some communities have collaborations with programs that work with differently-aged kids. Cabrini Connections, for instance works with kids in grades 7-12. (This location will appear on both the High School and the Junior High maps.) Occasionally, Cabrini Connections collaborates with neighboring programs that work with elementary kids who aren't old enough to attend Cabrini Connections. (An example of this will occur on September 27th when Cabrini Connections, Cabrini Green Tutoring, and the Chicago Lights program work together to train new, prospective, and veteran tutors/mentors, hosting a variety of workshops relevant to one-on-one tutoring/mentors of students in grades 1-12. See the calendar for more details, if interested in attending,)

This exemplifies an important purpose for these maps. A quick trip to the interactive zip code map could show potential partners/collaborators where other programs are located - programs whose specialties complement the work they are doing.

Equally important perhaps, these maps might highlight an absense of programs for a particular age group in a given neighborhood. In fact, this is one of the reasons Dan Bassill started Cabrini Connections in the first place. Seeing that Cabrini Green Tutoring was working solely with elementary kids, he recognized that the neighborhood's older kids needed a place where they could build on the important work Cabrini Green Tutoring was doing, and continue to develop their academic and job skills.

Locations of Tutor/Mentor Programs in Chicagoland

I've created maps that feature Chicago area programs that work with students in a tutoring, mentoring, or mixed capacity during non-school hours. This listing includes those programs that are currently known to exist, and listed in the Tutor/Mentor Connection (T/MC) database (which can be accessed via the T/MC's searchable Program Locator).


Please visit the Tutor/Mentor Connection website for more details.



Notice that the maps contain 2000 poverty data. This is in line with the T/MC mission, posted on the website:

The Tutor/Mentor Connection (T/MC) is dedicated to improving the availability and quality of comprehensive, long-term, volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs in high-poverty areas of the Chicago region and other large US cities through an ongoing, dynamic exchange of ideas.


I've also shown major highways that show potential volunteers the proximity between programs and commuter routes.

Finally, notice the zip codes. If you want to zoom in and learn more about programs located in a particular zip code, visit the interactive Zip Code map, another tool that provides access to the T/MC data.

The second map I've created shows the locations of all known programs, in relation to "failing schools," where many students of course can use as much tutoring and mentoring as they can get.

In my next post, I'll break these down further, categorizing by "Age Group Served" (Elementary, Junior High, High School) and "Type" (Pure Mentor, Pure Tutor, or Mixed Tutor/Mentor).