Process Maps and more

The Tutor/Mentor Connection seeks to use more forms of visualization than just geographic maps. This map shows participation in a Tutor/Mentor Connection conference. It is one of several conference Social Network Analysis (SNA) maps that you can see here.

These I-Open process maps provided by Betsey Merkel are very good.

Here are maps showing the process of ...culture building, one aspect of the I-Open Civic Forum Process

Here are maps showing a timeline and repeating activities

View the various slides and you'll see many examples of applying social network analysis to understand how groups are forming around common purpose. We have been doing this for 18 years but don't have the capacity to demonstrate this yet due to lack of funding. We do have donated software that interns have been trying to learn. You can follow our progress in this forum.

The maps Bestsy has created demonstrate what the Tutor/Mentor Connection would be doing if it had the philanthropic support needed. We'd go a step further and apply these concept maps to the process of building volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs in all poverty areas of the Chicago region and helping more k-12 youth finish school prepared for 21st century jobs and careers.

Can you help us find that support?

Rosland raises $2 million for Promise Neighborhood

I read an article in Catalyst Notebook today about the Roseland Children's Promise Zone, a project that will coordinate educational and social services for young people in the far South Side community.

This is one of the maps we've created in the past, showing the Roseland neighborhood, and showing how leaders such as the Rev. James Meeks, could be supporting the growth of youth serving organizations in the area.

I hope the group leading this effort has found and used these maps. We've not had any contact from them, so don't know if they are planning to incorporate maps and marketing into their efforts to build a distribution of k-12 support programs and services in the area.

We'd be available to help if someone can help us raise the money to keep this service available to Chicago.

We're hosting a Tutor/Mentor Conference on May 19 and 20, 2011 in Matteson, Il. We've tried to spread the word to people in Roseland and other neighborhoods that need Promise Zone strategies. So far we're just too small a voice to be heard.

Spread the word if you want to help.

Collective action in South Suburbs

This is a map showing the South part of Chicago, the South Suburbs and Northern Indiana. If you compare this to other maps on this blog you can see that there are many concentrations of high poverty in the city, and in the suburbs.

Yet, if you look at the Chicago Program Links section, we don't show many volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs in these areas. Furthermore, if you compare the web sites of organizations we show, to this list of features we feel a tutor/mentor program web site should include, you'd see that some need help in telegraphing that they are a tutor/mentor program and why they are needed in the neighborhood they serve.
We're holding a Tutor/Mentor Conference in Matteson, Il. on May 19 and 20, which is right in the middle of this area. It's intended to connect people and organizations who are concerned about poverty and want to do more to make high-quality, mentor-rich programs available in many parts of the region.

As of today the registration is less than 60 people.

Margaret Mead said "a few people can change the world" and maybe this is all that's needed. However, if you're in this part of the Chicago region and want to change the way poverty impacts you and other people in this region, I encourage you to try to attend, or to be an evangelist and encourage other people to attend.