Where You Live Makes a Difference

Below is a Tweet from today showing maps created using the Opportunity Atlas which is a resource of Opportunity Insights. If you view the Tweet you'll see links to a New York Times article in which the map is described in detail.

Much of the Southeast looked bad in earlier Chetty data. But there are good pockets within cities there. In great regions like Seattle, there are problem spots, too: pic.twitter.com/tOP4d46ure

— Emily Badger (@emilymbadger) October 1, 2018

Below is a map view, showing Chicago's West side, which I created using the Opportunity Atlas.

I've added a link to this site in the Tutor/Mentor web library and to a concept map which I use to show links to data indicator platforms like this.

What's great about this Opportunity Atlas platform is that it enables you to zoom into the neighborhood level. Thus, you can focus on pretty small sections of Chicago or other places to understand where people have the greatest need for greater youth and family support systems.

I've been using data maps to focus attention on places where people need help and to draw resources to non-school tutor/mentor programs operating in these areas. Or to help create new programs where too few exist.

I maintain a list of Chicago tutor and mentor programs which I show on the map at the right.  If you were to compare this, to other data maps, you'd see that this is where programs are needed.  Now you can click on the icon for each program, then go to their web site, and try learn what they do, who they serve, and how you can get involved, or help them constantly improve the impact of their work.

Visit the Tutor/Mentor blog articles here, here and here, where you can see a couple of recent articles I wrote using maps of Chicago neighborhoods.

Here's an article on this blog, where I used the interactive Tutor/Mentor Program Locator to create a map view of Chicago's West side.  The Program Locator was built in 2008 and has layers of information that include assets (business, faith groups, hospitals, universities, political leaders) who should be working to fill neighborhoods with hope and opportunity, because they share space in those areas. 

Unfortunately, the Program Locator is not working and I don't have the funds or tech skills to fix it. And I don't see many (any) who are using data maps the way I have been, to try to mobilize resources to build and sustain needed youth and family services in all of the areas where the data maps indicate there is a need.

That's why I keep asking people to help me, and to make contributions to my FundMe page.