Thursday, June 3, 2021

MyChiMyFuture Chicago Youth Programs Map

 Below is a screenshot of the MyChiMyFuture Chicago youth programs map. This is Mayor Lightfoot's initiative aimed at reaching more Chicago youth with non-school programs. 

The map is interactive, with multiple categories of service providers. You can create map views showing single, or multiple categories. You can zoom into smaller sections of the city. And you can click on each icon to find program name, address, and website.  This is all good.

However, there is no sub category for "tutor, or tutor/mentor".  If programs from the list I maintain are on this map, they would be included in the "academic support category".  

I've participated in MyChiMyFuture meetings since 2019 and have posted a series of articles on the Tutor/Mentor blog. I'm happy to see this map finally made public and hope that the Mayor and other public leaders will draw attention to it regularly in an effort to attract volunteers and donors to programs in every neighborhood.  

So far it seems that the effort is aimed at youth and families, along with networking and training among programs.  Without driving operating resources to EVERY program, on a continuous, multi-year, basis, the initiative is unlikely to fulfill it's goals.


Hopefully the initiative will evolve to one with a purpose of drawing needed resources to every high poverty area of the city, brining ideas, volunteers, operating dollars, technology and youth participants to every program.  



No comments: