While much of the information on this site shows why tutor/mentor programs are needed, it's also important to value the role of intermediaries, like the Tu tor/Mentor Connection.  Here's a link to an Evaluation Exchange article titled Investing in those who Invest in our Youth.  It's worth reading and illustrates the value of groups like this.

I found this link when looking for support networks like the Tutor/Mentor Connection in New York City. I recently read an article talking about how the drop out rates in the ten largest US cities. I looked at the tables. New York City  has over 1 million student in its public school system. Los Angeles has over 700,000 and Chicago is third with 432,000.  Miami (Dade County) is fourth with 368,000. Houston is sixth with 208,000 and philadelphia has 201,190.  Detroit has 116,815 students. Boston has 59,719 and San Francisco has 60,900

This shows a huge difference between the largest, and those like Boston and San Francisco, which are still larger than most other cities in the US.  What this means is that if we're trying to help all kids move through school and to careers, intermediaries are  more important in these bigger cities because the bureacracy of public schools is probably more paralized and polarized by the size of the populations and magintude of the poverty problems they are dealing with.

If we can connect networks in these big cities, maybe we can help each other because we are more likely to understand the issues and challenges better than people in smaller cities with school populations  under 50,000.

You can connect by introducing yourself on this forum, or by participating in a tutor/mentor blog.