In the monthly newsletters I include links to articles that are intended to stimulate thinking about why tutor/mentor programs are needed, where they are needed, and strategies that non profits and business might take to support the growth of such programs in  more places. Below are links from the November 2007 newsletter.

Creativity 101 Discussion
On the Smart Communities blog, http://smartcommunities.typepad.com/suzanne/2007/10/creative-econom.html  , Suzanne Morse introduces the topic of Creativity 101 with this message:

Since Richard Florida popularized the notion of a "creative economy" a few years ago in his book, The Rise of the Creative Class, more than one of us has asked, "what is it anyway." We know it is more about technology and less about traditional factories but beyond that pinning it down for some of us has been a little hard. It means different things to different people as this Business Week article illustrates. To make things doubly hard, many communities don't know quite how to be more "creative." So for the next few weeks we are going to talk more on this site about what it is and how you get it. 

How would Jesus or Dr. Martin Luther King use the Internet, and these ideas on creativity and innovation, to mobilize a network of people to support the mission of their organizations? Read more at http://tutormentor.blogspot.com/2007/10/creative-economy-101.html

Are we a tutoring, mentoring, arts or technology program?  Or are we part of a workforce development movement?  Is college the only path to a career for our youth?  Read more at :http://tutormentor.blogspot.com/2007/10/creating-pipeline-to-jobs-careers.html
 

Reframing School Dropout as a Public Health Issue. Read more at
http://tutormentor.blogspot.com/2007/09/reframing-school-dropout-as-public.html

What does it take for a student to succeed? Read more at
http://tutormentor.blogspot.com/2007/09/what-does-it-take-for-student-to.html

Steps to Stop the Violence. Enough is Enough. Read more at http://tutormentor.blogspot.com/2007/05/memorial-day-keeping-commitments.html

What tutor/mentor programs in Chicago, or other cities, are incorporating these ideas in their strategic planning?  Look at the web sites of programs in Chicago. Learn from the best work being done.   http://tinyurl.com/32vqw3

What business, universities and foundations have teams of people leading workforce development and diversity strategies that include non-school volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs in which employees, students and/or alumni are involved as tutors, leaders and/or donors?  Here’s a place to add links to organizations that would be best practices in this category: Can you add new links? http://tinyurl.com/2uz3by