Links Library Part I

The Tutor/Mentor Connection maintains a Links Library of more than 1500 links to resources for leaders of volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs, youth in tutor/mentor programs, volunteers, business leaders, parents, donors, and media. Subjects areas include homework help, college and career education resources, fund raising tips, evaluation tools, and social entrepreneurship. In total there are 24 main categories.

As part of my ongoing orientation at T/MC, I have been consistently exploring these resources. In the first of a three part series, I am going to present five of my favorite links from the first eight main categories. Being a newcomer myself, browsing this library with fresh eyes as many of you are, I hope I serve as an example of how easy it is to explore. Your curiosity is bound to be sparked! I have, on several occasions, followed a chain of links to further discussion of a particular subject. In fact, most of these sites were selected by the T/MC because they have libraries of links that point you to even more extensive networks of information. It's a never-ending cycle!

And now, without further ado...

Academic Are Intellectual Entrepreneurs (Editorial)
David Hildebrand discusses mobilizing intellectual capital at universities to confront society's most challenging social problems. With higher education must come social responsibility. Universities have an invaluable wealth of resources that can have a direct, positive impact on the world. Encourage your alma mater to support tutoring and mentoring programs in their area (read Chris' blog post using Northwestern University as an example).

Create Now
Create Now helps transform the lives of high-risk and at-risk youth through creative arts mentoring, education, resources, and opportunities. They maintain an extensive database of over 1,200 youth facilities throughout Southern California that enables them to match volunteers with high-risk or at-risk kids in their own neighborhood, based on the youths' ages, genders, challenges and other preferences. Create Now is a unique, very successful example of creative arts mentoring.

FORA.tv
FORA.tv gathers the web's largest collection of unmediated video drawn from live events, lectures, and debates going on all the time at the world's top universities, think tanks and conferences. This is a great site for idea-sharing and critical thinking!

The International Education and Resource Network (iEARN)
The mission of iEARN-USA is to enable young people worldwide, working in collaboration and dialogue, to make a meaningful contribution to the health and welfare of the planet and its people. Connect with projects, people, and forums in their Collaboration Centre. More than 2 Million students in 125 countries engage with iEARN projects daily.

LearnHub
LearnHub is a network of educational communities, each one built around a specific subject (ex. Algebra, History, Software Development). Communities are a mixture of lessons (pages, videos, and presentations), tests, discussions, and fun activities like concept games and general trivia. Students can also apply directly to colleges and universities and prepare for standardized tests. LearnHub is a good example of combining education with the benefits of social networking.