Craig Olson has tutored five students over his dozen or so years at Cluster Tutoring. But his technical expertise in keeping the program’s computers humming for student use is just as valuable as his work in academics. Craig is retired now, but he spent his last 12 years of employment as director of telecommunications for… Read More

Julia Schroeder is definitely in the right place to achieve some of her lifetime goals of growing as a writer and a teacher. But those are just some of her interests and activities, which include everything from hosting a podcast to hula-hooping. “I feel grown-ups can learn just as much from kids as kids learn… Read More

A Chicago sports radio talk show host collected over $660,000 from listeners to make the dream of a new brick-and-mortar food store in Austin a reality. Last summer, former Chicago Bears linebacker Sam Acho recruited many of his fellow athletes to raise money to help create a pop-up food market on the site of a… Read More

If you’re a 7th or 8th grader — or the parent or tutor of a student in those grades — be sure to sign up for the Oct. 29 Cluster Tutoring workshop for tips on how to navigate the Chicago Public Schools’ online high school application process. CPS has streamlined the process for students to… Read More

Cluster Tutoring is looking for students, tutors, and parents to help us make donuts at the Oak Park Farmers’ Market on Saturday, July 20. The Farmers’ Market is at Pilgrim Congregational Church, 460 Lake Street in Oak Park. The program can earn $1,000 for just one day of work. We are looking for Cluster volunteers… Read More

After 29 years, Cluster Tutoring has a new home. As of the beginning of September, the Cluster office and Tuesday night tutoring space are now at 118 N. Central Ave. in Chicago. The new space is housed at Circle Urban Ministries, a nonprofit organization whose aim to to help disadvantaged residents in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood…. Read More

This summer’s program at the Chicago Public Library is all about exploring science and art in the architecture around us. From July 6 to August 15, kids 0-13 years old are invited to build their own stories in all kinds of ways, at the library, in the community, or on their own. Things will look… Read More

Aisha Williams was so successful as a student at Cluster Tutoring that she earned a college scholarship and a degree from Northern Illinois University. She knew the best way to give something back was to become a tutor herself. When her daughter, Kyla, started kindergarten, Aisha enrolled her at Cluster Tutoring. After all, Cluster had… Read More

Erin Agboola likes working with students of all ages, so it’s no surprise that she enjoys helping students do tasks they didn’t think they could do before. In her role as program coordinator of Project Next Step, Cluster Tutoring program for high school students, she helps those students decide what steps to take after high… Read More

Have you noticed the small, freestanding wooden boxes in people’s front yards filled with books — including at least eight in Oak Park alone? They’re part of the Little Free Library system, and it has become a worldwide phenomenon. The Little Free Library movement started in 2009 in Hudson, Wis., when a man named Todd… Read More