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

Whether you’re the tutor of a high school student, the parent of one, or a teenager yourself, you’re going to find out quickly that Beverly Singleton can offer assistance in steering high schoolers toward their next steps. Beverly is Cluster’s program specialist for Project Next Step, a new program specifically aimed at those in high… Read More

Books about a preteen witch hunted by humans, an illustrated story about an African-American artist, and a graphic novel about the civil rights movement written by a civil rights hero are among the books honored this year by the American Library Association. The 2017 Randolph Caldecott Medal for illustration went to Javaka Steptoe, illustrator and… Read More

Why donate money to Cluster Tutoring? One reason is 10-year-old Derrick. Derrick started at Cluster as a 1st grader. In the three years he and his tutor, Amy, have worked together, he has improved three grade levels in reading. “When we are together, Derrick uses his tutoring time really well,” Amy said. “We are really… Read More

A nonprofit group that focuses on connecting tech with students who need it is partnering with several organizations to provide refurbished computers to 2020 CPS high school graduates. A lottery run by Comp-U-Dopt is open to all 2020 graduates of Chicago Public Schools high schools who currently don’t have a computer. The hope is to… Read More

Want to learn some tips on cooking end-of-summer bounty and raise money for Cluster Tutoring at the same time? There are still a few spots left for a cooking class fundraiser on Sept. 25, run by Cluster’s own Cathy Lazuka and her catering company, Happy Belly Chefs. Cathy will offer a full meal and cooking… Read More

The Chicago Public Library summer reading program is asking young readers to become Super Explorers to stop Dr. Brain-Drain at libraries throughout the city. Children up to age 13 can register for the CPL Summer Learning Challenge at any library starting June 19. There are four components to the program, which runs through Sept. 1:… 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

Aliyah Washington hopes her years at Cluster Tutoring serve her in her chosen future profession working in a police department. Aliyah, the Thursday night program assistant, has attended tutoring in several roles: First as a student, starting when she was in 6th grade, working with tutor Andrew Reed; then as a student assistant in Cluster’s… Read More

A new scholarship fund aims to offer scholarships to seniors graduating from Chicago Public Schools next spring. The fund also intends to give scholarship money to parents of CPS students, making it a multi-generational pathway to further education. The plan for the new fund, Hope Chicago, is to raise and pay out $1 billion over… Read More