Every Child Deserves a Friend
LSS is celebrating 25 years of mentoring! The program began the fall of 2001 in partnership with the Sioux Empire United Way and the Sioux Falls School District. Since then, nearly 5,400 people have volunteered to be mentors, and they have positively impacted the lives of 6,806 students in 13 school districts.
To mark the 25th anniversary of the program, LSS is seeking 250 new volunteers this school year. Our Youth Mentoring Services are designed to empower children and teens (K-12) by connecting them with mentors who offer support, encouragement and guidance.
As a mentor, you can help build self-esteem, encourage positive choices, identify and work toward goals, lend new perspectives or simply be a friend to a young person who needs someone in their corner—all in as little as one hour per week.
Our Mentoring Programs
We offer three Mentoring programs throughout the region.
For youth in grades Pre-K to 12
In-School Mentoring
In-School mentors spend one hour per week with an elementary or middle school student at their school. Matches can choose how they spend their time, from playing basketball to reading or simply having lunch together.
We’re proud to partner with school districts across the region to bring in-school mentoring to students who can benefit from extra support and encouragement. Currently, we work with districts in Sioux Falls, Baltic, Brandon Valley, Canton, Dell Rapids, Aberdeen, Flandreau, Garretson, Harrisburg, Lennox, Tea Area, Tri-Valley, and West Central.
If you’d like to explore bringing our mentoring program to your school district, we’d love to hear from you! Give us a call at 605-444-7803.
School counselors can make a referral for a child to sign up for an in-school mentor.
