Enroll a Child in a LSS Mentoring Services Program

Since 2001, LSS has worked in partnership with Sioux Falls area schools to match thousands of students with adult mentors.

Mentors are an additional caring adult in a child’s life who can provide support, expand possibilities and be a friend. Safety is our first priority, and all youth mentors are thoroughly trained and background screened before meeting with a student.

Enroll your child in one of the three youth mentor programs.

Community Mentoring

Children ages 7 to 14 who live in Lincoln or Minnehaha counties can enroll in LSS Community Mentoring. Enrollment must be completed by a parent/guardian. Parent involvement is a big part of making a child’s participation in the LSS Community Mentoring Program a success. Parents need to work with mentors to schedule meetings and communicate with program staff about their child.

The first step to enroll your child is to complete a LSS Community Mentoring Child Enrollment Application. After reviewing the application, a LSS Community Mentoring program case manager will be in touch to coordinate a child and parent interview to complete the enrollment process.

High School Mentoring

Any high school student enrolled in school or living in Lincoln or Minnehaha counties can be part of the LSS High School Mentoring program. Students can be referred by school personnel, parents, social service providers or can refer themselves. Ideally, students enroll in High School Mentoring during their freshman year with the intention to meet with a mentor through their high school graduation.

LSS works closely with students, their families and mentors in the High School Mentoring Program. Matches are made and supervised by both LSS and the students’ school. Click here for a High School Mentoring Enrollment Application.

In School Mentoring

LSS In School Mentoring program works in partnership with 12 school districts: Sioux Falls, Baltic, Brandon Valley, Canton, Dell Rapids, Flandreau, Garretson, Harrisburg, Lennox, Tea, Tri-Valley and West Central.

Each school within those districts has a mentor coordinator, most often the school counselor, who matches students with a mentor. To get a child on the list to have an in school mentor, contact the school the child attends.

Any student can be matched with a mentor or referred to the program. Matches are made at the discretion of the mentor coordinator at that school and are based on student need and the potential for match success. In most districts, students in grades K-12 are eligible to have a mentor through the LSS In School Mentoring program. At some schools, Head Start students (ages 3-5) can be matched with a mentor.