Youth Mentoring

Youth Mentoring encompasses four programs:

1. MY Club (Howard County)
2. Building Bridges Through Mentoring (Winneshiek County)
3. Allamakee Mentoring Program (Allamakee County)
4. Mentoring Connection for Delaware County.

Howard, Winneshiek, and Allamakee programs offer community-based matches. These matches take volunteers (as individuals, a couple, or an entire family) and connect them with one youth in their community.

Delaware County’s programs have three options in addition to community-based:

• School-Based | Volunteers age 16 and older are matched with a child for a minimum of one school year. The volunteer meets with the student, between the ages of 5 to 16, for 45 minutes to one hour each week. These matches meet during the school day and on the school grounds. Each match meets one designated day per week throughout the school year.
• Enhanced-School Based | This program is an extension of the School-Based option, allowing matches to occasionally meet off the school grounds doing things in the community. Matches meet a minimum of 4-5 hours each month.
• After-School Program | Volunteer high school students, grades 10 to 12 and ages 16 and older, are matched with a child, between the ages of 7 to 13. They meet from 3:15–4:15 p.m. one designated day per week after school. The match is a one year commitment.

Mentoring coordinators check in with volunteer mentors and mentees and their families on a regular basis. They answer any questions, address and concerns, and connect you to other resources that can make your experience even better.

Throughout the year, mentoring coordinators work together with each county’s advisory committee to host events. These festivities provide a setting for youth and volunteers to get to know others in the program and expand their friendship network. The events often are set at local attractions, parks, or places. Sometimes this is the first time a youth has ever had that type of experience. 

Favorite Events:

• Norman Borlaug Farm
• Food and Fitness
• Pinter’s Garden and Pumpkins
• Niagara Cave
• KWWL News Station
• Movie and Pizza 

Held almost monthly, topics are driven by mentor questions or the mentoring team’s insight into the needs of mentees. 

Examples of Topics:

• A Budget, What’s That?
• Self Acceptance
• Step into Spring with Good Hygiene
• Talking with Your Mentee about Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs
• Face-to-Face Communication
• Social Networking and Bullying: What Adults Should Know

Each month mentors can turn in receipts for reimbursement of the expenses accrued while they spent time with their mentee.