Our mission is to increase the quality and quantity of adult mentors for the youth in the community we want to be sure the program you are involved with is the best fit. Below is a list of the Iowa Mentoring Partnership certified youth mentoring programs in Des Moines.  Each program is a little different, so be sure to visit their site to learn more.  As always, contact us for more information and we'd be happy to help you!

By working together, so much more can be done, a bigger difference can be made, and we can improve our efforts to give every child who matters someone who matters.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa seeks to impact youth by empowering them to discover and achieve their goals through professional supported mentoring relationships. Big Brothers Big Sisters has two core programs: Community Based and School Based which provide flexible scheduling to meet anyone’s needs.

Matches share everyday activities: eating out, playing sports or attending sports events, going to movies, sightseeing, doing school work, and just hanging out together. What matters to the children are not the activities; it is the fact that they have a caring adult in their lives. Because they have someone to confide in and to look up to, they do better in school and at home.

Big Brothers Big Sisters pairs youth aged 5-13 in the community with a mentor for personal, social, and educational development.

Community Youth Concept's ensures all Iowa youth have access to high quality opportunities that prepare them for success in school, work, and life. We reach our goal through two primary strategies: providing training and technical assistance to youth-serving organizations and setting high expectations for the youth we reach through our youth development initiatives.

Community Youth Concepts pairs youth aged 12-17 in the community with a mentor in a career field of shared interest for educational and career development.

Everybody Wins! Iowa is a literacy and mentoring non-profit organization that increases children's opportunities for success in school and life through one-to-one reading experiences with caring volunteers. Everybody Wins! Iowa's elementary school students with volunteer reading programs. The matches meet for about one hour at the same time each week, where they visit, read aloud to one another and get excited about reading! The mentors serve as role models, enhancing students' self-esteem and encouraging their success through these weekly, positive interactions. Everybody Wins! Iowa has the capacity to facilitate over 700 matches in 27 schools in Ankeny, Des Moines, Indianola, Norwalk, Pella, Perry, and West Des Moines. Programs are also hosted at the Boys and Girls Club of Central Iowa, Central Presbyterian Church, Children and Family Urban Movement, and Community sites with a mentor for reading development. Everybody Wins! Iowa matches K-5th grade youth in schools and at community sites with a mentor for reading development.

Johnston Youth Mentoring Program is a one-to-one school based mentoring program that began in 2004. JUMP pairs adult community volunteers with Johnston students in grades 5-12. Mentors help mentees find personal and academic success by being a positive role model, listening, and supporting mentees as they work to achieve their goals. Mentors also help students learn important skills for life including exploring career options and opportunities for post-secondary education. For many mentors and students, their mentoring time is the highlight of their week.

Johnston Youth Mentoring Program pairs youth aged 6th-12th grade in their schools with a mentor for personal and academic development.

The mission of Mentor Iowa is to provide trained volunteer mentors to abused, neglected, and delinquent children who are under the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court. We will do this by working in partnership with the children, their families, and the community.

Mentor Iowa pairs youth who are in need of assistance, aged 6-18, in their community with a mentor for personal development.

Orchard Place relies on volunteer mentors from the community to help us live out our mission of “developing strong futures for children and youth with mental health and behavioral challenges.” Mentors work with children ages 10-18 who live at our residential campus. Children come to us from all over Iowa to receive quality, family focused mental health services. Mentors reinforce what children are learning in their treatment by providing support and friendship, and by teaching them valuable life skills like cooking, sewing, and good hygiene, along with social skills. Our mentors open the eyes and the worlds of our children, who have often had limited experiences in their short lives.

Orchard Place pairs youth who have behavioral and emotional challenges, aged 10-18, with a mentor at their residential campus for personal development.