About Us
connecting caring adults with kids in schools.

YouthFriends volunteers come from diverse backgrounds, yet they share one thing in common:
a commitment to help young people succeed.

YouthFriends is a nationally recognized and rapidly growing school-based mentoring network involving more than 70 school districts across the states of Missouri and Kansas.

YouthFriends Greater Kansas City currently comprises more than 30 school districts in the bi-state Greater Kansas City metropolitan area. It is the result of a six-school district pilot launched by the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation in 1995. The field experience gained from the pilot led to the development of a complete operating system to assist future school district partners. Ongoing input from YouthFriends school district personnel, volunteers, parents and students continues to shape and refine the initiative.

Mission
YouthFriends connects students, teachers and schools with inspiring mentors and real-world learning experiences to promote success, encourage healthy behaviors and build stronger communities.

Vision
An engaged community helping young people to succeed.

Guiding Principles
The best youth development efforts strengthen community and encourage all to participate. Schools, as community focal points, are ideal locations to link young people with caring adults. At its core, YouthFriends is about engaging communities to help young people succeed by engaging adults in volunteerism with youth.

Read about YouthFriends news and events.

 
Ways You Can Make It Possible

Volunteering
Mentor kids in schools. It’s fun, flexible and makes a difference. One hour a week is all it takes to make a big difference in the life of a young person. Become a YouthFriends volunteer today.

Choose a location:

Greater Kansas City
Kansas (statewide)
Missouri (statewide)

Giving
Your tax-deductible donation is a great way to support YouthFriends school-based mentoring efforts in Kansas and Missouri. Donations help cover the costs associated with recruiting, screening, training, managing and retaining thousands of volunteers each year.

Donate Today!


 
Programs
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News and Events
orange_dot Events
orange_dot Volunteer Training Opportunities
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Quick Links
blue dot Application (download)
blue dot Standards of Conduct
blue dot Participating
School Districts
blue dot Tips for Volunteers
blue dot Success Stories
blue dot Parents
blue dot Reading Resources
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