Why Mentoring Matters
Welcome to the Save Our Youth Community. We’re excited to get to know the young person you want to nominate for our program!
Youth today are facing overwhelming challenges: loneliness, mental health, self-confidence, healthy relationships, and more.
Mentoring connects a young person to a caring adult who provides individual attention. We believe mentoring really can ‘save our youth’ by providing hope, encouragement, direction, and fun.
You are in the right place if you are looking to empower and uplift a young person’s life.
An Ideal Mentee
We serve youth aged 10-17 throughout the Denver Metro Area. It is critical that our mentees are willing participants in the program. We will decline any youth that we sense is being forced or pressured into having a mentor.
Our program is an exciting opportunity, and currently we have a waitlist of more than 60 youth. We are not able to guarantee each youth referred to us will be matched, and wait time can be 6+ months. The good news is, we continue to have amazing mentors joining us each week!
Mentees are matched based on location and proximity to a trained mentor, as well as an alignment of common interests and personalities. We are diligent in pairing a mentor and a mentee who we believe have a high chance of connecting with one another.
About Our Mentors
Every volunteer/mentor must pass an extensive interview, screening process, and several background checks. Mentors are aged between 21-85 years old.
Mentors agree to meet with our youth on average once a week for a year. Our average official match length is 3+ years!
Mentors are recruited primarily from local churches. We are a Christian-based mentoring organization, however there are no requirements for our youth or families to have a faith affiliation.
How It Works
Once we receive a mentee application, our Program Manager will contact you by phone, and your nominated child will be placed on our waitlist.
When we have a potential mentor who we are considering for your child, we will schedule a mentee interview at the youth’s home. We will share more about the program with the family and gauge the youth’s interest level.
If we determine the mentor is a good match for your child, we will plan a match meeting. Our staff will arrange a meeting with the mentor, mentee, and parents in the home. This is the first contact to kick things off! Expect 4-8 weeks between your mentee interview and the match meeting.
What Type of Activities Will They Do?
Our mentees are blessed by caring and safe adults who will take them on community outings. We are able to provide free tickets for our youth to attend local attractions like the Denver Zoo, Botanic Gardens, Museums, Meow Wolf, Roller Skating, and more!
We encourage our mentors to explore other community resources: visiting the library, enjoying the rec center, and learning to ride public transportation to name a few. Plus we host special Save Our Youth events for all of our matches including a Family Fun Day, Back to School BBQ, Christmas Party, and much more.
A Successful Match
The support of a parent or guardian is crucial in the success of the match. A successful relationship happens over time. This is why we ask both mentors and mentees to initially commit to one year of meeting together. Over time the match will find a rhythm and common interests, and hanging out becomes very natural, like a friendship.
Our mentors are not usually experts in child and adolescent development, so we cannot accept youth who are:
- Involved in gang activity
- Struggling with drugs or alcohol that require professional addictions counseling
- Experiencing severe mental or behavioral health issues
- Are unable to meet with a mentor regularly due to homelessness or running away
Ready to Get Started?
Professional Referral
If you are a professional referring a youth, please fill out this form, Parents or Guardians can skip to the application. Professional Referral
Application for Program
A Parent or Guardian must complete the application – click the submit button when you are done:
English application: Mentee Application
Para que el joven esté en la lista de espera de un mentor, el padre o tutor debe completar esta solicitud:
Spanish application: aplicacion en español
Our Denver Program Manager will contact you within a week after we have received your completed form.
A Formula for Transformation
Frequently Asked Questions
At Save Our Youth we provide guidance, support, and mentorship to all youth regardless of their beliefs, backgrounds, or social determinants. We respect inclusivity and diversity, and for 30 years have served with love and respect. We honor the families who invite us into their lives. We do not seek to proselytize or impose religious beliefs on those we serve. Our focus is on nurturing the well-being and personal development of the young people we are called to serve.