TeamMates Mentoring program expands to schools in Stanley County and Huron

The Stanley County School District is one of two new TeamMates Mentoring program chapters starting up in South Dakota this academic year (2025-26).

The school-based mentoring program begins being offered this week (first week of September) in Fort Pierre. It’ll start next month (Oct. 2025) in Huron.

Jess Karim, TeamMates of South Dakota state director, says Stanley County school officials saw what was happening with the Pierre TeamMates group and wanted to provide that same benefit for SC students. She says the two schools will work together to administer it.

TeamMates matches a student mentee with a community member mentor that has similar interests as the student does. The pair typically meet weekly during the school year.

Karim says the volunteer mentors complete a training program prior to being connected with a student mentee. She says the Stanley County TeamMates program is recruiting its first group of mentors and there’s ongoing mentor recruitment for the Pierre TeamMates program.

Stanley County or Pierre school district students interested in having a TeamMates mentor should contact their school office.

Adults interested in being a TeamMates mentor, should visit TeamMates.org to find local contact information.

Along with Pierre, Stanley County and Huron, other South Dakota schools with TeamMates chapters are Belle Fourche, Custer-Hermosa, Lead-Deadwood, Rapid City, Sioux Falls and Spearfish.

TeamMates is dedicated to inspiring students to reach their full potential through mentoring. Since being founded in 1991 by Coach Tom Osborne and Nancy Osborne, TeamMates has been instrumental in impacting the lives of youth throughout the Midwest, serving more than 49,000 students to date. For more information, visit teammates.org.