About BCYMP

BCYMP is a mentoring program for all K-12 students in Brookings County.  Any parenting adult may request a BCYMP Mentor by filling our online application form or talking with a school counselor or another adult who supports your child(ren). BCYMP focuses on increasing the resiliency and positive social skills of youth through  evidence-based youth mentoring.  BCYMP is a 501c3 incorporated in April of 2001.

BCYMP has 1:1 community-based youth mentoring and small group mentoring opportunities. We follow best practices in youth mentoring as established by MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership, and everything we do is focused on building and sustaining healthy relationships.

BCYMP Mentors, staff and program volunteers are trauma-informed and also trained in Search Institute’s Developmental Relationships Framework (2017). Research shows that youth with strong relationships across contexts are more likely to have healthy attitudes and assets, and less likely to engage in risk-taking behaviors that ultimately result in long-term negative social and health outcomes. Mentoring changes lives.

In 2021, BCYMP received their Disability Mentoring Certification. To complete their certification, BCYMP staff completed over 20 hours of online coursework, contributed to weekly discussion posts, and attended live webinars and cohort convenings, while also creating a plan to improve the disability inclusion practices in their organization. BCYMP was one of just 23 organizations in the nation that completed their full certification.