Steven is 13 years old, describes himself as chill, talkative and creative, and spends his free time enjoying art, dancing, and dreaming up plans for his own YouTube channel. He is also one of more than 37 children currently waiting for an adult mentor through a Dakota County youth program, according to the seed story.
Steven's story appears in a Pioneer Press profile. Steven is waiting for a match through the organization, which serves communities across the county. His guardian describes him as shy, nervous and loud, while his mother has said, according to the report, that Steven has a hard time learning and mostly wants to invest his time in video games and YouTube.
A Kid Who Loves Football, Art and Family Trips to Red Lobster
Beyond screens, Steven has a wide range of interests. He enjoys football, baseball, soccer and tennis, and says he wants to become a professional basketball or football player. He also enjoys music, dance and art, and counts holidays among his favorite times of year. When it comes to food, Steven's go-to is enchiladas, and he likes eating at Red Lobster. His wish list includes a trip to California and, more whimsically, a million dollars every day along with every gaming platform in existence.
Steven's guardian hopes that a Kids 'n Kinship mentor could serve as another positive role model in his life and help involve him in more active pursuits, per the same report. That kind of one-on-one relationship is the core of what Kids 'n Kinship offers: friendships and positive role models for children and youth ages 5 to 16 who need an additional supportive adult relationship in their lives.
Why Boys Like Steven Often Wait Longer
Kids 'n Kinship provides youth mentoring in Dakota County, according to Kids 'n Kinship. It specifically serves children living in six Dakota County communities: Apple Valley, Burnsville, Eagan, Farmington, Lakeville and Rosemount.
That long history hasn't erased a persistent gap in the volunteer pool. More than half of the youth on the organization's waitlist are boys, creating ongoing demand for adult male mentors, couples and families willing to mentor young boys, according to Patch. That shortage helps explain why boys like Steven can face extended wait times for a one-on-one match.
While kids wait, Kids 'n Kinship doesn't leave them without any adult connection. The organization operates an interim Pen Pal Program that pairs waitlisted youth with adult volunteers who write letters to keep them engaged until a full mentor match becomes available, as noted by Kids 'n Kinship. Kids 'n Kinship's program materials describe the program and its matches.
The Bigger Picture: A National Mentoring Gap
Steven's wait reflects a trend playing out well beyond Dakota County. A national study published by MENTOR found that 35% of young adults — more than 1 in 3 — reported growing up without any mentor outside their family, a gap that widened by six percentage points over the prior decade, according to The Annie E. Casey Foundation.
The stakes of that gap are significant. MENTOR's national research found that 85% of young people with a mentor said the relationship supported their education, and 74% of adults who were mentored in their youth credited their mentor with contributing meaningfully to their later success. The Annie E. Casey Foundation's summary of the 2023 MENTOR national mentoring study reports that 58% of young people say a mentor supported their mental health and emotional well-being.
MENTOR Minnesota is a statewide nonprofit supporting mentorship, providing 376 hours of technical assistance in 2020 and connecting interested volunteers with mentoring organizations across the Twin Cities beyond Dakota County. For those outside Kids 'n Kinship's service area, MENTOR Minnesota can point volunteers toward mentoring opportunities elsewhere in the metro.
What It Takes to Become a Mentor
Kids 'n Kinship asks volunteer mentors for a minimum one-year commitment, spending four to six hours a month with their mentee, though the average match actually lasts about three years, according to GiveMN. Prospective mentors interested in meeting a young person like Steven can reach Kids 'n Kinship directly at [email protected], or learn more by signing up for one of the organization's information sessions. Those interested in mentoring opportunities elsewhere in the Twin Cities can contact MENTOR MN at [email protected].
