Volunteers are needed to:

1. Mentor one youth for two hours a week.
2. Tutor youth in advanced subjects such as calculus, trigonometry, and chemistry.
3. Provide community experiences for youth such as job shadows, paid employment, and apprenticeships.
4. Come to EYI for an hour and share information with our youth about your career and the variety of job opportunities within this field.

Are you interested in volunteering in one or more of these ways? Contact us and tell us how you want to help.

Contact Us

Mentoring Changes Lives

Mentor and Volunteer Eligibility Requirements

For many of us, there is no better feeling than helping someone in need and making a positive difference in their life. Volunteering as a mentor for a young person in the Empowering Youths of Iowa program is a great way to make a difference in our community.

EYI staff provides its mentors with training prior to being matched with their mentee as well as ongoing training throughout the mentor's experience. Some of the many training topics are:

  • Ways high school drop-out often negatively impacts individual youths and their community.
  • Monetary and other benefits of high school (and college) graduation to youth during adulthood.
  • How to build relationships.
  • Effective teaching and tutoring strategies.
  • How to promote intrinsic motivation.
  • How to address and change a youth's negative behaviors in positive and effective ways.
  • The impact of trauma on youth and how best to support youth who have been traumatized.

An EYI volunteer mentor must meet each of the following requirements:

  • Commit to meeting with their mentee two hours a week during the school year.
  • Be at least 21 years of age.
  • Reside in the Cedar Rapids or Linn County area.
  • Be willing to adhere to all EYI policies and procedures.
  • Complete the screening procedure which includes: passing a background check, having a clean criminal history, no record of abuse or harassment, submitting references that will be checked by EYI staff, and interviewing with EYI staff.
  • Attend mentor training as required.
  • Communicate regularly with EYI staff and submit monthly meeting and activity information.
  • Not be currently in treatment for substance abuse. If a substance abuse problem has occurred in the past the applicant must have completed a nonaddictive period of at least five years.