YouthFriends school based mentoring program, currently with 63 mentors, is an effective strategy in drop out prevention. YouthFriends mentors contributed 893 hours this past school year.

A family resource office helps students and families with glasses, school supplies, and other medical needs.

Senior Interview Day brings volunteers from community businesses to interview seniors, helping them prepare for college and finding a job.

Book Buddies allows preschoolers to enjoy reading a book with a volunteer once a week. Once a month the extension office comes and reads and prepares a nutritional snack as well.

CIS Drug-Free Youth Coalition increases awareness of the danger that alcohol, tobacco, and drug use may have on a young person’s life.

CIS Family Connection provides support to families and their children to address issues related to aggression, attachment, socialization, self control, and more.

Mentoring Services are available through collaboration with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Harvey County. Mentors give quality time and a one-on-one relationship that can help students in many areas that affect life at home and at school. By offering friendship, guidance and a positive perspective, a mentor clearly shows that someone cares.

The Back-to-School Fair provides school supplies and community resources to more than 3,000 Wyandotte County children and their families.

F.A.S.T (Families and Schools Together)is a multi-family program that supports parents and fosters family development so children can succeed at home, in school, and in the community.

After School Tutoring is provided in district schools, as CIS of KCK is a state approved SES provider.

The Children’s Emergency Dental Fund provides services to youth with severe decay and pain who do not have insurance or Medicaid.

PATHS to Adventure is an after school program that uses the Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS) curriculum developed by two scientists, Michael Greenburg and Carol Kusche'. They found that children can be taught social and emotional skills to help them succeed in school and in life. PATHS lessons help children learn to identify and express their feelings appropriately, and to respond to others in a helpful way. PATHS is combined with mentoring and experiential learning including guided activities, field trips and other hands-on, real-life adventures.

The “A Team”, is a group of Marion High School students who are standing up for the truth about teens and alcohol use; that two thirds of the Marion High School student body do not drink. The “A Team” formed as a strategy to decrease underage drinking through social norming. Social norming is a health promotion developed by researchers who study social influences and how they affect group behavior. They measured perceptions and actual behaviors among students and found a wide discrepancy.

YouthFriends school based mentoring program will provide 44 one-on-one mentors for students to share their interests with for one hour each week.

A Walking Bus program gets kids to and from school safely by walking with a volunteer.

Reach for the Stars is an after school program that provides a safe place to go with many options for students. Activities include homework assistance, enrichment activities, tutoring, recess, and snack time.

BackSnack will provide backpacks filled with nutritious food to students who have little or no food on the weekends. This program helps students focus in class during the week, allowing them to do better on schoolwork.

YouthFriends mentors are paired with students that share a special interest or hobby for one hour per week. From just that small commitment, students show improved confidence enabling them to set and achieve goals. Rice County has a special focus on providing a mentor for children of incarcerated parents.

Food 4 Kids will provide backpacks filled with nutritious food to students who have little or no food on the weekends with. This program helps students focus in class during the week, allowing them to do better on schoolwork.

Reality Store gives teens a glimpse into the future—their financial future, that is. Teens are surveyed on the type of job and lifestyle they hope to enjoy as adults, then they are assigned a job, salary, and family according to their current school performance. Students then go shopping at Reality Store to purchase the necessities of life: child care, transportation, groceries, homes, utilities, etc. Students leave with a glimpse of what life is like in the real world.

Mentors give quality time and a one-on-one relationship that can help students in many areas that affect life at home and at school. By offering friendship, guidance and a positive perspective, a mentor clearly shows that someone cares.

Tutors help children be successful in school by helping them with their homework after or during school. All CIS sites have a great need for tutors.

Job Shadow gives students the opportunity to learn about careers, marketable skills, and professional behavior. Sharing professional job skills and career experience is a wonderful way to inspire a child or young adult to set future goals for themselves!

Food 4 Kids provides backpacks filled with nutritious food to students who have little or no food on the weekends with. This program helps students focus in class during the week, allowing them to do better on schoolwork.