Sioux Falls TeamMates

10/16/2026

❤️ Exciting news for TeamMates of Sioux Falls!

We’re proud to share that our very own Executive Director, Carly King, has been selected to serve on the inaugural TeamMates Program Coordinator Leadership Council!

Carly will help represent Sioux Falls and South Dakota, bringing valuable insight and experiences from our local chapter to help strengthen TeamMates programs and shape the future of mentoring across the organization.

We're excited for this opportunity to collaborate, share ideas, and continue building on the incredible work happening in TeamMates chapters across the country!

❤️ Join us in congratulating Carly and all of the newly selected council members! Drop a congratulations in the comments below!

And while we celebrate this exciting milestone, we're always looking for more community members to make a difference right here in Sioux Falls!

Just 30 minutes a week can make a lasting impact in a student's life. Become a TeamMates mentor and help us create more meaningful connections, one student at a time.

❤️ Ready to make a difference? Learn more and apply at teammatesofsiouxfalls.org!

Drumroll please 🥁

We are excited to announce the members of our inaugural Program Coordinator Leadership Council! These individuals from across our regions bring valuable insight from their chapters and will be instrumental in helping shape future TeamMates resources and initiatives.

Help us in welcoming these 10 chapter leaders to the Council!

09/14/2026

Thank you, Paul TenHaken, for continuing to champion mentoring in our community and for showing up for your mentee! ❤️

Our TeamMates mentors are starting to head back into schools and reconnect with their students, and it is so great to see! We’re excited for another year of mentoring in Sioux Falls and would love to see even more students connected with mentors this year.

Interested in being part of it? Learn more about TeamMates Mentoring of Sioux Falls here: https://siouxfallsteammates.org

Today was my first day “back to school” mentoring at Ben Reifel Middle School as my man Ephrim moved up from Cleveland Elementary.

In the hallway, I ran into a young man I got to know last year playing soccer with the boys at Cleveland. He often tagged along for my mentoring sessions with Ephrim because he didn’t have a mentor of his own. He was on the waiting list all year.

I asked him today, “You still want a mentor?”

He said he’d love one.

So, I’m looking for a man willing to show up for this young man at Ben Reifel. Someone to listen, encourage him, and be a consistent, positive presence in his life. He's a kid that I can tell needs this right now.

For me, mentoring Ephrim means showing up once a week from 11:04–11:38. That’s 34 minutes.

The time commitment is small. The impact could be greater than you’ll ever know.

Message me if you’re willing to make a new friend and give a little of your time to a kid who would love to have you in his corner. I'll connect you to get started.

09/12/2026

Come visit me at the Sidewalk Arts Festival in Downtown Sioux Falls! ❤️

The sun is coming out and it looks like it’s going to be a great day! ☀️ Stop by the TeamMates Mentoring of Sioux Falls booth, say hi, and learn a little more about mentoring in Sioux Falls.

And while you’re here, fill out a Mentor Interest Card to be entered to win a YETI prize! 🎉 No commitment, just a chance to learn more about what mentoring looks like and how you can get involved.

Come enjoy all the art, food, and fun downtown and make sure to stop by the red TeamMates tent and see me!

Carly King

07/28/2026

Thank you to The Humanity Launch and Augustana University for the opportunity to participate in the Service Leadership Academy nonprofit roundtable. We were honored to connect with such an inspiring group of students and fellow community organizations who are all investing in the future of our communities.

At TeamMates Mentoring, we believe leadership starts with knowing your strengths. Through strength-based mentoring, we help students discover their potential, build confidence, and become the very best version of themselves.

When one caring adult invests in one young person, the impact reaches far beyond that individual relationship. It creates a ripple effect that strengthens our schools, our workplaces, and our community for years to come.

Thank you again to The Humanity Launch for including TeamMates in this incredible event and for your investment in the next generation of leaders.

If you’ve ever thought about becoming a mentor, we’d love to connect with you. Learn more at the link below.

Together, let’s create ripples that will shape the future of Sioux Falls. ♥️

https://siouxfallsteammates.org/

Seventy-five rising seniors from the Class of 2027. Different schools. Different stories. One shared purpose.

This week, these student leaders from across South Dakota and Southwest Minnesota have gathered on the campus of Augustana University for The Humanity Launch Service Leadership Academy—three days dedicated to discovering that leadership isn’t about titles or popularity. It’s about serving others, building trust, creating belonging, and having the courage to make your school a better place for everyone.

The culture of a school doesn’t change because of one assembly or one teacher. It changes because students choose to lead with kindness, courage, and intentionality.

We’re honored to invest in these remarkable young people, because when we strengthen student leaders, we strengthen classrooms, schools, and ultimately our communities.

The future isn’t waiting. It’s already here.

07/10/2026

Three incredible days at the TeamMates National Conference, and my heart is full. ❤️

This week was filled with learning, connecting, laughing, and being inspired alongside people who believe in the life changing power of mentoring. The theme, The Heart of Mentoring, could not have been more fitting.

One of the highlights was hearing our very own Coach Jerry Olszewski share his story of mentorship, leadership, and the impact one person can have. His words will stick with me:

“Be the stone that creates the ripple effect. If not now, when? If not you, then who?”

That is exactly what mentoring is. One relationship can create ripples that change a life, a family, and ultimately a community.

I am incredibly grateful to be joining such an amazing community of mentors, schools, partners, and supporters here in Sioux Falls. We have something really special, and I cannot wait to continue growing that impact as we head into a new school year.

If you have ever thought about becoming a mentor, now is the time. Tell a friend. Sign up. Make a difference. You never know how far your ripple might reach.

Thank you to everyone who made this conference so meaningful and to every mentor who continues to show up with heart. I cannot wait to see what this next year brings. ❤️

Carly King

06/24/2026

I’m excited to pass the torch of leadership to the new TeamMates Mentoring of Sioux Falls, Executive Director, Carly King. Her previous role at Edison Middle School provided her with a front row seat to the transformative impact of mentoring. Her organizational skills and compassion make her uniquely qualified to step into this role of service. She’s excited to officially start in August.

I'm so proud and grateful to have played a pivotal role in growing the TeamMates program in Sioux Falls and making a difference in the lives of students and volunteer mentors in our community. What an honor it’s been! I wish this program nothing but the best in the future.

Sincerely,
Brianna Venekamp

04/22/2026

Thank you for your support!

"For years, I heard the call for more mentors in our community and nodded along in agreement. Mentoring was good. 'People should do that,' I thought, and then I didn't sign up.

Last fall, my mindset changed: If we want an engaged, generous community, we must recognize it isn’t someone else’s job. It’s ours. And, in that moment, I realized, it’s mine.

That realization didn’t just change how I approached mentoring, it changed how I thought about the role of the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation."

Read about how CEO Andy Patterson believes a community-wide culture of generosity is something worth pursuing.

https://www.thedakotascout.com/p/viewpoint-our-community-can-achieve

04/22/2026

Every community has someone that goes above and beyond for their people, that supports youth, and that is helping to build happy, healthy spaces for the next generation.

We want to celebrate them! Tell us about YOUR community's champion and help us honor their work by nominating them for an Excellence in Mentoring Award.

Nominations close on May 31 at 11:59 PM EST.

Visit https://bit.ly/4vsQ4SC for more information on award categories and FAQs.

04/22/2026

04/22/2026

Thank you, Mayor, for your continued support!

My friends at Press Screen Printing and Embroidery have setup one last store to get some Sioux Falls swag and the iconic bison merch. Bunch of new colors and shirt styles. The new shirts feature the latitude/longitute of Sioux Falls on the back center, which is pretty cool.

https://stores.inksoft.com/tenhaken/shop/home

Portion of all sales will go to Sioux Falls TeamMates and support mentoring work in our city.