About Us

Special Friends Extended brings professionals and community leaders to the youth of North Central St. Louis with the goal of sparking hopes and dreams for their future. Our mission is to provide an opportunity for the young people of our community the opportunity to interact with successful adult volunteers who are willing to share their own professional journeys.

Our Goal

Everyone needs hopes and dreams.

Our professional volunteers serve as positive role models and guides, and in turn, the youth are encouraged and excited to excel, knowing they are supported.

Our Present

Today, our focus is directed towards helping North Central high school students prepare for a bright, successful future. Twice during the school year, we facilitate 'town hall' like school assemblies where we bring the 9th-grade student body together with a panel of local professionals for a moderated discussion on careers, education, and most importantly, the mindset required to succeed.

Additionally, in celebration of local student achievement, we have created a Special Friends Extended Scholarship. We awarded our first scholarship this year and looking forward to supporting more North Central excelling students each school year.

Our Past

Our simple beginnings began in 1996. We started with a mentor/teacher. Special Friends Extended Mentor Program spun off in 2006, where we started inviting professionals from the community to mentor K-12 students on the character traits necessary for success such as respectfulness, responsibility, caring, perseverance in school, honesty, self-control, and other life skills. We are excited to apply all we have learned over the past 15 years and focus our efforts on the students just entering high school.