Discover Us

Discover Our Mission Discovering Options helps at-risk children avoid drug use and other self-destructive behaviors through mentoring and comprehensive after school programming that encourages family involvement.

Discover Our History Discovering Options was founded in 2003 by Charmaine Smith, its current Executive Director. Discovering Options began as a modest, three-person operation, and later grew into a team of four full-time social workers, a development director, a site director, and executive director, seven part-time employees and more than 100 volunteers.

Discover the Community Connection Many students in the Saint Louis Public School District live with multiple risk factors that are predictors for drug use: poverty, family conflict, a lack of commitment to school, behavior problems, and neighborhoods where drugs are easily accessible. These all make a child more likely to use and abuse drugs and alcohol. Everyone at Discovering Options empowers children to make positive life decisions.

Discover Our Partners Saint Louis Public elementary and middle schools partner with Discovering Options to provide our services to their students.

Discover Our Mentors Mentoring increase protective factors such as parent involvement, commitment to school, involvement with positive social activities, bonding and attachment, and positive peer relationships. Discovering Options mentors commit to a minimum of 20 one-hour session with their proteges. Mentors arrange their own schedules and mentors and proteges decide how to spend their time together.