YIELD

YIELD is modeled after the Leadership North Iowa program. The acronym stands for Youth Investing Energy in Leadership Development. In 2003, the Chamber partnered with the Mason City Youth Task Force to develop leadership skills in promising young adults by forging a connection between youth and the business community. Local business has a huge stake in area youth as future workers and leaders.

The class is comprised of high school juniors from Mason City High School and Newman Catholic High School. Chamber members generously share their knowledge and resources to serve as speakers at YIELD sessions. The course consists of 10 modules and each class selects and completes a Community Impact Project. Examples of Community Impact Projects include advocating for an ordinance restricting the sale of pseudoephedrine within Mason City, making fleece blankets for children in need, and creating interactive sidewalk paintings throughout Mason City.

The YIELD program has become a model for other communities interested in providing leadership training to youth. School administrators report that YIELD graduates are among their most successful and engaged students.

Nominate a student (current sophomore) no later than April 15 by contacting Allyson Krull. Nominees will be sent an application due May 13 and selections will be made by May 30.

2025 Community Impact Project: The Social Study

Each year, YIELD students complete a Community Impact Project as part of their graduation requirement, and this year’s class chose to transform a vacant storefront in Southbridge Mall into a student study and lounge space. Their vision is to create a safe, welcoming, and affordable environment where area high school students can study, relax, and connect—while also bringing new life to a long-unused space in the downtown mall.

“The Social Study” will launch in January and operate throughout the school year, open to high school students on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 4:30–6:30 PM and Wednesdays from 3:30–5:30 PM. The project is student-run, staffed by YIELD participants and other youth groups who have volunteered to support the effort.

To prepare the space, the class completed minor aesthetic updates, including fresh paint and carpet cleaning, and put in hours of hands-on work. They gathered donations of gently used furniture, recruited peer groups to assist with staffing, and marketed the space to local students.

Special thanks to Brick Furniture, O’Brien Moving & Storage, Barber’s Premier Carpet Cleaning, Sherwin Williams, and generous individual donors for helping make the project possible.

Iowa weather contributed to missing paint and rust on the popular pedestrian bridge. YIELD students spent several October afternoons painting 900 ft of iron guardrail at this historic attraction. Once work started, the group quickly learned while the project wasn’t an exceedingly difficult task to complete, the structure was much longer than they had
anticipated and it took more time than originally planned. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the students, Mason City’s iconic “The Music Man” Footbridge built in 1940, is looking like new. In November, YIELD students were awarded the 2023 City of Mason City’s Volunteer Award for the community impact projects completed in recent years, including their work on the footbridge.

“I feel very honored that I had the opportunity to do this because it’s such a special part of Mason City and it’s just a really important part of our history, and I feel honored that I could help restore it.” – Claire Sampson, 2023 YIELD Student

Sponsorship Opportunities

We are able to offer this program free to students, from the help of our sponsors. Please consider sponsoring the YIELD program with a $100 contribution. In recognition for your sponsorship we will list your business in marketing materials.

Please contact Allyson at the Chamber if you’re interested in becoming a sponsor.

2025 YIELD Sponsors

AERON Advanced Manufacturing ▪ Ag Processing, Inc. ▪ Alliant Energy ▪ Alpha Orthodontics Powered by Smile Doctors ▪ Applebee’s Grill + Bar ▪ Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling  ▪ Bergland + Cram Architects, Inc. ▪ Burgmeier Dentistry ▪ Bushel Boy Farms ▪ Cargill Protein ▪ CENT Credit Union ▪ Central Park Dentistry ▪ CENTURY 21 Preferred ▪ Cerro Gordo Abstract Company ▪ Chevron Renewable Energy Group ▪ Children’s Dental Center of Mason City ▪ Church & Dwight Co., Inc. ▪ CL Tel/Clear Lake Independent Phone Company ▪ Clear Lake Bank & Trust Co. ▪ Country Inn & Suites By Radisson, Mason City ▪ CURRIES ▪ Dental Center of North Iowa ▪ Dev Partners ▪ Diamond Jo Casino & Hotel – Worth Co. ▪ Drs. Otto & Kotecki Family Dentistry ▪ Edward Jones – Sara Carlsson, CFP ▪ Edwards-Brandt & Associates ▪ Fareway Stores, Inc. #491 ▪ Farmers State Bank ▪ First Citizens Bank ▪ First Security Bank & Trust ▪ Five Star Cooperative – New Hampton ▪ Fleet Farm ▪ Golden Grain Energy LLC ▪ Hampton Inn & Suites ▪ Hearing Associates ▪ Heartland Asphalt, Inc. ▪ Heidelberg Materials ▪ Henkel Construction Co. ▪ Hogan – Hansen, P.C. ▪ Hosmer Honda ▪ Hosmer Toyota ▪ Hy-Vee East ▪ Hy-Vee West ▪ Jane Fischer and Associates LLC ▪ KAAL TV ▪ KIMT-TV, MY3.2 TV ▪ Kraft Heinz ▪ KT Facilitation ▪ Laird Law Firm PLC ▪ Lake Pin & Play  ▪ Martin-Brower ▪ Mason City Ambulatory Surgery Center ▪ Mason City Ford Chrysler ▪ Masonite International ▪ McDonald’s Restaurant ▪ McKesson Corporation ▪ Mechanical Air Systems ▪ Mediacom Business ▪ MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center ▪ Metalcraft, Inc. ▪ Metronet Inc ▪ Midwest Duct Works ▪ Mid-West Roofing Company/Custom SheetMetal Works ▪ Moorman Clothiers ▪ New Energy Freedom ▪ Newman Catholic School System ▪ North Iowa Community Credit Union ▪ North Iowa Cooperative ▪ North Iowa Eye Clinic, P.C. ▪ North Iowa Orthodontics ▪ NSB Bank ▪ Nutra Blend, LLC ▪ NutriQuest, LLC ▪ One Vision ▪ Overhead Door Company of Mason City ▪ Owen Prairie Windfarm ▪ Ozzie Ohl ▪ Pappajohn, Shriver, Eide & Nielsen P.C. ▪ POET Bioprocessing – Hanlontown ▪ Principal Financial Group ▪ Pritchard Companies ▪ Reflections Salon ▪ Southwick Technologies ▪ Stellar Industries ▪ STIFEL – David Morgan, Greg Braun, and Tom Sernett ▪ Sukup Manufacturing Co. ▪ Sun Ventures LLC ▪ Talon LLC ▪ The Nettleton Dental Group, PC ▪ The River ▪ The Window Source of Mason City ▪ U.S. Bank ▪ Wal-Mart SuperCenter ▪ Wealth Progression Group ▪ Welcome Home Staging ▪ WHKS Engineers, Planners & Surveyors ▪ Woodharbor Custom Cabinetry & Design Showroom

YIELD Alumni

The YIELD program started as a partnership with the Mason City Youth Task Force in 2003. Click here to view the full list of YIELD Alumni.