WHAT YOU’LL DO
As an AmeriCorps Coach, your service will focus on coaching and supporting high school juniors, high school seniors, or current college students who are seeking to earn a college degree. You will be matched as either a high school coach who supports students in understanding, applying, and attending the college of their dreams or a college coach who assists with supporting students in persisting through and graduating from college.
High school coaches will serve primarily inside a partner high school, coaching a caseload of high school juniors and/or seniors as they explore college opportunities and complete the college application process.
College coaches will serve either, tech-connected in a College Possible office, or on a specific college campus. Tech-connected college coaches meet by phone, online messaging, and virtual personal meetings to support students in successfully matriculating through college; assisting in tasks like choosing the correct classes, reapplying for the financial aid and scholarships, college success skill-building, and addressing specific student needs as they arise.
YOUR ROLES AND RESPONSIBLITIES
As a valued member of the College Possible community, you will share in some or all the responsibilities listed below. If you have not done all these things, that is okay. We don’t expect you to come in knowing how to do them and provide three weeks of training at the beginning of the year and continuous professional development throughout the year to support you. Plus, you will work with College Possible program, school, and institution staff every step of the way.
College Access Coach (High School Coach)
- Teach college preparatory classes for 40 or more underserved high school students at local high school campus(es)
- Ensure that students consistently receive the highest quality of services, that school partner needs are met, and that each student makes satisfactory progress toward program goals
- Provide 1-on-1 coaching to students to develop their college plan
- Gain and maintain knowledge of all students’ interests, needs, and backgrounds
- Perform follow-up parent/student phone calls
- Collect, organize, and maintain student and program documents
- Update the database and spreadsheet files on a weekly basis; maintain student records and statistics
- Provide mid-year and end of year-end progress reports for all students
- Coordinate with the College Success Team to provide college transition services to graduating high school seniors
- Submit weekly timesheets, periodic reports (i.e., monthly reports, self-evaluations, and supervisor evaluations), and other service-related documentation as required
- Attend required programmatic and community service events
College Success Coach (College Coach)
- Contact one’s assigned collegians once per month by phone, email, online messaging, and possible personal meetings to address specific needs and troubleshoot problems that may arise
- Provide students direct high school to college transition coaching and support in areas including, but not limited to new student orientation, course registration, financial aid/FAFSA issues, college transfers, career development, and other miscellaneous issues. Conduct research, provide referrals, arrange meetings, and accompany students to appointments as necessary
- Provide extended support and create personalized action plans for students in “red flag” situations, including loss of financial aid, family crises, drop-outs, stop-outs, deferrals, MIA students, and students enrolled in two-year colleges
- Network and collaborate with university staff within academic advising, financial aid, and student support offices
- Utilize national college enrollment databases and request school transcripts to confirm college enrollment, track, document, and report collegian progress toward college graduation
- Organize and maintain up-to-date student information on student progress including milestones and deliverables in databases and physical files; monitor success program statistics; produce reports as needed
- Submit weekly timesheets, periodic reports (i.e., monthly reports, self-evaluations, and supervisor evaluations), and other service-related documentation as required
- Attend required programmatic and community service events
OTHER INITITAVES
- Participate in all in-person and online trainings, orientations, and staff meetings
- Participate in organization-wide events
- Weekly check-in with supervisory staff
- Maintain a professional and courteous office atmosphere
- Successfully complete the required 1700 service hours
Note: As appropriate to the activity and at the direction of the school district, college partner, and/or College Possible your service, training and development may be delivered in-person or through a virtual platform such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom or Google Classrooms.
COLLEGE POSSIBLE BENEFITS
- Medical, Vision, Dental Insurance
- Employee Assistance Program
- Bi-weekly living stipend (the 2022-23 stipend is $19,800 and is subject to change)
- Workers’ compensation
- Benefits specific to College Possible location
- College Possible Alumni Network
- College Possible / AmeriCorps apparel and gear
- Professional skill and career development opportunities that transitions into any industry after you leave College Possible
AMERICORPS AND OTHER FEDERALLY-ISSUED BENEFITS
- Segal AmeriCorps Education Award (currently $6,495 and can be used to repay federal loans or pay for future education expenses)
- Childcare benefits paid by AmeriCorps
- Loan forbearance and interest accrual payments for qualified student loans
- Time accrual toward the U.S. Department of Education’s Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
- Income-based Loan Repayment Plan (IBR)
ELIGIBILITY REQUIRMENTS
College Possible AmeriCorps Coaches are as diverse as the communities we serve. We’re looking for you if you want to build yourself, give back and ready to make a difference.
- Applicants must have obtained a Bachelor’s degree by the time of service.
- Ideal applicants possess a sincere interest in empowering youth and a passion for higher education.
- Applicants should possess strong interpersonal, organizational, and research skills to assist College Possible with providing college success services to students.
- Applicants of all academic majors are welcome to apply. Once hired, individuals will receive extensive training and ongoing support from full-time College Possible program staff.
Please visit www.CollegePossible.org/serve to learn more about College Possible and serving with our organization!