On Aug. 15, College Possible Omaha onboarded a new cohort of AmeriCorps service members to Welcome Weeks, a three-week intensive training period designed to prepare members for their new roles as College Possible coaches.
We are delighted to welcome our dedicated 2022–23 AmeriCorps cohort,” said College Possible Omaha Executive Director Arvin Frazier. “We equally look forward to their impact on the lives of talented students they will serve.”
Over the next 10 months, AmeriCorps members will continue to receive targeted instruction to enhance both their professional and personal development while they support College Possible students on their journeys to and through college.
I look forward to growing personally and professionally. I’m excited to get to know a new set of AmeriCorps members and to serve as a college coach,” said Angel M., an AmeriCorps member returning to College Possible Omaha.
During the three Welcome Weeks, coaches undergo training on various topics to ensure they’ll succeed in their new roles. Week One focused on administrative and employment requirements, getting to know College Possible’s culture, and getting to know one another. On Aug. 18, we held an AmeriCorps alumni event so members from years past could network with the new cohort.
In Week Two, coaches continued to learn more about our curriculum and programming and build on their coaching skills. Members attended a training led by Project Harmony to address child abuse and neglect and offer instruction on mandatory reporting. On Aug. 23, members attended a special performance of playwright Heidi Schreck’s What the Constitution Means to Me at the Holland Performing Arts Center.
Week Three will close out the intensive training with more instruction on how to lead coaching sessions, and coaches will make their first calls to the students they will serve.
I am chasing impact. I was in the program myself and wanted to give back to the organization that helped me,” said Say M., a new AmeriCorps member at College Possible Omaha. “Without College Possible I wouldn’t have known the steps it takes to get into college.”
The entirety of the intensive training was carefully planned and facilitated by the program leadership team: Director of College Success Alisha Limoges, Director of College Access Aminatu Issaka, Recruitment and Training Coordinator Jasmine McCain, Senior High School Program Coordinator Brian McNeill, Senior College Program Coordinator Mallory Johnson, High School Program Coordinator Christina Jelinek, and College Program Coordinator Liz Kurtz.
While intense, the training weeks also set the foundation for coaches to begin building a rapport with one another and to engage in discovery activities meant to solidify AmeriCorps members and leadership staff as one team focused on adhering to College Possible’s mission.
Welcome Weeks ensure coaches get started on the same footing,” said Recruitment and Training Coordinator Jasmine McCain. “They have an opportunity to align in College Possible’s vision, build community within their team, and encourage one another—creating a firm foundation as they begin their direct service of our students.”
