On Monday, August 12, College Possible sites across the country will welcome more than 200 AmeriCorps members. These AmeriCorps members will spend the next 1,700 hours completing their year of service, acting as a critical support system to the students they serve. Dubbed “Welcome Weeks,” the month of August is our opportunity to introduce new AmeriCorps members to what their daily responsibilities will be as they begin working with the students we serve. “I love Welcome Weeks” says Senior Program Manager James Corbet. “It’s a new start each year, and it gives us the chance to really come together as a team and build our energy before heading into the schools.”
“Kicking off Welcome Weeks is a testament to the summer work of the program’s leadership team” says Senior Director of Programs BG Tucker. “Folks have spent months reflecting on the wins from last year’s training sequence, AmeriCorps support systems and community culture. These first three weeks are very intense for new coaches as they absorb everything from office logistics to learning the higher education landscape in Minnesota to connecting with their support team for the coming year. I hope that coaches come out of Welcome Weeks ready to start the first day with their students and fully understand that we are committed to their continued learning and joy as their students move through the application cycle.”
These first three weeks of training give AmeriCorps members a chance to get to know each other and the leadership staff team, as well as introduce them to College Possible programming and learn how their role as a coach fit within College Possible. “The energy that all of the new and returning coaches bring is such a great way to kick off the year” says Senior Program Manager Nick Dalton. “It’s a reminder how many people deeply care about our work towards educational equity. The AmeriCorps members who are returning for a second term of service are such leaders and play an important role in the welcoming and onboarding of new coaches.”
Why is this year different?
This year’s Welcome Weeks looks slightly different from previous years. Since moving the College Success team to a full-time advising specialist leadership model, the programs team can focus on the role of High School Access coaches. Previous years have been packed with training sessions and many coaches felt overloaded with information. This year, each week of training will focus on a larger topic: week one will introduce coaches to higher education, week two will focus on working in high schools, and week three will explore what working one-on-one with students looks like. By having these weekly themes, coaches will be able to retain more information and head into the school year feeling more confident. “Welcome Weeks isn’t just about equipping coaches with the knowledge and technical skills they need to be successful,” Nick continues, “but it’s also to establish trust and community across our team, especially for new members.”
Sessions
Coaches will attend several sessions, with either their Minnesota cohort or the entire College Possible organization and will include sessions about:
- How to partner with high schools and higher education institutions
- How to support students in a one-on-one capacity
- The components of the College Possible evidence-based curriculum
- How to effectively conduct student recruitment
- Concepts for classroom management
“The onboarding of our coaching team, Welcome Weeks, always makes me a bit nostalgic for when I was onboarded as a coach” says Senior Program Coordinator Brendan Klein. “The excitement you feel when meeting your co-workers and learning about your ability to help address these systemic inequalities helps fuel your motivation to do the hard work ahead. Even now, I still feel motivated from the first few weeks I had with the organization because College Possible made me feel the excitement of using my time doing purposeful work.”
