How Coaching Helps Students

COACHING HELPS STUDENT'S

Here are three ways coaches help 21st Century Scholars:

1. Balance competing demands. Students from low-income backgrounds often struggle to balance work and family obligations with the demands of their college course loads. Coaches help these students prepare for success by realistically examining their competing commitments and devising smart ways to prioritize and tackle them. If expectations are realistic, student motivation increases to carry on through inevitable setbacks.

2. Cultivate a success mindset. In addition to competing demands on their time, first-generation students often have trouble finding their place in the college environment and may
doubt their ability to succeed. Coaches help students develop a sense of belonging by normalizing the college experience and reassuring them that they’re “college-ready." For many of these students, their coaches are the first to truly see them for who they are and what they can accomplish, as well as believe in their abilities to overcome any obstacles.

3. Build skills for the workforce and lifelong success. Just as education is a longitudinal process, so is a career path. One workshop on the penultimate day of a course isn’t going to make students career-ready. Instead, coaches discuss career plans with students throughout their time at school to ensure they build the skills needed to succeed in a competitive job market. It’s an ongoing process, and colleges and universities that focus on helping students succeed after graduation will see those efforts pay off with higher persistence and completion rates.

A Brighter Future on the Horizon.

While the coaches in Indiana currently work with scholars only during their first year of study, they’ve already made a significant impact. At the end of its first year of implementation, the 21st Century Scholars Coaching Initiative saw retention rates of students moving into their second year increase by roughly 15% over historical figures.

The expansion of the program to two additional Indiana universities at the start of the current academic year is evidence of its continuing success. Other states, including Ohio and Minnesota, are looking at the program as a model to create and implement their own coaching initiatives.