Serve your community for a year as an AmeriCorps member with College Possible!

About College Possible: As one of the largest and most successful college access and success programs in the country, since 2000 College Possible has helped more than 80,000 students from under-represented communities get into and through college through an intensive curriculum of coaching and support. Its pioneering model matches students with a near-peer coach and an evidence-based curriculum designed to help students overcome the most common barriers to getting into college and completing their degree - all at no cost to students or their families. Nationwide, College Possible students are three times more likely to earn a bachelor's degree within six years than their peers from similar backgrounds.

College Possible is a proud AmeriCorps program. AmeriCorps is a federal agency that brings people together to tackle the country's most pressing challenges through national service. Our AmeriCorps members commit to a year of service as a College Possible coach in communities throughout the country. Many coaches represent the identities of the students they serve, and each brings a commitment to social justice and closing the college equity divide.

Our near-peer coaching model has earned national recognition: the inaugural Evergreen National Education Award recognized our leadership in increasing access to and success in college for students from low-income backgrounds. It also earns top-of-field results: a Harvard study found that the program more than doubles a student's chance of enrolling in a four-year college, and our students are four times more likely to become college graduates than their low-income peers. College Possible has an annual operating budget of $33 million, more than 200 full-time employees and more than 300 AmeriCorps and VISTA service members. During the 2021-2022 school year, we reached an estimated 24,000 students nationwide. During the 2021-2022 school year, we reached an estimated 24,000 students nationwide.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

College Possible is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, and seeks to build a diverse workforce to create impact in partnership with the communities we serve. We welcome a diverse pool of qualified applicants. For each of its positions, College Possible is mindful about what best serves our students, and seeks to hire staff with relevant experience, skills and aptitude, and a commitment to the power of education. To learn more, read our Diversity and Inclusion Plan.

Headquartered in Saint Paul, MN, College Possible operates: regional sites in Chicago, IL; Milwaukee, WI; Omaha, NE; Philadelphia, PA; Portland, OR; and Seattle, WA; College Forward in Austin, TX; and Catalyze partnerships in California, Iowa, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, and Tennessee. Learn more at CollegePossible.org.

Open positions at other College Possible sites and our Catalyze university partner campuses include:

College Access Coach

Full-time, in-person coaching role to support high school juniors or seniors. 10-11 month service term. Available in the following locations: Chicago, IL; Milwaukee, WI; Omaha, NE; Philadelphia, PA; Portland, OR; Seattle, WA; and St. Paul, MN.

College Success Coach

Full-time, tech-connected coaching role to support college students. 10-11 month service term. Available in the following locations: Chicago, IL; Milwaukee, WI; Omaha, NE; Philadelphia, PA; Portland, OR; Seattle, WA; and St. Paul, MN.

Catalyze College Success Coach

Full-time, in person, on-campus coaching role to support college students enrolled on Catalyze partner campuses. 12-month service term. Available at the following college campuses: California State University - Stanislaus, California State University - San Bernardino, University of California - Santa Cruz, Metro State University, University of Cincinnati, Vaughn College.

Transition Coach

Part-time tech-connected coaching support to serve incoming college freshman. 3-month service term. Available at select regional site locations.

Community Partners Team Member

Full time, in-person, event planning and community engagement role. Positions typically work from site office locations. 10-11 month service term. Available at select regional site locations.

So what is AmeriCorps? When you think of AmeriCorps, think of the Peace Corps but in your own backyard. AmeriCorps is a civil society program supported by the U.S. federal government, foundations, corporations and other donors engaging adults in public service work with a goal of "helping others and meeting critical needs in the community." Not only do College Possible AmeriCorps members make a difference in their community, they gain valuable experience for their next job or graduate school endeavor.

Catalyze is College Possible's newest initiative to impact student persistence and success directly on college campuses. Our model is unique in the way it helps colleges build capacity to serve their students by embedding our near-peer coaching model and curriculum on their campus. Using this partnership model, College Possible extends the reach of a college's existing student support services, increases student retention rates and closes the opportunity gap for students from low-income backgrounds.

About Catalyze

While more than 30% of aspiring college grads come from low-income backgrounds, they are graduating at rates significantly lower than their higher-income peers.1 A systemic lack of equitable academic prep, fragmented resources, complex college systems, and resource-constrained staff have created unfair barriers for these students.

With 20 years of proven success, College Possible near-peer coaches have become a critical factor in sustained retention - and graduation - of this valuable sector of post-secondary students.

College Possible's Catalyze program provides trained, on-campus AmeriCorps coaches, program administration support, and a proprietary coaching curriculum that adds capacity for better student retention. Catalyze coaches extend the reach of already existing campus resources.

With the support of proactive, high-touch interventions from their trusted Catalyze coach, college students:

• Understand, navigate and use more on-campus and community resources
• Form supportive peer groups and campus relationships critical to their success
• Stay on track academically and complete more college credits
• Navigate common social and academic challenges affecting first-to-second year retention
• Build confidence in securing financial aid and scholarship opportunities
• Grow in effective budgeting and time management skills

Catalyze is College Possible's unique near-peer coaching solution, designed to help our higher ed institutional partners ensure success for students from lower-income backgrounds.

Catalyze Success Coach Job Description

Our success coaches serve as AmeriCorps members, and are recent college graduates themselves, many from similar backgrounds as the students they support. Coaches provide targeted, proactive support to foster college success by addressing students' common academic, financial and personal barriers. Each coach is physically located at the university, maintains a full-time presence on campus, and engages in the university environment alongside their students, either in person or virtually.

Catalyze Coaches serve in person for at least 12 months and report to a full-time staff member at the institution, typically in the student success office. Coaches guide students as they navigate the milestones, like course registration and financial aid renewal, and on-campus resources, like academic advising and one-stop service centers, essential to graduating from college. Coaches proactively communicate every month with the 140 students assigned to their portfolio. They help connect the students to services already available on campus, plan events for students and introduce students to meaningful opportunities.

Coaches are fully trained in the developmental relationships framework and on narrative based coaching techniques to help them become proficient at building student-centered relationships. They receive 3 full weeks of synchronous and asynchronous onboarding prior to working with students, and ongoing weekly professional development throughout their term of service. Coaches across all partner campuses form a community of practice to share best practices and bright ideas. Additionally, coaches track and progress monitor their work in our customized Salesforce database, helping them develop valuable data management skills applicable to any profession they may pursue after their term(s) of service ends.

Terms of service run from September, 2022 through August, 2023, and are renewable based on performance.

Major Duties

• Communicate with program participants, College Possible members and staff in person and via email, phone, and other technology tools
• Track and record case notes and program participant milestone completion in Salesforce daily
• Interact daily and work 1:1 with 140 students assigned to portfolio
• Collaborate with campus offices across departments and identify resources for student success
• Participate in all online training, orientations and staff meetings
• Scheduling, planning and executing student events to increase program engagement and visibility of the program on the campus
• Maintain office hours
• Weekly check-in with supervisory staff
• Maintain a professional and courteous office atmosphere

AmeriCorps Benefits:

Benefits include a biweekly living allowance, health coverage and an Education Award of $6,495* that can be used to repay federal student loans or pay future education expenses. Some student loans may be deferred. A 10- or 12-month commitment (depending on position) beginning in August of 2022 is required.

• For full time AmeriCorps state and national service members. Additional benefits may be available for some service positions. Please refer to the individual job description for details.

Additional Benefits Offer By California State University, San Bernardino

• Free parking

Required Skills:

Four-year college degree is required. Ideal applicants will have demonstrated leadership skills, a high level of achievement in academics, employment and/or other pursuits, and a commitment to the mission of College Possible. Applicants of all academic majors are welcome to apply. Please visit www.CollegePossible.org/Serve to learn more about College Possible and AmeriCorps service.

Equal Opportunity Employer

College Possible is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment regardless of their race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, or status with regard to public assistance. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. We provide reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals and conduct all possible activities in fully accessible settings.