College Pathway Coach

Description

Organizational Overview: 

We’re thrilled you’re considering Onward We Learn as an employer. 

Since 1989, Onward We Learn has worked to inspire and prepare young people in Rhode Island to be the first in their families to attend and complete college. Nearly four decades later, that mission remains at the heart of everything we do. 

As we look toward the future, Onward We Learn is entering an exciting new chapter. In late 2025, our Board of Directors approved a two-year strategic plan focused on strengthening our impact, deepening collaboration, and building a more responsive and sustainable organization. 

As part of this organizational realignment, we’re hiring for several new and reimagined roles at once. These openings reflect intentional growth and investment in our future. We’re building a strong, people-centered, mission-driven team equipped to support students and families for years to come. 

This is an exciting moment to join Onward We Learn. We are proud of the strong culture we’ve built - one rooted in mission, collaboration, care, and continuous learning, and we’re looking for passionate people who want to help shape what comes next. 

Position Purpose: 

The Coach provides individualized, relationship-driven support to a specific group of Onward students and families, guiding them through Onward We Learn’s programs and the college journey. This role manages a caseload of students, offering consistent coaching, goal-setting, and milestone tracking to ensure academic progress and engagement. The Coach uses data and CRM systems to monitor student outcomes, identify trends, and tailor support, while collaborating with internal teams and school partners to coordinate services. Through proactive outreach and strong relationship-building, they help students stay on track toward college access and success.

Role Responsibilities: 

Student Coaching and Support:

• Serve as a point of contact for respective assigned grade bands of Onward students. Outreach to students and families. Responsible for a caseload of 250-300 students.
• Provide guidance through Onward program/services with a scheduled cadence of meetings/check-ins with students based on tier position.
• Assist students in setting realistic academic and personal goals, developing actionable plans with a strong emphasis on college access and awareness, and ensuring students meet critical college pathway milestones.
• Meet weekly and monthly outreach and engagement goals, ensuring broad and sustained student participation across all tiers. 
• Collaborate with internal teams to coordinate services, escalate needs, and align interventions for students requiring additional support, including making weekly specialist referrals. 
• Support a continuum of engagement by helping students move from episodic participation to sustained, transformational involvement in Onward programming. 
• Collaborate with other coaches across grade bands for smooth handoffs, problem-solving, and ensuring high levels of participation amongst students.
• Comply with all relevant school policies and legal requirements, such as mandatory reporting, to ensure the safety and well-being of students.  

Data Use and Continuous Improvement:

• Master Onward’s CRM caseload management modules to maintain accurate and current records of all student and family interactions, including milestone completion, academic progress, services and interventions, and personal/college awareness development.
• Leverage CRM reports to regularly analyze student attendance, academic milestones, achievement of academic goals, and completion of college readiness activities to identify trends in student engagement and assess the effectiveness of programmatic strategies.
• Use data to identify priority students and trends, tailor interventions, and improve overall program effectiveness.

Integration and Impact:

• Maintain good relationships with school partnerships during site visits to meet students for in-person coaching. 
• Regularly communicate with school counselors and families to update them on student progress and program information. 
• Be familiar with and leverage available community resources and partnerships for individual students or the community at large.  

Programming:

• Attend post-secondary events and activities geared toward supporting students and families.  
• Manage and facilitate school vacation and summer programs for a variety of Onward participants.  

Team Collaboration and Professional Development:

• Participate in departmental and other Program meetings to understand organization goals and how the coach role contributes to those objectives.  
• Regularly collaborate with other departments within Onward We Learn to ensure a unified approach to student development and program delivery. 
• Engage in regular professional development opportunities to stay current with secondary educational trends, student counseling, youth mentorship, and youth development best practices. 
• Perform other duties as assigned, necessary to ensure the success of Onward We Learn and to serve our families and students. 

Requirements

 Required 

• Bachelor’s degree in education, human services, or a related field. 
• 2-3 years’ of relevant experience. 
• Demonstrated capacity with case management.  
• Ability to work independently and with a team 
• Exceptional written, oral, and presentation skills with the ability to effectively communicate with students, senior management, staff, and external stakeholders. 
• Ability to take extensive notes and input data into CRM.
• Must be willing to maintain a flexible schedule, including weekend and evening hours. 
• Expected to have reliable transportation and the ability to travel to multiple locations as needed to provide in-person support and services. 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and adaptability to new technology systems. 
• Demonstrated commitment to Onward We Learn’s mission and vision. 

Preferred 

• Master's degree in education, human services, or a related field. 
• Familiarity with the latest trends in the field of college access and success for first-generation students.
• Fluency in languages spoken by Onward We Learn’s students and families. 
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to think outside the box to find solutions.

Total Rewards and Benefits 

Onward We Learn offers a comprehensive benefits package that helps our employees live their best lives and grow personally and professionally. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, flex spending accounts, generous paid time off, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and a 403(b)retirement plan with organizational match.