Volunteer College Coach (2026 -2027)

Volunteer College Coach (2026 -2027)

Department: College & Career

Employment Type: Volunteer

Location: New York, NY

Description

ABOUT BREAKTHROUGH NEW YORKBreakthrough New York partners with ambitious, academically motivated, low-income students who aspire to be first generation college graduates. We make a long-term commitment to students on their journey to and through college, unlocking the power of education and a lifetime of opportunity. Our ten-year, tuition-free program arms students with the resources, relationships, and resolve necessary to succeed in high school, in college, and beyond.. Our tuition-free program supports over 500 students and their families from 7th grade through college. We accept middle school students who are furthest from high-quality educational opportunities yet show promise and potential: 99% of students identify as persons of color; 76% qualify for free or reduced lunch; and 66% will be the first in their families to graduate college.
As a ten-year program, Breakthrough New York supports students and their families through key transition points in their academic journeys. We provide academic enrichment through summer and after-school opportunities; coach students to gain admissions into selective high schools and colleges, and expose students to diverse interests and careers so they can shape their own trajectories.
In addition to nurturing individual talent, we cultivate a thriving community of like-minded peers and mentors who encourage each other’s ambitions and passions. Personalized mentorship and holistic support are signature elements of our model, with over 200 near-peer seasonal staff and volunteers who work with students at each stage of our continuum.
The Breakthrough model works: over 98% of Breakthrough students graduate from college preparatory high schools, and 100% are on track to graduate from college. Learn more at Breakthrough NY's website.
ABOUT THE POSITIONAs a volunteer College Coach, you will provide holistic mentorship to a caseload of up to five upperclassmen college students throughout the year to ensure that they have access to resources and guidance to be successful academically and professionally. Working with the Director of the College and Career Program, College Coaches meet (virtually or in-person) with each student on their caseload on a regular basis to check-in and follow-up regarding progress towards key milestones (such as class registration, FAFSA completion and internship placement). This will require building positive, affirming relationships with students and offering guidance relevant to their experience and their goals; following the bimonthly coach checklist to share vital information with students as well as additional resources/updates/etc.; reaching out to students at least four times during each check-in month and communicating with the Director if students are ultimately unresponsive; submitting timely, detailed case notes summarizing coaching sessions with students; and elevating critical student concerns to the Director for additional support.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES WILL INCLUDE

Student Advising and Support (55%):

• Building a positive, authentic relationship with your students in a way that centers their goals and interests and maintains trust through consistency and mutual investment.
• Offering holistic, perspective-affirming support across four main “buckets”: academic progress, career readiness, college affordability, and socioemotional well-being.
• Proactively communicating with students (via text/email) in general, specifically to schedule “coach talks” or check-in sessions, which can be held virtually (over the phone/video call) or in-person. This includes responding to student outreach in a timely manner (as opposed to leaving their messages unanswered). Likewise, coaches are expected to continue to communicate with students who are unresponsive to initial outreach. Coaches should anticipate that students will not be immediately responsive, and plan to reach out at least four times during the month to schedule a coach talk.
• Reviewing bimonthly coach talk checklists in preparation for coach talks to ensure that you share pertinent updates with students, complete required activities together, and understand which key pieces of information to learn from your student to share in case notes.

Caseload Management and Case Note Submission (45%):

• Submitting case notes in a timely manner before the end of each coach talk month. Writing case notes can take as much as 15 minutes (and sometimes longer), so coaches should allot an appropriate amount of time to ensure that they submit quality case notes with punctuality for each student on their caseload.
• Submitting case notes that are specific, substantive, and clear, including references to matters discussed in coach talks with students with the goal of communicating updates in robust detail so that the College team will be kept well-informed of student progress/challenges when reviewing case notes.
• Submitting case notes when students are not responsive to outreach after reaching out at least four times, specifically indicating that students “did not communicate”.
• Communicating critical high-level concerns with the Director of the College and Career Program to triage complex situations that students might navigate, specifically related to their ability to graduate college on-time (such as failing several classes, not being able to afford the semester, etc.) or emergency circumstances concerning their safety and wellbeing.

ROLE CALENDAR

• Coaches MUST be available to meet with each student on their caseload for coach talks during the following months: July, September, November, January, March, and May, for a total of at least SIX coach talks per student.
• Coaches should be available to meet with each student (up to five students) for at least 30 minutes (or up to one hour) on a bimonthly or quarterly basis
• Being available to participate in one session of each the following MANDATORY virtual coach training sessions:
  • College Coach Orientation (June 23 and 24, 2026 from 6PM to 7:30PM).
  • Fall Training (September 8 and 9, 2026 from 6PM to 7:30PM)
  • Winter Training (December 8 and 9, 2026 from 6PM to 7:30PM)
  • Spring Training (March 9 and 10, 2027 from 6PM to 7:30PM)
• Being available for a 1:1 check-in meeting (between January 2027 and March 2027) with the Director, College and Career, regarding the students on your caseload and their progress so far.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree is required
• Near-peer preferred; NYC-based preferred
• In-depth understanding of the current postsecondary education landscape and/or current trends in your industry preferred
• Experience working with youth/coaching young people towards specific goals and/or through obstacles
• Ability to engage effectively with youth across diverse backgrounds, including those from historically underserved communities
• Relative flexibility in weekly schedule to accommodate coach talks with students
• Passionate about connecting youth with folks in your community/network to support career development
• Can commit to one-year of support
• Demonstrates commitment to in BTNY’s Core Values