Coaching4Change (C4C) mobilizes college students to serve low-income K-12 school districts, expanding pathways for student success and building a pipeline of future educators. Over the last decade, CEO Marquis Taylor and Co-Founder Pete Berman have developed a model to recruit, train, and place local, diverse, and talented college students to support school improvement initiatives aimed at increasing student engagement and improving school culture and climate. With over 60% of C4C college students identifying as people of color, C4C increases diversity among adult leaders in school buildings who provide individualized attention to the elementary and middle school students they serve. Professional educators supervise and coach the college students, creating a cross-age mentoring model that promotes growth opportunities for all levels of C4C participation.
Each partnership is tailored to meet the needs of the partnering school, including virtual and in-person experiences that can be implemented during the school day, after-school, or during vacation time. C4C co-designs the college student placement experiences with the school partner leadership teams, then continues to provide ongoing support to the college students, school leaders, and supervisors throughout the life of the partnership.