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Across the country, educators and communities are grappling with a shared question: how do we ensure every student has the support they need to thrive—academically and interpersonally? One innovative answer is gaining momentum: student success coaching.

Now, with the expansion of the , even more schools and communities are poised to benefit from this powerful approach.

This week, City Year announced its first cohort of seven partner organizations in New York State:

• ��(Brooklyn),��promoting��positive outcomes for children and adults in Sunset Park, Brooklyn through the provision of a comprehensive range of neighborhood-based family and social services.
• ��(National,��New York City),��dedicated to��ensuring that every child in under-resourced communities has access to the academic, social, emotional and mentorship support needed to graduate from high school, pursue post-secondary opportunities, and achieve their full potential.
• ��(serving all five NYC boroughs, Rochester and Buffalo),��a��literacy and youth development organization that delivers one-to-one, evidence-based reading tutoring through trained, paid teen leaders, strengthening early reading skills for young students while building leadership and workforce pathways for the teens who serve as tutors.
• ��(Buffalo),��a��workforce development��organization that equips program participants with the skills to achieve their greatest potential through service and community impact, making this dual approach our organization’s defining feature and identity.
• ��(Westchester County),��creating��pathways to college and career success��through a proven approach grounded in��high expectations, personalized opportunities, and community partnerships, supporting��students from high school through college and into rewarding careers. Learn more at ypie.org.
• , an education and youth development organization that recruits AmeriCorps members to serve students in local Buffalo schools as student success coaches, helping students engage more deeply with their learning, develop critical interpersonal skills and stay on track to high school graduation and college and career success. City Year Buffalo also provides career pathway support for its AmeriCorps members, helping them to thrive in the workforce after service.
• (NYC), an education and youth development organization that recruits AmeriCorps members to serve students in New York City Public Schools as student success coaches, helping students engage more deeply with their learning, develop critical interpersonal skills, and stay on track to high school graduation and college and career success. City Year New York also provides career pathway support for its AmeriCorps members, helping them to thrive in the workforce after service.

“Read Alliance imagines young people stepping into their power and potential as readers and leaders. Through meaningful paid work and opportunities that open doors to their future, we are helping them build both confidence and pathways forward,” said Executive Director of Read Alliance Danielle Guindo.

“We value joining and learning with other like-minded organizations in the Student Success Coach Learning Network��who invest in this growth.”

What is student success coaching?

At its core, student success coaching is a relationship-centered approach to supporting students. Unlike traditional academic interventions that focus exclusively on grades or test scores, student success coaching recognizes that learning is deeply connected to a student’s overall well-being.

By building trust and connection with students over time, student success coaches are uniquely positioned to build positive “ with the students they interact with every day—relationships that help students discover who they are and want to be.

City Year AmeriCorps members are student success coaches.

A student success coach is a trained, consistent, caring adult, usually ages 17 to 25, who serves��as a tutor, mentor and near-peer role model to students in schools. Most student success coaches (SSCs) serve through the national AmeriCorps program, and they receive a bi-weekly stipend to help cover living expenses as well as other benefits, including a Segal Education Award that can be used for past student loans or future study.

Student success coaches work directly with students to:

• Build strong, trusting relationships
• Improve attendance and engagement
• Strengthen core academic skills, particularly in English Language Arts and mathematics
• Support goal-setting and academic habits
• Help navigate challenges inside and outside the classroom

Student success coaches serve in under-resourced schools, helping to expand school capacity. SSCs partner with��classroom teachers during the school day and through extended-day programs to support student learning, confidence, resilience, interpersonal skill development such as teamwork and communication, and a sense of belonging.

SSCs strive to keep students on track to high school graduation and college and career success, by contributing to stronger and healthier school ecosystems where everyone can thrive—both students and the adults who work with them.

“We at Center for Family Life in Sunset Park are grateful for the opportunity to participate in the Student Success Coach Learning Network and join a collaborative network of other New York organizations committed to growing the next generation of mentors and role models,” said Executive Director Julia Jean-Francois. “The SSCLN allows us to learn and grow alongside others, sharing best practices that strengthen our SSCs’ development and the outcomes they help drive for students.”

Additional benefits of student success coaching

As student success coaches help students engage more deeply with their learning, they, too, are gaining new “durable” skills most in demand by employers today, giving them an advantage in a competitive hiring environment.

Also important: many student success coaches decide to enter teacher training programs after their year of service. More than a third of student success coaches go on to pursue careers in education as teachers, counselors and other school-based roles, strengthening the education talent pipeline.

“Ensuring every student��has the opportunity to��succeed requires an all-hands-on-deck approach,” said President & CEO, “I Have��A��Dream” Foundation Sarah Morgenthau.

“And this partnership enables us to continue to actively build the skills and confidence that students in our local New York communities need to succeed in today’s and tomorrow’s workforce.”

Learning from California: The first SSC Learning Network

The first Student Success Coach Learning Network was launched in California, supported by a $20 million investment from California Governor Gavin Newsom. The network brought together schools, districts and nonprofit partners to implement and refine student success coaching at scale, through the support of California Volunteers. Since 2022, the California network has deployed more than 1,000 student success coaches across 30+ communities, supporting over 75,000 students through 14 partner organizations. In California, the network has:

• Connected organizations and educators committed to student support
• Shared best practices and data-driven strategies
• Built a community of learning and continuous improvement

This collaborative model has been critical. Rather than working in isolation, participating sites learn from each other—testing approaches, sharing what works, and adapting to meet local needs.

The has demonstrated that student success coaching can be a scalable, impactful strategy. Early outcomes have shown improvements in key areas such as attendance, student engagement, and stronger relationships between students and adults at school.

Perhaps just as important, the California experience has proven that coaching works best when it’s supported by a network—a community that provides training, shared tools, and ongoing collaboration.

Bringing the model to New York state

Building on this success, a new Student Success Coach Learning Network pilot is now launching in New York state, creating new opportunities to support students at a critical time.

“We are thrilled to participate in the Student Success Coach Learning Network and connect with organizations across New York that are committed to improving student outcomes,” said Jasmarie Flores, Director, ABLE Operations, The Service Collaborative of WNY.

“The opportunity to learn from peers, share ideas, and strengthen our approach through collaboration will help us better support students and continue building meaningful partnerships in our��community.”

The New York pilot network aims to:

1. Strengthen Student Outcomes

By embedding student success coaches in more schools, the network aims to help improve attendance, academic performance, and student engagement—particularly for students who may be at risk of falling behind.

Coaches will focus not only on academics but support whole-child development by helping students develop the interpersonal competencies they need to succeed both in school and the workforce.

2. Expand youth-focused and education talent pathways

There is a long tail wind effect we can create through building a sustainable talent pipeline. Student success coaches are not only supporting students today — they’re often future educators, counselors and youth development leaders. The Learning Network helps to expand pathways into those careers, further benefiting schools and communities.

3. Build a Statewide Community of Practice

Just like in California, New York’s network will connect schools, districts and organizations to:

• Share insights and strategies
• Learn from real-world implementation
• Continuously improve coaching practices

Big picture vision: Advance educational opportunity

The network is designed to ensure that all students—especially those in underserved communities—have access to consistent, high-quality support. Student success coaching can be a powerful tool for closing opportunity gaps and ensuring every student has a champion in their corner.

“The in New York is about connecting the dots between proven programs, shared learning, and a career pathway,” said City Year Chief Transformation Officer Stephanie Wu. “Scaling in this way is good for everyone.”

Why expanding student success coaching matters now

Students today are navigating unprecedented challenges, from academic disruptions to mental health needs. Schools are doing everything they can—but they can’t do it alone.

“We’re grateful to be part of the Student Success Coach Learning Network and to collaborate with organizations across New York that share a commitment to student success,” said Yonkers Partners in Education CEO.

“This initiative will help more YPIE students access the support they need on their paths to college and career success, while also creating meaningful opportunities for young people to develop as mentors, educators, and community leaders.”

The expansion of the SSC Learning Network to New York represents a collaborative, scalable solution. By combining local expertise with shared learning across a network, this initiative helps ensure that student success coaching is not just effective—but sustainable and impactful over time.

Looking ahead

As the New York State network grows, it has the potential to transform how schools support students. By centering relationships, building community, and learning together, the Student Success Coach Learning Network is helping redefine what student success looks like—and how we achieve it.

Our partners and we believe that every student deserves a network of support, including additional caring adults like student success coaches, who believe in them, support them, and help them succeed.

With student success coaching—and the expansion of this network—that vision is becoming a reality for more students.

Learn more about the pilot.