The Fostering Success Coaching Institute
provides training designed for professionals who are working with students and youth who have experienced foster care or adverse childhood experiences.
The Fostering Success Coaching Model really works, for my clients and anyone else who may need help to reach a goal. It is a real paradigm shift from ‘We will identify everything you need to do to fix your problems and you only need to comply’ to ‘You can fix it yourself with help…
Gerrie Miller
MDHHS Foster Care Professional
I have had the privilege of a great deal of professional development during my 15+ years in the fields of education and social work. Very little has been as transformative as the Fostering Success Coach Training, which is hands down the best, most comprehensive model for serving students impacted by trauma.
Gabrielle Ridley
Guardian Scholars Coordinator
Going through coach training was a very informative and eye-opening experience. My greatest takeaway was developing the ability to work through the coaching framework while remaining present and conversing naturally with students. This unique opportunity has already changed my work life in such a positive way.
Tamara Toutant
Seita Scholars Campus Coach
About Us
Vision & Goals
Our Team
ICF Certification
Payment & Policies
Participant Requirements
Coaching Affiliates
Our Model's Approach
The Fostering Success Coach Model can be applied as a full program of support or adapted as a core skill set for educational advisors, educational mentors, and other professionals providing support to young people. A set of sequential trainings provide instruction, practice, and expert feedback to professionals interested in incorporating coaching techniques into their work with students.
Our Vision
The Fostering Success Coaching Institute trains professionals with the Fostering Success Coach Model in order to increase national rates of post-secondary education access, success, and graduation among students who have experienced foster care.
Program History
The Fostering Success Coach Model was developed within the Seita Scholars Program, a campus support program for students from foster care at Western Michigan University. Development of the model began in 2008 and evolved over time by partnering with students who shared their experiences of attending college after time spent in foster care. The model developers sought to ground their understanding of these student experiences in the most recent theory and research available, refined it by internal program evaluation, and shaped it by clinical-level scrutiny. In 2013 the FS Coach Training, which teaches professionals the Fostering Success Coaching Model, was piloted with over 50 professionals in Michigan; since then over 1,000 professionals across the country have been trained as Fostering Success Coaches.
Program Goals:
1. Increase availability of high quality resources and expert training for professionals who are supporting students from foster care in educational settings.
2. Increase numbers of trained, skilled professionals providing integrative support to youth and students from foster care or who have had adverse childhood experiences through the implementation of the Fostering Success Coaching Model.
3. Increase numbers of youth and students from foster care or who have had adverse childhood experiences earning post-secondary degrees and becoming professionally employed.
4. Create a strong and enduring networks addressing needs of youth and alumni of foster care in relation to higher education and career.
What is ICF?
ICF is the International Coaching Federation and is considered the Gold Standard of Coaching.
“ICF Credential-holders are part of a self-regulating group of elite coaches who provide accountability to clients and the coaching profession as a whole. They pursue and complete rigorous education and practice requirements that provide unquestioned legitimacy to their commitment to excellence in coaching.” – Website
How We Fit In
The Fostering Success Coach Training Program offers the ICF ACSTH certification currently, and is under review for the Level I ICF Accreditation. Coaches who complete the Fostering Success Coaching Certification track will be eligible to apply for their Associate Certified Coach credential via the International Coaching Federation.
Please see their website at https://coachfederation.org/ for additional information.
Method of Payment
You may pay with a credit card or debit card when you register. If this is not an option for you, please use the Coupon Code "INVOICE", and we will send you an invoice with the option to pay via ACH or check.
Withdrawals, Refunds, Partial Completion & Transfer Credit Policies
We allow participants to withdraw from the training and receive a full refund up to the day before a training begins. If a participant withdraws after attending any part of training, they will receive a voucher to attend our training offered at a different time that will work for them as long as this happens within the same year of the withdrawal. The participant will not receive a refund, and we do not give partial completion credit. This applies for all reasons a participant would withdraw including illness. The participant is not expected to to disclose their reason for withdrawal. We do not allow participants to transfer hours they've completed with another ICF Accredited organization towards our certification process. Hours with us also cannot be considered for transfer.
Ethics and Values
The Fostering Success Coaching Institute values and strives to cultivate a collaborative, strengths-based learning environment. We encourage active participation from students in order to create a dynamic space for learning that includes varied voices and lived experiences. Instructors are encouraged to prompt reflection and exploration among trainees while holding integrity to the ICF Core Competencies and values of coaching practice.
We expect our coaches to uphold the utmost integrity and ethical practice, including being consistent, trustworthy, responsible, and honest in their coaching. Given the nature of the client population we seek to serve, we strongly encourage coaches to be versed in concepts related to trauma and healing, adolescent development, and self-management strategies for their safety and the safety of their clients.
Complaint & Grievance Policy
We welcome all feedback, complaints & grievances. They may be submitted at the end of training using our feedback form, or they can be directed to our Senior Trainer, Dr. Jamie Bennett at jamie@ceterafl.org.
Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Statement
FSCI is an equal opportunity training. We celebrate diversity, inclusion, and representation. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all trainees. The Fostering Success Coaching Institute does not exclude, deny benefits to, or otherwise discriminate against any person on the basis of race, age, religion, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, or veteran status in admission to, participation in, or receipt of the services and benefits under any of its programs and activities.
Who Can Participate
The Fostering Success Coach Training: Level I is designed for professionals who are working with post-secondary students and/or young adults who have experienced foster care or adverse childhood experiences. Professionals working with students, or supervising staff who are working with students/young adults with these experiences are encouraged to participate. While there are no requirements to begin our training, we recommend that coach trainees have bachelor’s level or higher knowledge in human services (ie. Social work, counseling, psychology, student affairs) and working knowledge of the higher education system and/or the child welfare system.
Coaches who earn a certificate in Level I training are invited to join the Fostering Success Coach Training: Level II. Level II Training is designed to support coaches who wish deepen their understanding and implementation of the Fostering Success Coach Model, and to qualify for the Associate Certified Coach credential with the ICF.
The Fostering Success Coach Training: Level III, designed to train trainers, is invite only.
Our Trainings are currently only offered in English.
Training Completion
In order to receive a Level I Certificate, trainees may miss no more than two 1.5 hour online sessions, and when those sessions are missed, they need to be made up by watching the recordings. Trainees must complete all three coaching practice sessions as well. If an unexpected event happens, trainees can receive a voucher to attend the training on another date.
In order to receive a Level II Certificate, trainees may miss no more than three training meetings, and must watch all webinars and learning assessments.
Lead Trainers
Staff
Training Support
Advisory Committee
What are they?
Coaching Affiliations are organizations or programs that are implementing the Fostering Success Coach Model at a high level of fidelity. They have been observed and continue to be observed by members of our Training Team to ensure The Model is still being implemented and followed by all coaches with all clients. All of our Coaching Affiliations have implemented evaluation methods or checks and balances to ensure the model is being applied by their staff members. If interested in what that looks like for each Coaching Affiliation, please contact the Director of the particular program you’re interested in listed below.
Where are they?
Seita Scholars Program
Kalamazoo, MI
Western Michigan University
The Seita Scholars Program is the birth place of the Fostering Success Coach Model, and their beginnings are closely tied. Established in 2007, the Seita Scholars Program supports students that have been in foster care that are now attending WMU. Their team supports around 100-150 students per year, and graduation rates among their students are nearly 12x higher than the national average for those that have been in care.
Their team currently consists of four Campus Coaches all of which have been trained through our Level II training. They are overseen by the Director of the Seita Scholars Program, Ronicka Hamilton.
The Wily Network
Boston, MA and Middlebury, VT
Community Based Organization
The Wily Network, a community based organization founded in 2015, uses the Fostering Success Coach Model to support students who are navigating college on their own in the greater Boston area. Many Wily Scholars have experienced foster care, and all are working towards their degrees without emotional or financial support from family. Wily’s coaches, all of whom are trained through FSCI’s Foundations training, meet weekly with more than 75 students on their college campuses.
The Wily Network’s team of Clinical Coaches is overseen by their Director of Clinical Coaching, Ine Ogagan, as well as their Executive Director, Judi Alperin King.
Blavin Scholars Program
Ann Arbor, MI
University of Michigan Ann Arbor
In 2007, The Blavin Scholarship was created by alumnus Paul Blavin to support undergraduate students who experienced time in foster care that now attend the University of Michigan. In 2009, the Blavin Scholars Program began providing programs to students. Through one-on-one coaching, educational and community building events, 24/7 crisis support, year-round housing, mentorship and campus liaisons the Program has maintained high engagement and graduation rates. Learn more here: blavinscholars.umich.edu.
The Blavin Scholars Program has four Coaches, and they are overseen by Program Direct, Jessica Campbell.
How can my organization become one?
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Encourage your team members to all be trained through our Level II training.
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At minimum, the Director, or the person/people responsible for overseeing Coaches needs to be trained through Level II.
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Implement evaluation methods or checks and balances to ensure the FS Model is being applied. You may contact a Director above for ideas.
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Contact Ronicka Hamilton, our Chair of the Board, on evaluation steps and approval to become a Coaching Affiliate.
Training Details
Foundations of Fostering Success Coaching introduces the core infrastructure of the Fostering Success Coach Model, including the seven core principles and three practice elements. Participants will learn a primary set of coaching skills that are designed to promote real-time collaborative engagement and empowering solutions with young people in everyday problem-solving.
Highlights include:
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Learn the seven core principles of the Fostering Success Coaching Model philosophy of action: interdependent relationships, cultural humility, learner centered, teaching in real time, skill-based asset development, network development, and empowerment evaluation.
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Learn how to assess, prioritize, and teach, the three practice steps of the Fostering Success Coaching Model, in partnership with students.
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Learn how to use coaching skills to develop partnered relationships and teach skills to support college success and career transition.
Cost: $949 per person
Total Contact Hours: 24
Prerequisite: None.
Applications of Fostering Success Coaching provides training that builds on the knowledge learned in the Foundations of Fostering Success Coaching. Coaches will develop advanced skills, including coaching to evoke awareness about common beliefs held by young people who have experienced foster care and childhood adversity, coaching highly distressed young people, and accelerating action planning and accountability.
Highlights include:
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Learn how to apply the Fostering Success Coaching Model to scenarios involving student crisis and conflict and system inequities.
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Learn advanced coaching skills that support young people as they discover their strengths, explore their beliefs, and work to achieve their goals.
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Learn the Fostering Success Coaching Model Intervention Review Method for systematic reflection of coaching interactions with students.
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Learn strategies for coach balance and well-being for sustained coaching.
Cost: $1349
Total Contact Hours: 36
Prerequisite: Completion of Foundations of Fostering Success Coaching.
The Fostering Success Coaching Institute is proud to be accredited by the International Coaching Federation as an ACSTH Associated Certified Coach (ACC) training provider.
To earn the ICF ACC credential, coaches will complete the following:
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Successful completion of Foundations of Fostering Success Coaching and Applications of Fostering Success Coaching.
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10 hours of Mentor Coaching over a minimum of three months.
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A minimum of 100 hours (70 paid*) of coaching experience with at least eight clients following the start of your coach-specific training. At least 25 of these hours must occur within the 24 months** prior to submitting the application for the credential.
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Performance evaluation (audio recording and written transcript of a coach session to be uploaded with your application).
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Completion of the Coach Knowledge Assessment (CKA).
Cost: $3299
Total Contact Hours: 70 hours
