Introduction to the Toolbox

Welcome to what’s affectionately called the Toolbox.

What is it? Over a period of five years, we invented and implemented various processes to deliver the message and practices of coaching conversations.

Our pilot program began with the intention of creating 1:1 (one-on-one) coaching relationships of a Volunteer Success Coach with a Teen. We did exactly that, continuing to invent and innovate as we learned.

The Volunteers page relates the processes and documents to recruit, train, and support our wonderfully dedicated and competent volunteers who beautifully coached teens.

The Teens page then shares the insights, steps, and processes to recruit teens to the program at an inner-city high school.

Once we realized the success of the 1:1 coaching approach, we wanted to reach more teens and allow them greater flexibility in their commitments if they desired to be coached. That led to the development of the Just-in-Time Coaching Office found on the Coaching Office page.

All of the coaching we were doing suggested that, for teens to be better prepared for coaching conversations, having increased self-awareness would serve them. So we created a curriculum that was delivered to a cadre of students. This curriculum generated opportunities for discovery and becoming better observers of who they are. The Building Self-Awareness page shares this information.

coach-workshopTo share and spread the Vision and Mission of Touch Point Connection we provided Community Workshops for youth-serving agencies, schools, and parents. With the use of slide presentations, videos of our teens and volunteers, and engaging learning exercises, participants witnessed and practiced the art of coaching conversations. The Community Workshops page contains this information.

Throughout the five years, we collected information both qualitatively and quantitatively to assess the effects of our work. We collected feedback from initial interviews with teens, status interviews, and exit interviews as needed. Focus groups were conducted at the end of the year. Working with the school district, we accumulated data to monitor our progress. Please refer to the Results/Data page found under Conclusions.

We hope you will find useful a brief summary of our experiences and learning. This can be found on the Reflections page found under Conclusions.

Aside from the documents found on the pages above, we’ve shared several documents we created during our pilot program. Please refer to the News, Reports & Documents page to download these documents found under Conclusions.

Before You Begin

In general, successful coaching relationships begin with a strong foundation, commitments, and agreements.

In the case of coaching under-age youth e.g., under the age of 18 years, we strongly encourage the following:

  •  It is crucial that the coaching agreement; whether between you and an agency, school, or a parent — is explicitly clear as to the expectations, limitations, and lines of communication during the coaching relationship.
  • In case of serious problems, all parties are aware of the  Mandatory Reporting and Duty to Warn standards that exist — your responsibility as a coach to uphold those standards — and how you are going to work in conjunction with the appropriate parties in the case of a reportable event.

Thank you for your interest and desire to help youth thrive!

Coaching Teens… Building Futures

Students Say…

“At first we just talked, it felt good to talk to someone and really trust them.”
“I used to think of myself as lazy and a failure. Since I've had a coach, my perspective is different and now I can see myself being successful.”
“My coach and I worked on a graph so I could organize my time better. I was getting C’s and D’s on my progress report, now I am getting A’s and B’s on my report card.”
“Coaching has given me the strength to show the world what I've got and what I can do. I have learned to not limit my challenges but challenge my limits.”
“It felt good to have an adult in my life that I could trust and didn’t judge me.”
“I had somebody who would help me set up steps to reach my goals. It wasn't complicated, she made it simple. It was positive, and I had the ability to identify those steps.”
“I learned that I can be independent and don’t have to rely on others, but can get support when I feel I need it.”
“It was good. My coach helped me a lot with organizing my life.”
“Before my coaching I had no ideas of what to do after high school. Now I have ideas on how to reach my goals.”
“Since I started working with a coach I'm way more confident and I don't care if people judge me.”
“Before coaching I was getting C's and D's. Now I am getting A's and B's on my report card.”
“Before my coaching I had no idea of what to do after high school; now I have ideas on how to reach goals I didn’t know I had.”
“Our relationship was more about a friendship. I have told him secrets - things about myself I have not told anyone else.”
“My coach didn’t judge me and tell me I was throwing away my life.”
“Because of coaching, my life is better because I can actually meet my goals and reach for my future goals.   I'm stronger and more positive since having a coach.”
“Coaching was a moment where I could just talk about what I want.”
“I had someone who just listened. When I had a question there was a combination of getting ideas from him, and figuring out myself.”
“Talking with someone helped me to understand what was right and wrong.”
“I know now that when I have a problem there are different ways to solve it other than violence.”
“I connected with my coach. I wasn’t afraid to tell her personal stuff. I could trust her because I wasn’t being judged.”
“When asked what makes an ideal coach, she responded: "Somebody who listens to my opinions and helps me get more ideas about what I want.”
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