The recent $50M investment in CoachHub builds confidence that coaching matters and can be effective. Demand has surged for executive coaches that can help develop and support leadership in the corporate sector. Productivity, staff longevity and talent acquisition in organizations can be amplified when leaders are effectively coached. These one-on-one interactions with an expert matter.

A parallel trend exists in K-12, especially during (and after) the pandemic. Tutoring, especially 1:1 high dosage formats, has proven to be critical in closing learning gaps exacerbated by the pandemic. Excellent mentorship and coaching of teachers, while difficult to implement, demonstrate the power of coaching in the K-12 sector. Coaching platforms like Edthena (which recently introduced automation of some coaching) also support educator coaching.

As learning becomes more personalized, learning opportunities expanded and unbounded, and learning science research more robust, an updated and revised advisory role is more important than ever. Currently, most public high schools have advisors, serving a couple of hundred students each, with a primary role of guiding course selection and post-secondary options. Additionally, counselors play a social-emotional and therapeutic role in some schools. Some public schools, public charter schools and private schools have long-advanced advisory as a program, with a defined set of learning experiences to not only coach and support, but teach transferable skills.

The new learner coach model (like the Dallas-based Big Thought’s Opportunity Advisors) can serve three purposes. First, to provide academic guidance and support for learners as they move through pathways from learning to earning. Second, to provide a caring and supporting environment to support mental wellness that every young person needs to thrive. Finally, the new learning coach model supports the growth of social capital by expanding young people’s professional networks – especially for those most marginalized.

Read the full article about learning coaches by Nate McClennen at Getting Smart.