Success Coaching at the University of Hawai‘i Community Colleges

C3T Hawai‘i Program offers a variety of student support services

University of Hawaiʻi
Contact:
Billie K T Lueder, (808) 845-9187
C3T Hawai'i Communications Director
Susan A. Lee, 8089565852
Marketing & Communications Director
Posted: Sep 5, 2013

Members of the Inside Track Coaching Team.
Members of the Inside Track Coaching Team.

Students like Kelli Yamamoto had no idea what to expect when she was assigned a success coach.  “I thought they were just going to share testing strategies with me.  They did that and so much more.  My coach gave me words of encouragement to not give up which meant so much to me.  It’s like having your own personal counselor,” shares the Kapi‘olani Community College Health major who is a wife, mother of three, and juggles multiple jobs. 

InsideTrack, an organization dedicated to improving outcomes in higher education, is providing one-on-one, executive-style coaching to help students in the C3T Hawai‘i Program balance the demands of school, work and family life. Coaches support students in developing the skills and habits they need for long-term success.

The University of Hawai‘i Community College system, using a $24.6 million Department of Labor grant called C3T Hawai‘i is targeting education and employment needs in the agriculture, energy and health industries. The seven Community Colleges, service 34,000 students across the state and provide InsideTrack coaching to more than 2,000 students to boost graduation rates and ensure their students have the appropriate skills to obtain high-wage, high-level employment.

“Our industry-focused, employer-driven programs are designed to increase college completion rates and provide job opportunities to the C3T participants,” said Erika Lacro, chancellor of Honolulu Community College and principal investigator for the C3T grant program. “The partnership with InsideTrack enables us to provide a complete pathway to obtain the skills and education necessary for high-wage and high-skill employment.”

Driven by the positive results from the InsideTrack program, the Community Colleges are developing their own coaching programs to extend the value of coaching to more students.  

For Sabrina Sullivan, academic coaching coordinator at Leeward Community College, coaching has many benefits.  “Students benefit from coaching by having an extra level of support and personalized attention.”

Students receiving coaching are contacted on a weekly basis.  Coaches work with each individual on improving effectiveness in and out of the classroom, building leadership skills, creating life balance, boosting self-confidence and developing goals for the future. 

“I believe that once students understand how beneficial coaching can be for them during their academic journey, students will gain the confidence they need to reach their fullest potential,” shares Sullivan. 

C3T Hawai‘i is a $24.6 million grant awarded to the University of Hawai‘i Community Colleges through the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration. To learn more about C3T Hawai‘i, visit http://uhcc.hawaii.edu/c3t.  Listen to the rest of Kelli’s testimonial here.