Youth and Family Coach Program

The Youth and Family Coach Program helps refugee students succeed in K-12 and beyond.  Coaches work with students who display signs of disengagement from school, as well as with students whose primary language is not English.  They connect with these students and seek to reengage them with learning. 

Who are our youth coaches? 

Youth coaches are bilingual advocates who help students navigate the educational system and plan for careers. 

What do youth coaches do? 

Youth coaches work with refugees who have been in the U.S. less than 5 years.  They use the Check and Connect model to pair students with coaches, who meet one-on-one to address student progress and goals. 

Coaches and students meet once a week to discuss grades, graduation, and behavior.  Coaches are responsible for addressing educational and emotional issues and providing resources on career planning.  Youth Coaches also meet with families to address their needs and promote parent involvement.  Additionally, coaches can help teachers by assisting with technology, connecting students to tutoring services, keeping parents appraised of important information, and helping students advocate for themselves. 

The Youth and Family Coach program is funded by the State of Minnesota Refugee Program Offices. KOM is part of the Metro Refugee Resettlement Network, along with four partner agencies. KOM, Afghan Cultural Society, Oromo Community of Minnesota, Ukrainian American Community Center, and Guadalupe Alternative Programs (GAP) work together to serve new arrivals from a variety of backgrounds.