At 27 high schools in Iowa, educators, administrators and school counselors have a secret weapon to help students explore, pursue and attain education and training after high school.
That's because those schools are all part of the AmeriCorps Student Leader program in which selected high school seniors support their peers in the college-going process. Administered by the Iowa Department of Education's Bureau of Iowa College Aid, the AmeriCorps-funded student leaders provide extensive support to school counselors by hosting events throughout the year and providing direct one-on-one support to fellow students and their families.
Through a $330,000 AmeriCorps Grant, 53 student leaders are just one part of an extensive Course to College Coaching network that also includes college coaches and summer transition associates.
Student leaders commit to serving at least 300 hours of service during their 42-week terms and receive extensive training from Iowa College Aid staff and other college access professionals before beginning their duties in schools. They also receive an AmeriCorps stipend for their service.
Once the school year starts, the student leaders work in tandem with school counselors and administrators to host a slew of events, such as Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID workshops, Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion events, career and college fairs, test preparation and workshops on topics such as financial aid, scholarships, writing resumes and interviewing.
However, the biggest impact associated with the student leader program may come in the day-to-day, informal conversations and engagement student leaders have with their classmates.
"They [student leaders] know firsthand what other students are feeling and experiencing with regard to the next steps in their future plans," said Maquoketa High School counselor Amanda DeWulf ."This helps our students feel comfortable working with them."
In addition to those informal interactions, student leaders are required to maintain regular office hours during which they are available to students who have questions about postsecondary education or need assistance in filing for financial aid or applying for college.
"It's a very casual thing, but like people know that we're there and can answer their random questions," said Cedar Falls High School student leader Kaylee McSweeney. "I think sometimes they're like, 'I don't want to go ask my counselors because I feel like I should know this,' so they feel more comfortable just asking us."
Kaylee is one of three student leaders at Cedar Falls High School who work with school counselor Carrie Dieken to assist students through the college-going process. Along with fellow student leaders Owen Brinker and Mya Miller, she has used events like Cedar Falls' 'Tiger Time' sessions during the school day to present various college and postsecondary topics to students.
Counselors often try to recruit student leaders who can easily interact and engage with different student populations to maximize the program's potential reach and impact.
"We have specifically chosen student leaders with a variety of backgrounds and interests so they have diverse experiences and peer groups," DeWulf said. "We hope this helps our students feel comfortable coming to someone they know for support."
To provide this valuable service to classmates and their school, student leaders engage in extensive training before their AmeriCorps term starts and regular training sessions throughout the school year. In addition to their school counselors, student leaders also have unfettered access to the expertise and knowledge of Iowa College Aid staff and can use various tools and resources.
"The training starts you from the bottom," said Jay Haley, a student leader at Van Meter High School. "A lot of the FAFSA stuff, a year ago, I'd never heard of. But it's set up well to where a person with very little knowledge of the subject can hop into the training, figure out everything, and be a resource to other people."
Student leaders and their counselors can also access various tools and resources, including FAFSA completion data. This data allows student leaders to see which students may have started the FAFSA but not completed it. Student leaders can then spring into action and reach out directly to those students to provide personal assistance and troubleshooting in the FAFSA completion process.
Many student leaders also have community support to help encourage students to explore postsecondary options. Student leaders often source donations, such as gift cards from local businesses, to promote event attendance. For instance, at North Scott High School, college and career transition counselor Patricia Madden received a $5,000 donation from a local philanthropist to create a drawing for five $1,000 prizes for students who had completed the FAFSA.
However, these efforts are not limited to students considering a traditional four-year or two-year college education. Student leaders also engage in outreach, encouraging students to explore additional postsecondary pathways through apprenticeships and workplace training. At Van Meter, student leader Jay Haley's experience connecting with students and seeing an unmet need was instrumental in the district hiring a work-based learning coordinator to ensure students have the opportunity to graduate with some form of training.
The AmeriCorps Student Leader program also provides incredible experiences and opportunities for the leaders themselves. Through training, leadership opportunities and interactions with staff and community leaders, student leaders experience tremendous growth throughout their term. Many feel more well-positioned, confident and empowered to face the challenges ahead due to their AmeriCorps experience.
"I've gotten much more confident in public speaking and talking with folks from the community," Haley said. "It's been an incredible opportunity to make a lot of connections, and I've been asked to help with different sorts of positions within the school and sit in on interviews for staff transactions."
However, for many student leaders, the greatest reward remains the satisfaction of helping classmates reach their goals and potential through whatever postsecondary pathway they choose.
"Even if this resource is only used by one person out of the entire school, you can still change the entire life of that one person," Kaylee said. "Sometimes those small impacts can really be the most important."