Resources
Our resources at the Youth Coaching Institute deliver essential support and information for professionals and organizations dedicated to youth development and coaching. Access payment details, service FAQs, and insightful blog articles to enhance your practice and empower your journey.
Essential Tools for Your Coaching Journey
Evidence-based strategies, tools, and frameworks that you can seamlessly integrate into your coaching practice.
FAQs
Have a question regarding our services or process? Search through commonly asked questions for more info.
Staying informed is key to being an effective coach. Discover free educational resources on our blog.
YCI Resources for Coaches
Cost: $50 USD
This 174-page packet of coaching resources offers evidence-based strategies, tools, and frameworks that you can seamlessly integrate into your coaching practice. You will find
Business of Coaching Forms
Essential documents for running a coaching business, including welcome packet documents, surveys, consultation forms, intake forms, and a wrap-up guide. It also includes various assessments and surveys to use with your clients.
Coaching Process & Topic Guides
Practical guides for core coaching processes, such as mindful listening, open-ended questions, reflections, coaching core concepts, and closing strategies. These guides translate theory into actionable steps that can enhance your coaching effectiveness. You also have guides for common coaching topics and strategies to coach around those topics.
Coaching Activities for Clients
A selection of activities designed to engage clients in their personal growth. These include exercises on habit loops, approach vs. avoidance cycles, managing thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and more.
Note: Trainees who complete one of our certification paths or Coaching Adolescents program get this packet as a free bonus.
Payment & Refund Policies
Our payment options include credit cards, PayPal, Venmo, and PayPal Credit. We do not offer payment plans. Trainees may opt to purchase one course at a time to break tuition down into more manageable pieces.
Self-Study Courses: All tuition paid for self-study courses is non-refundable upon release of course access to the buyer.
Live Meeting Courses: Registrants can cancel or withdraw participation at any time within 14 days prior to the first scheduled live meeting date for their enrolled group for a full refund of paid tuition. Registrants can cancel within 7 days following the first live meeting date for the enrolled group for a 50% refund of paid tuition. If registrants cancel or withdraw from training more than 7 days following the first live meeting date for the enrolled group they are not entitled to any refund or any reductions in tuition owed, as they must cover the cost of the lost seat.
Frequently Asked Questions
All training, supervision, and practicum are completed 100% virtually and available internationally via live Zoom webinar and/or telephone conference calling.
Candidates must be 18 years old or older. Our training programs are ideal for professionals working directly with tweens, teens, and/or emerging adults, professionals leading organizations serving these populations, or those who aim to serve this audience in some capacity.
Coaching is a helping profession focused on learning and growth. Thus, it is a wonderful skillset addition for those in or interested in a career path within helping professions or education (e.g., human resources, counseling, social work, human services, leadership, nursing, teaching, public health, etc.)
Trainees who complete our programs most often apply their skills in the following ways:
- Coaching as a side gig for access to deep, meaningful work and extra income around a full-time job
- Coaching as a professional career path
- Adding coaching skills to enhance their work with tweens, teens, or young adults
- Coaching in a volunteer or mentoring capacity
Trainees may opt to complete individual courses for continuing education hours or the series of courses required to earn a certification through YCI. We offer three certifications with each one building to the next.
Trainees who complete courses 1-3 earn our Certified Youth Well-being Coach designation. This option is generally a good fit for youth-serving professionals, such as teachers or caseworkers, who want to add coaching skills to enhance their current work.
Trainees who complete courses 1-8 earn our Certified Youth Resilience Coach designation. This is our ICF Level 1 accredited and CCE-approved coach training program. This option is generally a good fit for aspiring professional coaches, those in leadership roles over coaching staff, or those who would like to pursue a private coaching practice as a side gig or career pivot.
Trainees who complete courses 1-9 earn our Certified Youth Health Coach designation. This option is generally a good fit for professional coaches who support youth through mental or health and wellness organizations offering full continuum of care services.
Yes! You can earn your first certification and come back to complete additional courses for next level certifications when you’re ready. Just purchase each next course or set of courses as you’re ready.
Our Certified Youth Well-being Coach and Certified Youth Resilience Coach training programs have an 80% live attendance requirement.
All live classes are recorded so that those who have an allowed absence are able to watch the recording to submit a missed class makeup summary to earn credit.
If you were scheduled to coach the day of your absence, you would also need to complete a makeup practice coaching session outside of class.
Life happens! Your well-being is our priority. If you need to pause your training, you can transfer to a later cohort to complete your training up to one year from the date of your withdrawal from your current cohort.
Absolutely not. Your basic coaching skills are generally applicable to any coaching-appropriate audience – tweens, teens, and adults of all ages. The behavioral science knowledge you’ll gain is also generally applicable.
You are practicing coaching peer trainees who are adults of all ages with various backgrounds, experiences, and cultures during your in-class training. That means you’re learning to coach adults of all ages through this program.
Because your training with us is International Coaching Federation-approved, you also qualify to obtain a higher credential through the ICF upon successful completion with us. The ICF’s designations are general professional coaching designations accepted in most coaching-related roles.
Yes! Take a look at our certification paths to see which of the courses are knowledge-based self-study content. You can also review our elective courses list for our self-study options including, individual lectures, Coaching Adolescents, and Lifestyle Medicine for Adolescents programs.
Basic Coaching Skills Live (6 weeks)
We offer private training options via Zoom for organizations with a group of 6 or more. The Basic Coaching Skills live program includes 18 hours of training between a one-hour self-study lecture online followed by a once weekly two-hour live class.
Certified Youth Well-being Coach (14 weeks)
We offer private training options via Zoom for organizations with a group of 6 or more. If you have less than 6 to train at any given time, feel free to enroll them in any of our ongoing live training cohorts with space available.
Stage 4 Group Mentor Coaching Only (3 months)
We offer a private ICF group mentor coaching option for organizations with groups of 5-10 mentees.
Contact us to schedule training for your organization.
Because we care to make evidence-based coaching financially accessible for all youth, trainees who certify through our program commit to coaching one to two pro-bono and/or severe sliding scale clients during or after training for low-income clients on a need basis. They coach their first pro-bono youth client as part of the Stage 3 training experience to secure their final exam recording submission.
Coaching is currently considered an avocational skillset in the United States, as most coaches do not secure full-time gainful employment solely through coaching skills or certifications. Most professional coaches are employed in other professions full-time and either 1) use coaching skills to enhance their full-time work, 2) coach on the side as an outlet for passion work, or 3) add coaching to other relevant business offerings for their audience.
According to the International Coaching Federation’s most recent Global Coaching Study (2020), coach practitioners include external and internal coach practitioners, human resources/talent development manager/or director who uses coaching skills, and manager/leader who uses coaching skills.
This same study found 94% of coach practitioners offer services in addition to coaching, including consulting (60%), training (60%), and/or facilitation services (54%).
Most of our coach trainees are employed in youth serving roles (e.g., teacher, non-profit worker, juvenile justice worker, caseworker, therapist, etc.), are parents of adolescents, or caring community members who pursue our training for additional skills to better engage and support the adolescents in their networks.
We offer PayPal Credit for those who want to complete our full certification program, but need low monthly payments to make that affordable. To use that option, just add all courses for the full certification program to the cart, click proceed to checkout, and select the PayPal Pay Later option to see if you qualify. Also, keep in mind that our tuition rates are intentionally priced well below the market for comparable training to keep it accessible to public servants. The current market rate for a comparable ICF-accredited Level 1 program is $5,000-$14,000 USD.
That’s the question we hear most often! Here’s the overview.
CYWC
Generally a good fit for internal staff serving tweens, teens, or emerging adults who have no interest in professional coaching as a career path. They just want to add coaching skills to their current work. This is the path most often selected by leaders within youth-serving organizations and agencies (e.g., schools, non-profits, colleges, universities, juvenile justice, healthcare, etc.) who are seeking professional development for their internal staff.
CYRC (ICF-Accredited and CCE BCC Approved Training Path)
Generally a good fit for aspiring professional coaches, those in leadership roles over coaching staff, small business owners serving adolescents, or those who would like to pursue a private coaching practice as a side gig or career pivot.
CYHC
Generally a good fit for those who serve or hope to serve tweens, teens, or emerging adults within a behavioral health, mental health, health and wellness, or health system role.
EXCELLENTBased on 36 reviewsAsjah Monroe2024-02-06The YCI coaching certification program experience has been top notch. Worth every penny. When you enroll and commit, you will come out on the other side experience a competent, well-prepared, and trustworthy youth life coach. The workload is very manageable and the learning pace is entirely appropriate and well thought out. I highly recommend this program for anyone ready to step into coaching at any level. Don't continue to think about it, just do it.Saloni Hora2024-01-26Qualifying as a certified youth resilience coach through YCI was a pivotal experience. YCI approaches coach training with academic integrity - drawing from psychological theory and best practices, as well as requiring extensive practical training. Dr. Leah - thank you for your deep wisdom, and the grace with which you share your knowledge and experience!Kelly Shanks2024-01-24The words "thank you" are not enough for what I have received through pursuing coaching with YCI. I am at a huge turning point in my life and finding this program was just the right fit for me. I have high expectations for my professional development experiences and this exceeded my expectations! As a school psychologist it was imperative that the program I pursued was rooted in evidence based practices. The design of the course, attentiveness of staff and passion for coaching that was demonstrated throughout the course was exceptional! An added bonus is how much our cohort supported and cared for one another along this journey. If you are ready to pursue coaching, this program is worth the financial, time and energy investment, without a doubt.Gilbert Guo2023-11-01YCI was a very worthwhile experience. My instructor Liezel did a fantastic job of teaching. YCI's support staff was incredibly responsive and organized. I've been able to build great relationships through the organization that will help me in my career after the course.Emely Spagni2023-10-31I absolutely loved every lesson of the "Certified Youth Resilience Coach" program! It went above and beyond what I expected. I didn't just learn about coaching – I learned a lot about myself too. The program offers great value for its price. Plus, a big bonus: it makes the ICF ACC application process a breeze compared to other programs!Alex Hubbard2023-05-31I took part in the YCI Certified Youth Resilience Coach program and I can't recommend it enough. I was looking for a path to build on my skills as an educator and further my career in way that aligns with my values. While I was unsure of what exactly to expect as I underwent this 25 week course, I can honestly say it exceeded all of my expectations. I was able to develop a strong understanding of what it takes to be a great coach and learn more about adolescent psychology. The class was very manageable and Dr. Leah's approach was informative, honest, and supportive. I feel like I have grown tremendously in a relatively short amount of time and I am excited to start my journey as a certified youth life coach.Sarah Grace2022-11-14I recently completed my training with YCI as a Youth Resilience Coach. It has been an incredible experience. The quality of the teaching and accompanying support materials are excellent. The registration process and administration are straightforward and hassle-free. It has been fantastic to be part of an amazing cohort of people - an eclectic mix of backgrounds and cultures, all connecting through our shared desire to improve the lives of our young people. The magic comes, however, in the leadership and passion bestowed by Dr Leah. Her resounding commitment to her own learning journey of personal growth, coupled with her ceaseless determination to act, always, in service to her students and clients is quite remarkable. It has been a privilege and an honour to be in the presence of this alchemy - if only for a few weeks. If you can scrape the funds together; if you want to grow as a human being; and believe you can be of service to others in a positive way then sign up for this programme. You will not regret it.Lisa Vanella2022-09-06I really enjoyed this coaching class taught by Dr. Leah. Not only did I learn how to help clients but I learned a lot about myself. Dr. Leah opens up about her own life experience which helped me feel comfortable and safe. Her coaching technique is perfection. Very informative and highly recommended!Brittany Beck2022-07-05Dr. Leah and YCI are incredible! I just completed my certification and could not be happier. Dr. Leah is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about her work. From class one it was a very safe space to learn and grow. I highly recommend YCI and am extremely grateful for the experience!
Youth Coaching Expert Insights
Discover a library of free expert resources exploring the youth coaching landscape, the experiences of adolescents today, and opportunities to strengthen your approach.
Habits: What They Are, and How to Form (or Change) Them
Regulating Emotions 101: Why It’s Important and How to Do It
Elevate Your Impact and Start Coaching Today
Make a positive and measurable impact with the Youth Coaching Institute. Develop your coaching skillset and begin the journey to becoming a certified youth life coach today.