COACHING

The Project

Provide Coaching Services to the White House Rural IMPACT Initiative

The White House Rural Council created Rural IMPACT, an initiative to enhance quality of life and upward mobility for children in rural and tribal communities using a Two-Generation (Two-Gen) approach— supporting both children and their parents. I was engaged to coach leaders in two of the 10 pilot communities.

The Plan

Through one-on-one coaching, I supported local leaders in setting goals, overcoming barriers, and driving systems change. I held one-on-one sessions with community leaders to help set goals and plan the improvements and behavior change required to achieve those goals. Our sessions focused on refining strategies, building partnerships, and advancing community-led solutions to reduce poverty.

The Results

Through regular coaching sessions, each leader was able to explore new ideas and find new solutions to seemingly intractable challenges, developing effective programs and partnerships to help alleviate poverty in their community. Coaching helped leaders unlock new ideas and take bold action.  In addition, we piqued the interest of policymakers who saw the merit of the Two-Gen approach. One highlight: inspired by this work, Maryland’s Governor signed an executive order to study the implementation of a statewide Two-Gen approach. This policy momentum could result in long-term public investment in programs that support families holistically.