As we are all doing our best to stay home and stay safe as we power through this COVID-19 pandemic, Promise Corps has been staying informed, staying equipped, and staying in contact with our students and school staff as we continue to guide our high schoolers towards their post-secondary goals.  

At a time like this, where life as we know it has been uprooted and spun in circles on its head, our Promise Corps team understands that our students need us now more than ever as they are facing new and unique challenges that could be leaving them in a state of confusion and dismay. In response, our team has been working diligently to remain a resource that our students can count on. 

Last week in particular was a highlight, as we really began to get the ball rolling with notifying our students and staff on how we can best be reached. With our Promise Corps Office Hours, each College and Career Coach (CCC) has designated times throughout our week where we can be reached by students to work on their post-secondary goals. We also shared this week with the official start of the Philadelphia School District’s next phase of online learning, where teachers are hosting live lessons and posting assignments online for students to complete. We hope that these elements will prove to evoke a sense of normalcy in the midst of such an abnormal situation.  

Our team has also gotten back into the swing of having Professional Development Sessions for us CCCs. With these weekly sessions, we as coaches are informed on all of the new information developing about the appropriate precautions that are advised for staying safe during this time. We will also be utilizing this time to have workshops and guest speakers come to work on skill development with us. During our second week of PD this past Thursday, we had the pleasure of participating in a workshop led by our Director, Bethany Housman, on the CDC Guidelines for reopening camps, childcare facilities, and schools.  

As a coach, I personally am looking forward to our next Professional Development Session where we will have a guest speaker join our conference call and discuss networking, email etiquette, and using LinkedIn effectively. As a young professional, I am excited to learn new ways to expand my professional network!  

Until next time, stay safe and stay connected!  

Ciera M. Osborne, College and Career Coach – Sayre High School