In this foundational course, participants are introduced to the Engagement Coaching Model, essential coaching skills, International Coach Federation’s (ICF) core competencies and ethical guidelines, and a variety of tools and activities that provide access points for coaching and personal and professional development.

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Discern between coaching, mentoring, therapy and counseling
• Identify key elements necessary to establish a coaching agreement with a prospective new client
• Identify the key factors which influence a designed relationship of trust and respect with a client
• Explore ethical guidelines and professional standards that apply to all coaching situations
• Demonstrate essential coaching skills such as active listening and powerful questioning
• Apply coaching tools and activities such as value mining and life and career bridges to coaching situations to create awareness

In this second course, Expand, participants are introduced to new strategies to assist clients in expanding their perspectives and designing actions to move the client forward. Expand deepens and builds on the foundational learning from the first course, Engage.

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Explore perspectives and alternative possibilities for overcoming obstacles
• Apply strengths-based coaching to a client in order to identify strengths to help a client realize their full potential
• Demonstrate the components of a coaching agreement and capacity to design co-creative relationships
• Apply coaching tools and activities such as visualizations and sage identification to coaching situations
• Demonstrate and deepen essential coaching skills such as reframing, awareness of resonance, metaphor use and inquiry
• Apply a written feedback tool to coaching situations
• Identifying a client’s stake and its relationship to achieving intended impact
• Continue to explore a variety of actions clients can take to create ongoing learning for themselves
• Demonstrate the use of planning, goal-setting and accountability to deepen a client’s responsibility to take action
• Continue to explore ethical guidelines and professional standards that apply to all coaching situations

In this third course, Experience, participants are introduced to new techniques to help clients be present to a broader range of emotions to experience all aspects of life in a more impactful, fulfilling way. Experience deepens and builds on the foundational learning from the first and second courses in order to integrate all of the components of the Engagement Coaching Model and create coaches with a broadened range.

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Articulate emotions seen in the client and stay present to what is there in service to the client
• Recognize the coach’s intuition as a powerful tool for reflecting to the client what they are seeing and/or noticing
• Support the client when they are challenged to stay with their emotion(s)
• Integrate and apply a broadened coaching range across situations
• Demonstrate and deepen essential coaching skills such as self-management, mirroring and intuition
• Continue to explore ethical guidelines and professional standards that apply to all coaching situations
• Apply a written feedback tool to coaching situations
• Create action plans for self and for the client that clarifies growth opportunities
• Implement structures that support the coach to sustain powerful action to realize goals and continue evolving as a coach

In this fourth course, participants demonstrate and strengthen essential coaching skills through the integration and application of all components of the Engagement Coaching Model for clients and small groups. Participants implement structures that support the coach to sustain powerful action to realize goals and continue evolving as a coach. Participants deepen, enhance and incorporate coaching skills learned in the previous Engagement Coaching courses, Engage, Expand and Experience.

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Apply all components of the Engagement Coaching Model to clients and small groups
• Integrate and apply a broadened coaching range with clients and small groups
• Demonstrate and deepen essential coaching skills
• Discuss the ethical and professional issues that that may occur in coaching
• Apply a written feedback tool to coaching situations
• Create action plans for self and for the client that clarifies growth opportunities
• Implement structures that support the coach to sustain powerful action to realize goals and continue evolving as a coach

In this fifth and final coaching course, participants apply new tools and activities in the coaching process. Participants demonstrate an elevated level of professional coaching standards and impact integrating a complete range of coaching skills learned in the previous Engagement Coaching courses.

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Integrate all components of the Engagement Coaching Model to support all clients, small groups and teams
• Apply coaching tools and activities to integrate new and deepened awareness, insight and learning 
• Identify and acknowledge the client’s unique talents and behaviors during the coaching process
• Apply culturally sensitive coaching practices that consider power, privilege and culture
• Demonstrate confidence and curiosity in the coaching process
• Enhance the coach’s intuition to better support clients
• Support the client as they identify themes and patterns in their own life
• Evaluate the impact of mindset 
• Demonstrate ethical guidelines and professional standards that apply to all coaching situations
• Apply a written feedback tool to coaching situations
• Promote ongoing and sustainable development of both coach and client
• Partner with client to reaffirm goals and accountabilities that stimulate action

This performance evaluation is for participants who have successfully completed the five coaching courses in this program and want to pursue the ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC) ACTP pathway. Participants will integrate a complete range of Engagement Coaching skills in this performance evaluation and demonstrate an elevated level of professional coaching standards aligned with the International Coach Federation (ICF) core competencies.

Upon completion of the Performance Evaluation, the participant will be able to:

• Integrate all components of the Engagement Coaching Model in a live or recorded coaching session
• Demonstrate ethical guidelines and professional standards that apply to coaching
• Demonstrate the ability to coach at an ACC level as defined by the International Coach Federation

Coaching is about supporting people as they move from Point A to Point B and beyond. For participants interested in becoming a certified coach, this program fulfills the 125-hour coach-specific training requirement for the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) Level 2 pathway through ICF. Participants can also complete four coaching course to earn the credit or non-credit Life and Engagement Coach Certificate through AACC.

Life and Engagement Coach (certificate)

The dates and times for the Engagement Coach Training Program will be set by AACC and can be found in the course search. Check back each term for new program start dates. The estimated hours of each instructional day (in person) is 9 a.m.-5 p.m. with a short break for lunch. For online, synchronous instruction, the course generally meets for three to five hours at a time by video conference. The estimated time to complete the entire program – five courses – is nine months. The program will take place at an Anne Arundel Community College location, another announced location or online. If you are from a school district, organization or business and would like to have this program offered exclusively to your employees or members, please inquire by emailing Jen Lara.

Currently we only offer this program in English.

The 125 hours of synchronous training for this program is offered in both face-to-face and synchronous online formats. The first three coaching courses must be taken in the required order: Engage (EDU-201/TAD 331), Expand (EDU-202/TAD 332) and Experience (EDU-203/TAD 333). The last two coaching courses, Integration (EDU-204/TAD 334) and Impact (EDU-205/TAD 336), can be taken in any order after the first three courses are completed. The Performance Evaluation (TAD 337) is for participants who have successfully completed the five coaching courses in this program and want to pursue the ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC) Level 2 Pathway (formally known as the ACTP pathway).

This program is designed for cohorts of up to 24 participants who will take all five courses consecutively and is accredited by the International Coach Federation. There is an expectation that participants will complete a specified amount of coaching with clients over the duration of the program on which they will receive written feedback. Due to the broad nature of coaching, this program is ideal for participants who are growth-minded, interested in expanding personally and professionally, and seek to positively impact others. For participants who seek AAC certification through ICF, in all five courses, information will be shared regarding current ICF requirements for coach certification.

Participants for this program must be 18 or older and have English proficiency. There are no other prerequisites to enrolling, however, the first three courses must be taken in order.

As of spring 2023, the cost per course for in-state residents is approximately $366 plus student fees. The entire program would be approximately $2,360 including student fees. For out-of-state residents, the cost per course is approximately $1,245 plus fees, or approximately $6,755 including fees for the entire program. The cost of the Performance Evaluation is approximately $350 for both in-state and out-of-state residents. 

See credit tuition and fees at AACC.

Due to the nature of this comprehensive training program and the accreditation standards, mandatory attendance is required of all participants at all training sessions (whether in person or online). Learn more about refunds and withdrawals.