Continuing Education & Professional Development
Take the next step in your career with our range of self-paced and live elective courses at the Youth Coaching Institute. These courses are ideal for youth-serving professionals, schools, agencies, parents, and certified coaches seeking to enhance their skills and develop a framework for more effective engagement and support of tweens, teens, and young adults.

Empower Youth With Effective Coaching Techniques
As a mentor, youth advocate, teacher, or other youth-serving professional, you are already interacting and making an impact in the lives of today’s youth. However, mentoring youth can be challenging when you don’t feel you have the expertise and formal skills necessary to guide them down the right path.
Developing your coaching skills can help you:
- Enhance how you serve youth in your profession
- Help teens make better career decisions
- Guide teens in building self-esteem, motivation, resilience, and engagement
- Improve your classroom management skills
- Discover positive interventions for youth mental health
- Foster strong relationships and trust with youth
- Effectively manage and resolve conflicts among young individuals
Developing these coaching skills through our programs empowers you to make a more profound and positive impact in the lives of the youth you work with.
Explore Our Elective Course Offerings
Our elective courses are globally accessible through Zoom and online platforms, designed for a diverse range of professionals seeking to enhance their youth engagement skills. From basic coaching techniques for everyday interactions to specialized strategies in adolescent coaching, these self-paced courses are your pathway to enriching your role in youth development and mentorship.
Individual Lectures
Self-Study
These 1-hour lectures provide continuing education for coaches, covering diverse topics like Motivational Interviewing, Positive Psychology, Parent Coaching, Mindfulness, and more.
Coaching Adolescents
Self-Study
Designed for certified coaches seeking specialization in coaching tweens, teens, and young adults, this course focuses on adolescent development and resilience building.
Lifestyle Medicine for Adolescents
Self-Study
This course equips coaches with the skills to address health and wellness issues through lifestyle interventions, covering topics like health and wellness goal setting, nutrition, physical activity, stress management, and techniques for sustaining wellness change.
Have Questions? Schedule a Q&A With Us.
Whether you have some coaching experience under your belt, want to better serve youth in your profession, or are exploring a profitable and fulfilling career choice, we’re here to guide you on the best path forward. Fill out our contact form or schedule a live 20-minute Q&A to learn more.

Global Access to Learning
Embracing the diversity and needs of trainees worldwide, our courses are delivered entirely online. This global approach not only breaks geographical barriers but also fosters a rich, multicultural learning environment. Wherever you are in the world, you can join our community and benefit from our comprehensive coaching programs.
Why Choose the Youth Coaching Institute?
Evidence-Based Approach
Our curriculum is grounded in proven health and wellness principles, focusing on adolescent interventions that enhance self-perceptions, engagement, and positive behaviors while reducing challenges.
Community of Social Change Agents
At YCI, we’re a community of social change agents, transformed from our adolescent struggles into thriving adults, now dedicated to guiding the next generation through their journey.
Flexible and Virtual Learning Environment
Our flexible training model accommodates even the busiest lifestyles and is designed for professionals across the globe, ensuring a seamless learning experience. We offer both live and self-paced courses.
International Coaching Federation Accreditation
Stand out in the field of youth coaching with our internationally recognized certifications. The ICF is one of the highest-regarded coaching certification organizations, known for its stringent education and rigorous credentialing.
Reach Out to Us to Learn More
Have questions or want to speak with a member of our team? Schedule a meeting or reach out to us directly, and we’ll be happy to assist you on your coaching journey.
EXCELLENT Based on 49 reviews Tyshonna Delaney2025-05-13 My experience with The Youth Coaching Institute has been nothing short of life-changing. The training was thoughtfully designed, truly aligned with the development of coaches, and provides resources and community for coaches. The instructors were not only experts in the field, but also incredibly supportive and engaging throughout the process. I successfully and confidently completed YCI feeling fully equipped to support youth in meaningful, strengths-based ways. The community of fellow trainees was also inspiring—diverse, passionate, and deeply committed to making a difference. Whether you're new to coaching or looking to specialize in youth development, YCI is a great organization to support your goals. I highly recommend it to anyone serious about empowering the next generation. Shyla Mathews2025-04-08 I have just completed CYWC with Dr Leah and Team! Highly recommend this training if you are looking at starting your coaching journey. The pacing of the programme is well planned with all the materials prepared well and very informative. Learnt so much and Dr Leah is very responsive to all my questions. Анна Крбашян2025-03-09 I recently completed the coaching certification course, and I couldn’t be happier with my experience! Dr. Leah is an amazing instructor—professional, supportive, and incredibly knowledgeable. From the very first session, I could tell I was in good hands. The course was engaging, and I loved every minute of it, even though I wasn’t sure what to expect at first. The material was well-structured, and Dr. Leah’s teaching style made it easy to understand even complex concepts. I also appreciated the supportive learning environment, where all my questions were answered thoughtfully and thoroughly. I’m so glad I found this course and feel incredibly grateful for the opportunity to learn from Dr. Leah. I’m excited to start my coaching journey and would highly recommend this course to anyone looking to become a certified coach! Valerie Shaw-Gavel2025-01-23 I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from my experience with YCI. It took one class and I was completely invested. Dr. Leah is knowledgeable (due to academia and life experiences) and has a tremendous passion for coaching that trickles down through her students. I learned more about myself throughout this course than I did in 4 years of college. The way the classes are taught, through peer conversations, video coaching sessions, reflections and coaching practice the takeaways come very easy. She works hard to meet people where they are directly and kindly. I will continue my connection with YCI and Dr. Leah in the future because I truly feel I am part of a "coaching family" now. Darrin Olmscheid2024-11-28 Dr. Mazzola and team were wonderful. Approachable, communicative and provided instruction that was research based yet provided practical strategies and resources one could use the very next day! Grateful for this experience Mehroo Turel2024-10-09 Thank you, Dr. Leah B. Mazzola for creating this exceptional program. Your shared experiences, deep insight and understanding of young minds, backed by research and tools, made this program easy to learn and highly practical to use. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in this field. Angela Giles Klocke2024-09-04 I’ve had my eye on this training for a long time, so when the opportunity came up, I jumped in. Working with the team at the Youth Coaching Institute (YCI) was invaluable. While I am not new to coaching, there are so many ways to be an effective and impactful coach, and the training with YCI highlighted other techniques that I was able to start putting into action right away. The education and content, as well as the buddy coaching and coaching demos, offered a well-rounded experience in a comfortable learning environment. When it’s time to add to my knowledge and experience again, I will definitely return to YCI to continue. Jordan Tsuruta2024-08-29 YCI has greatly exceeded my expectations in terms of content, peer support, technical instruction, and overall personal value. This program has genuinely been life-changing for me. As a professional tennis coach with over a decade of experience and an active competitive athlete, I’ve gained invaluable insights into helping others—and myself—manage stress, identify unhelpful patterns, and create actionable plans for significant goals. While the education provided is both comprehensive and straightforward, applying the principles can be challenging. Fortunately, YCI offers an incredible mentorship system with ICF-certified coaches and guidance from Dr. Leah, providing essential feedback and support along the way. If you think you may be interested in learning what this program has to offer, I strongly recommend taking the leap of faith like I have and signing up! Becca Golden2024-08-28 There aren't enough words to fully express how incredible Dr. Leah's coaching programs are. My expectations were exceeded from the very first week of class and remained high throughout the entire course. I enrolled in the Youth Well-being Coach certification program to better support young people in discovering their strengths, potential, and goals. What I didn't expect was how much I would discover about my own. The experience was life-changing, empowering, and so much more. I am forever a grateful student and lifelong learner with Dr. Leah and YCI. Kathryn Armstrong2024-08-27 I highly recommend the Youth Resiliency Coaching Certification offered by the Youth Coaching Institute. As a Pediatric Cardiologist in Canada, I enrolled in this program to better support the youth and adolescents in my practice, many of whom have underlying heart disease. Through this certification, I gained valuable insights on how to support and facilitate young people to navigate the challenges of puberty, education, sports, and maintaining social connections. This experience was truly transformative for me, as I learned the importance of creating a safe and non-judgmental space for teenagers to express themselves and make their own choices. I am excited to integrate these learnings into my daily practice and empower teenagers and young adults to build resilience and strive towards their best selves, regardless of any underlying medical conditions they may have. I highly recommend this resource for any adult who works with young people. It will provide valuable support to help them succeed in life. Dr Kathryn (Katey) Armstrong Pediatric Cardiologist
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.

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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.