To me, a Trailblazer is someone who is mission-driven and focused on helping people. When we look at Trailblazers throughout history, they have been people who wanted to push the envelope and make a better world for everybody else.Ian Faison, Chief Content Officer, The Mission
At Kresser Institute, we envision a healthcare ecosystem where all people feel valued, are treated equitably, and are actively engaged in healthcare processes and decisions. Our goal is to increase diversity in perspectives, expertise, and insights in functional and relationship-based healthcare.
ADAPT Trailblazers Grant Program Overview
This program is available to those applying to the ADAPT Health Coach Training Program.
We are offering grants up to 100% ($9,997) of tuition. These grants are motivated by the organization’s commitment to:
- Train underrepresented people who are creatively reducing healthcare disparities.
- Train students who have a plan to creatively reduce healthcare disparities in underserved communities.
Examples of underrepresented and underserved communities include:
- North America: Native American/Indigenous communities, LGBTQ communities, military veterans, people with disabilities
- South America: Indigenas, victims of armed conflict, population with disabilities
- Europe: refugees, English Travellers/Gypsies
- Africa: ethnic minorities, indigenous minorities, previously disadvantaged South Africans
The Trailblazer grants are recognition that you can make a difference. Grants are not about getting a tuition discount or winning a prize; they are about your desire and ability to make a difference as an ADAPT-trained health coach. That is what we are looking to see reflected in your application.
Who Should Apply
We are looking for grant recipients who embrace the Trailblazer role, both within their communities and within the program. Currently, our program mostly represents the dominant groups within the United States as well as people who can afford tuition costs that are unaffordable for many people.
As such, we recognize that this may not be a program that reflects who you are or your background as an applicant, but these are elements of the program we are eager to change.
We believe that the core skills of coaching are powerful tools for all people and can be used to support a much wider variety of communities than we currently reach. Through this grant program, we are seeking a broader variety of voices from different backgrounds.
AIM: To have more coaches from underserved communities and serving underserved populations
WHO: We strongly encourage service providers, those working in community organizations in underserved communities, to apply. Also, those who are themselves from underserved communities are strongly encouraged to apply.
This grant program is one of many steps we will take to do our part to bridge the inequity gap in the health coaching field. By providing accessible education opportunities to more diverse changemakers, we aim for health equity by changing our industry from the inside out.
Examples of a Trailblazer Grant Recipient
“Ada”
I live in Ghana, where there is an epidemic of chronic disease fueled by poor lifestyle choices. This has taken a terrible toll. The only recourse is doctors who prescribe medication that may or may not help and doesn’t address the root cause or the lifestyle habits that cause the illnesses. Through ADAPT, I am able to achieve a credible certification so people will listen to and trust me so I can impact the lives of the people suffering in my region and beyond. I will be the first-ever health coach in my region. The opportunity to be in this program has been a miracle for me. It has been an amazing journey of self-discovery that is changing my life and allowing me to reinvent myself.
“Maria”
I have been on a prolonged health journey, having been misdiagnosed by Western medicine for decades. When I couldn’t find answers, I turned to Functional Medicine and finally was diagnosed with a chronic disease. I researched how to help myself and used my experience to help others. I deeply believe that health coaching is the future of medicine. My experience of growing up in extreme poverty has driven my mission to help underserved communities where healthcare remains unattainable. My goal is to start a health coaching practice that offers a sliding scale, group visits, and telemedicine to address the high healthcare costs in underserved, impoverished communities in the U.S.
“Anthony”
I serve my local and cultural communities as a social worker and trauma-informed bodyworker. I have worked in non-profits, government, and most recently founded a community health center where my team and I work exclusively with trauma-impacted bodies. I love my work, my community, and helping others live their holistically healthiest lives each and every day. As a queer person of color in the United States, I have experienced a variety of individual and institutional inequities, causing me chronic stress, resulting in chronic fatigue and burnout. Becoming a health coach has given me the personal and professional tools to (1) make the personal health changes I wanted and needed to make, (2) increase my impact and income by expanding my service offerings, and (3) enjoy a more flexible schedule, which reduces the stress in my life. Additionally, I am a much more effective communicator and transformational change agent with all of my clients.
As an applicant, you should:
- Have a basic understanding of what health coaching is and have an idea of how the ADAPT program trains students and the philosophies on which the program is based.
- Be passionate about being a change agent, helping people, and supporting an underserved community. We value grant recipients as ambassadors of the ADAPT Health Coach Training Program and want to support you on the front lines of health and wellness work.
- Have taken and passed the program eligibility quiz.
- Have a concrete plan and vision for bringing health coaching to an underserved community.
- Have an entrepreneurial and collaborative mindset. Upon completion of the program, you will have the skills and credentials to partner with existing healthcare entities and/or create your own coaching practice.
Our enrollment team is here to help answer your questions about coaching and the program. They are all ADAPT graduates and actively practicing board-certified health coaches. Click here to schedule a call with one of them.
The course also requires that you:
- Have technology support and a Mac or Windows computer with an internet connection that supports live video chat.
- Have 10 to 12 hours per week to devote to a rigorous professional training program. This includes up to 5 hours per week of live session time.
- Be self-directed and resourceful.
- Be proficient in English.
- Be comfortable sourcing practice clients from outside of the program to pass course requirements, even if you do not plan to work as a solo practice coach.
As a potential grant recipient, you are committing to:
- Complete all coursework and pass all certification requirements within 18 months of the course start date.
- A check-in with your student advisor every 6 weeks.
- Regularly sharing your feedback about the program with the grant committee.
- Submitting a revised plan by the end of the final week of lessons in the course. At that point, you will have a greater sense of the ADAPT model of health coaching and how you plan to coach. Your updated plan should contain specific details about who you will be working with, how you will have an impact, and a rough timeline of your plan’s rollout.
How to Apply
- The application period will open on August 9, 2021.
- If you are interested in a Trailblazer grant, please share your information on the Grant Interest List form below, and reach out to one of our enrollment advisors.
Join our interest list to find out more
More about the ADAPT Health Coach Training Program
Students become part of the ADAPT community and interact with experienced faculty and fellow students from around the world, getting more hands-on training and practice than any other health coach training program in the industry. Graduates are eligible to sit for the national board certification exam, available only to certified coaches from select programs.
Health coaches are experts on human behavior, motivation, and health. They are “change agents” who help their clients set and achieve health goals and build new habits. Using their broad knowledge of health and wellness, health coaches help people navigate a variety of health concerns and identify challenges and blind spots that prevent change. Along the way, coaches provide support and accountability and empower people as the experts on their own bodies, minds, and circumstances. Most importantly, coaches “meet people where they are,” leave their personal agenda at the door, and strive to serve the best interests of their clients.