EPOG Academy

The Enjoyable Pain of Growth Academy is a non-profit with the mission to make personal development part of education. We believe that education is more than academics and that students in all zip codes deserve access to high-quality tools to develop their full potential. We make professional leadership coaching accessible to high school students in underserved communities to enhance their achievement and well-being. Our Approach: All of our coaches are trained professionals through the International Coaching Federation, which is the gold standard of coaching globally. Coaching differs from mentoring and counseling because it focuses on developing students' self-determination by asking questions, sharing insights, and inspiring them to create their own plans instead of giving advice or directions. This approach builds self-sufficiency, so when the coach is no longer in their life, the growth remains. Each student meets with their coach 1:1 for virtual sessions throughout the semester. In tandem with coaching, they go through our online toolkit that helps them increase their P.O.W.E.R.: (Purpose) articulate a vision of who they want to become, (Ownership) understand and leverage their strengths, (Wisdom) break down goals into manageable plans, (Execution) put those plans into action and reflect, and (Resilience) develop the personal and social resources to stay the course when it gets difficult. Ultimately students leave inspired and equipped to take control of their future!