The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) announced a partnership with the Illinois Education Association (IEA) and the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) to pair new teachers with building mentors and virtual instructional coaches to help guide them through this most unique first year of teaching. The Illinois Virtual Instructional Coach and Building Mentor Program is a one-of-a-kind support system for Illinois’ first-year teachers. Each year, nearly 4,000 new K-12 teachers are hired to fill vacancies for the school year. Many first-year teachers this year did not have the chance to complete their clinical training, commonly referred to as student teaching, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and schools’ sudden shift to remote learning this past spring. High-quality induction programs are proven to reduce turnover among new teachers. This new program will match first-year teachers with coaches and mentors based on grade level, content area, cultural affinity, and interviews. First-year teachers will receive these additional supports for the 2020-21 school year. ISBE engaged IEA and IFT with a $6.5 million grant, funded through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.