About one-thousand fifth graders from Whatcom and Skagit counties visited Western’s campus yesterday to see firsthand what a university campus is like and to kick off the ninth year of the Compass 2 Campus mentoring program. On the heels of this exciting day, the blog is providing additional information about WWU’s nationally recognized Compass 2 Campus program.
Launched in 2009 by the passage of House Bill 1986, Compass 2 Campus is Western’s campus-wide initiative that places mentors in Title I schools to encourage students to graduate from high school and recognize opportunities in higher education. As one of the state’s largest student mentoring programs, Compass 2 Campus provides early outreach designed to increase access to higher education through mentoring and academic tutoring for students in grades fifth through twelfth from traditionally underrepresented and low-income backgrounds.
Compass 2 Campus makes a difference in the lives of mentored students and mentors alike, and builds partnerships by working with schools and school districts throughout the region. Each year, WWU students work directly with fifth graders to establish a mentoring relationship and as the fifth graders progress through middle school and high school, Compass 2 Campus mentors continue to serve these students by offering encouragement and support to graduate from high school and pursue higher education.
In addition to empowering mentees and increasing access to higher education, WWU mentors develop leadership skills and realize the positive impacts of giving back to their community. More than 200 Western students are currently enrolled in Compass 2 Campus courses, and over the years WWU students have provided roughly 200,000 hours of mentoring service. Western has also begun its mission to transport the program to other colleges and universities in our state. Central Washington University began its own Compass 2 Campus program in 2014.
You can find additional information about Western’s Compass 2 Campus program here and more information about yesterday’s Compass 2 Campus Tour Day here.