Compass Youth Center is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2009.
Our goal is to create an education-to-career platform for all youth. With a lens towards underserved and underrepresented students in the k-12 demographic, we accomplish this by utilizing project-based and experiential learning experiences to reduce/eliminate the disparities and inequities in STEM.
Mission
Compass provides educational opportunities and services designed to empower and engage our youth. Our central focus hinges upon the creation and successful delivery of quality socioeconomic and community-based programs. With the goal of assisting our at-risk population, we also aim to combat the school-to-prison pipeline and promote personal/professional development for all.
Vision
Provide pathways out of poverty, which leads to improved self-awareness, stronger workforce/economic development, healthier living, and improved relations between communities, businesses, local leaders, and government agencies.
In today’s increasingly competitive global marketplace, families are highly concerned about their children and present and future employment prospects. At a glance, North Carolina and the remainder of the U.S. have experienced a significant shift from a manufacturing-based economy to a more service-driven. As such, the core structure of Compass Youth Center offers an excellent pathway consistent with STEM awareness, project-based learning, workforce development and also represents building a pipeline for the most recession-proof segments of the labor market in the following industries:
- Education
- Energy
- Environment
- Security (National, International, and Global)
- Health care
Compass Youth Center prepares our youth for tomorrow’s challenges by exposing them to 21st Century learning in an after school/extended day/track out and summer environment.
Achievements
- Three trips to the North Carolina State Championship of FIRST Robotics Competition since 2015
- 2018 District Champion at East Carolina University
- Highest ranked rookie team at S.E. Raleigh Magnet High School 2016
- Successful execution of Jr. FLL, FTC and FRC programs spanning 11 North Carolina Counties. Warren, Vance, Franklin, Northampton, Halifax, Nash, Edgecombe, Wake, Chapel Hill/Carrboro City Schools and Durham.
- Compass Youth have gone on to enter STEM career fields at N.C. State University, N.C. Central University, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, N.C. A&T State University and Tufts University
- Diverse and minority female participation is growing with one Compass Youth participating in Governor’s School in 2019
- Over 500 students served since 2015
Compass Service Areas
Since 2015, Compass has served these NC counties: Warren, Vance, Franklin, Halifax, Northampton, Nash, Edgecombe, Durham, Wake, Chapel-Hill/Carrboro School District.
