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WE ARE WITH YOU: A Letter from the Executive Director
Today, the COMPASS staff took a stand. Please take the next 2 minutes and 50 seconds to see and hear…
Learning the Language of Math
As the mathematics teacher for high school aged students at the COMPASS school for the last 6 years, I’ve had the opportunity to contemplate and research the purpose of math education. Among numerous personal discoveries, I found that the most successful lessons engaged questions that connected math work in the classroom to other disciplines and real life applications. Often faced with the question, “when will I actually use this (insert literally any math topic) in the real world?” educators are required to think a little outside of the box. I’ll share one way we’ve tackled the question at the COMPASS school.
Be the GPS, Not the Driver
Takia has seen COMPASS evolve since she joined in 1999. “When I started, we were given beepers and paper maps to get around and communicate with our families,” remembers Takia. The growth of the Community Services program has been what has surprised her the most. She has seen the program at its lowest number of staff in 2008 (9 staff members) to the present when it boasts a staff of over 80.
The Next Chapter
Written by Laura Lajewski, Executive Director Last year, COMPASS celebrated its 45th anniversary! It was a great time to reflect…
COMPASS Receives $10,000 Grant to Combat the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in Greater Lowell
COMPASS is one of Massachusetts’s leading providers of special education and human services for youth and families in need. In January 2020, it received a $10,000 grant from Circle Health to combat the commercial sexual exploitation of children in Greater Lowell.
COMPASS’ 2nd Annual Staff Wellness Day
In August 2018, COMPASS staff set a goal of engaging in more self-care activities. The work that COMPASS staff performs…
An Exchange of Empathy
Head Caseworker Alex Stylien will be completing his thirteenth year at COMPASS this February. When he first heard of COMPASS in 2007, he jumped at the opportunity to begin to develop and hone his skills as a behavior specialist. From the very beginning of his time at COMPASS, Alex realized that he had a knack for empathizing with students and the situations that they were in – inside and outside of school.
Sharing a Sense of Purpose
When I tell people that I’ve worked at COMPASS for 32 years I get looks of shock, words of congratulations, and sometimes a raised eyebrow. I came to COMPASS right out of graduate school, referred by a trusted public school administrator who said, “it’s a wonderful place, and you will learn a lot.” Here I am years later still learning and still appreciating what COMPASS is, what it gives to its employees, and especiallywhat it does for its clients.