School Overview

COMPASS Welcomes Wider Horizons Intern Gareth McAlinden

COMPASS is happy to welcome Gareth McAlinden, a resident of Ireland, to assist COMPASS School staff in their work with high school aged students. Gareth was one of 21 participants selected for the Wider Horizons Program. He described his placement at COMPASS as a great experience that provided a good opportunity to bond with students through basketball, something that so many of them are good at.

Keep reading...

COMPASS' Basketball Team Plays in GBBL Tournament

COMPASS' basketball team played in this year's Greater Boston Basketball League (GBBL) Tournament. Though the team did not win the tournament, they displayed a mature, solid performance. The team had a season record of 10-4 and will continue to improve, potentially contending for the GBBL championship next year.

Keep reading...

AmeriCorps' Massachusetts Promise Fellowship awarded to COMPASS

COMPASS is happy to have Kerri Foley join our school staff as a Job Readiness Fellow. The Fellow position at COMPASS was awarded through the Massachusetts Promise Fellowship, which is part of the national AmeriCorps program. Kerri will work to enhance current transitional services by developing a job readiness and supported emplyment program. The Massachusetts Promise Fellowship places Fellows who commit to a year of service at non-profit organizations, schools, and city agencies across Massachusetts to create, lead, and manage youth development projects. The Massachusetts Promise Fellowship believes that "all young people in the Commonwealth have a right to the resources that they need to be successful in life, including a caring adult, a safe place, a healthy start, an effective education, and an opportunity to serve... and deliver these 5 promises to youth by training emerging leaders who commit one year of service to support and provide

Keep reading...

COMPASS Welcomes AmeriCorps Promise Fellow Sabeta Jarba

The COMPASS School welcomes AmeriCorps Promise Fellow Sabeta Jarba to the program! Her role will be to develop and co-implement a curriculum for the Building Maintenance and Repair (BMR) program. This will include ensuring the program meets OSHA standards, and coordinating apprenticeships, job shadowing, internships, and job opportunities for students

Keep reading...

COMPASS Students Make and Sell Jewelry to Raise Money for Haiti Relief Fund

COMPASS clinician Pam Stich incorporated a beaded jewelry making class in to the students' BEAMS (Beginning, Engaging, Acquiring, Mastering, Strengthening) activity program, and in to some therapy sessions, to help students relax and engage more easily. The first jewelry BEAMS project was organized around a fundraiser in which students made jewelry to sell to staff and the public during COMPASS Cafe hours on Friday, February 12th, with the advertised goal of donating all proceeds toward a Haiti Relief Fund. Over 20 pieces of jewelry were sold, including earrings, necklaces, bracelets and rings, and 107 dollars was raised to help Haiti. A few students had experience with jewelry making and were able to design and make their own pieces, while other students needed more guidance and instruction. It was a great process and experience for the students to create something that people purchased as well as to know

Keep reading...

2012 Violence Prevention Slogans Announced

The contest was open to COMPASS students and the winners were awarded gift certificates. The slogans will be used in publicity and fundraising materials for the event, and featured on t-shirts and other giveaways to friends and families at this year's Violence Prevention Ceremonies. Other entries included:

Keep reading...

Pedro

Both Pedro and his older brother graduated with us, and his family has been very active with the school by cooking for various events, reaching out to parents and attending all of our functions. Pedro graduated in June 2009. In June 2007 Pedro was awarded a scholarship to travel to England as part of a youth ambassador group called "People to People." He has continued find ways to help fund his own education, as the recipient of a full scholarship to Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Boston. He won a significant portion of that money in a statewide cooking contest.

Keep reading...

Quote:

"When my son... was having emotional difficulties in his early school years, COMPASS and its faculty were the only ones to really care about a child's education. They were devoted to giving these children an education by helping them overcome their problems. They are caring and loving people whom really came across to me as being there to truly help and not just for a paycheck. Thanks to COMPASS, my son has gone to college and become an outstanding young man. They even influenced him to follow a career path in helping other youths that may be headed down the wrong roads of life. They are amazing!"

Read more quotes...

COMPASS Hosts MAAPS Regional Legislative Meeting to Discuss Special Education

Legislators from Boston attended a meeting this week at COMPASS School in Dorchester to discuss legislative and budget issues pertaining to Chapter 766 - private special education schools.

Keep reading...

Adilson

Adilson Gomes Centeio came to us in May, 2003, as a troubled young man who spoke only Cape Verdean Creole and a little Portuguese. Due to misunderstood behaviors and a misdiagnosed illness, he spent nearly two years in a hospital for mentally ill patients. Adilson left the hospital in the care of the Department of Mental Health (DMH), without friends or family, and moved to a shelter for homeless adults with mental health challenges. He was isolated and alone, unable to speak English, and a stranger to phones and the T. In June 2006, Adilson proudly graduated with a full-time job lined up, and he continues to study English as a Second Language. He was very excited about completing the final steps for his US citizenship on June 20. Adilson had many challenges to overcome, and we were able to bring together the support he needed. Through

Keep reading...