Public Service Profile By Lauren Bertovich
T
THE COMPASS PROGRAM
he journey made between becoming much it grows overtime. It is amazing to an adult can take many paths, full be able to build relationships with the kids of obstacles and challenges. Some of and see what a little bit of motivation and life’s most defining moments happen during encouragement can do. There are big things this time and when a lack of guidance leads coming from Compass and I believe it is, to poor decision-making, an individual’s slowly, but surely, shaping the lives of these future is at stake. It is vital that legal prob- students.” lems or behavioral issues including truancy, The students participate in individual criminal behavior, and/or addiction to drugs and group counseling to address any menor alcohol be addressed early. Just like the tal health issues they may have, including magnetic, wayfinding device, the Compass anxiety and/or depression. The Waynesburg program is the ultimate source of guidance University volunteers go above and beyond for students grades 6-12 that have struggled to make sure these students receive the eduto find the right path in life. cational requirements they are lacking; they The program began last September un- also help them develop short and long term der the supervision of Community Service goals for the future with workshops like Director, Bret Moore, and is part of the Tru- “Dream Thinking.” According to Moore, the ancy Elimination Plan. The program com- university students have been exceptional in bines the efforts of Waynesburg University their diligence, maturity and compassion. Students, retired teaching faculty, Interme- “They serve as positive, peer role models. diate Unit 1 and many Greene County re- Something many of these kids are missing.” ligious congregations. The students are reSome of the high school students are ferred to the program by the court, schools, receiving their certificates in OSHEA or Safe Children and Youth Services, or private Serve, available from CareerLink. Increased counselors because they have experienced knowledge means increased opportunities troubles that have negatively impacted and the Compass Program hopes to help the their education. “We feel it is far less expen- individuals involved break out of their insive to educate people than to incarcerate volvement with the criminal justice system them,” says Bret. “This is especially true of while they are still young. young people. We are trying to give them The community has come together in the tools necessary to lead a productive life great fashion to help with this program. Stuand stay out of the criminal justice system. dents and faculty volunteer their time and By requiring them to receive academic and energy and many of the churches in Greene counseling support, as well as job and soft- County donate dinners every night of the skill training, we hope to reduce recidivism program and help with transportation. The among our clients.” Compass Program received a $75K grant The students are brought from their from PACTT, Pennsylvania Academic and schools to CareerLink in Waynesburg, every Career Technical Training Alliance, and Thursday from 3:30pm to 6pm. They re- with those funds they have purchased supceive tutoring from Waynesburg University plies, helped with transportation and staffed students, some of them Bonner Scholars, in part-time employees. The program hopes to various subjects including math, English, expand to more than one night a week in science, and reading and participate in en- the near future. FMI, contact Bret Moore, richment sessions. These sessions offer the at 412-874-5246. students more exposure to art, photography, poetry and even pottery. “Working with the Compass program the last few months has changed my perspective in more ways than I could have imagined,” says Brianna Armenia, Bonner Scholar. “The program is doing amazing work and Bret Moore (Director), Dean Patrone, Alex Nemic, Trey Carl, Kyer I truly cannot wait to see how Hurt, Alexis Phillips, Paul Berg and Mark Ziler (Community Service Foreman and Assistant).
MAY 2019
• GreeneScene Magazine
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