Compass Rose Collaborative Brings Positive Change to Communities and Justice Involved Youth

Positive change is at the heart of  FHI 360’s Compass Rose Collaborative, a network of local community-based organizations, employers, community colleges and other support services committed to promoting successful reentry for returning youth after incarceration or other involvement with the justice system.

The collaborative supports young adults living in high-crime and high-poverty communities by:

• Implementing a program model that focuses on providing youth with: 1) support services, including assistance obtaining housing, clothing, food, transportation and counseling; 2) legal services; 3) work readiness, preparation and job placement; and 4) educational services;
• Creating lasting community-based partnerships that empower young adults beyond their participation in the program;
• Documenting and replicating effective practices in communities through FHI 360’s peer-learning communities and the development of tools, resources and webinars.

The NIWL reentry model incorporates supportive program infrastructure and formalizes partnerships among corrections systems and community-based education providers, workforce training providers, reflects human-centered and trauma-informed approaches and incorporates positive youth development and adult education principles. We research in-demand skills and occupations to optimize work and learning opportunities for people returning to their communities.

NIWL oversees multisite implementation of the Compass Rose Collaborative in ten geographic locations across dense urban and sparse rural areas. We provide a suite of tools and resources to ensure our local partners’ success: peer learning and exchange opportunities with other communities; an inventory of assets of each site; resources to share, development and enhancement of partnerships, training and technical assistance opportunities, and meeting facilitation.

In 2021 FHI 360 will be applying for continued funding from the Department of Labor to extend this important work and target more geographic areas.  If your community-based organization is interested in exploring how to join the Compass Rose Collaborative network, please click here and tell us more about your organization.

The Compass Rose Collaborative is 100% funded by the US Department of Labor in the amount of $4.5M.  No other sources of funding support the project.