Our Story...
COMPACT was established in 1989 when key leaders from the Escondido Union School District, Escondido Union High School District, Escondido Chamber of Commerce, & the City of Escondido, gathered together to form an equitable organization committed to developing & implementing community-wide programs to support youth; its original purpose was to expand the educational & career opportunities for youth, assisting them in becoming contributing citizens in our community. Over the years, the agency has grown & with the support of the Board of Directors & community partners, has expanded its programming; always with the ongoing focus of serving at-risk youth & their families consistent with its mission & vision.
COMPACT’s mission is to create and implement high quality programs and services for individuals to reach their fullest potential.
COMPACT’s vision is to perpetuate “Safe Communities comprised of contributing, healthy, educated, empowered individuals”.
In service of this pursuit, COMPACT has established an array of services that aim to support and promote youth success and family engagement.
1989
In 1989 Workforce Development Programming: Workforce Development is not only a program component but its our philosophy and practice that career exploration opportunities and work readiness training will be available and integrated into each of thecomponents. Since it’s inception, Education COMPACT is committed to providing innovative youth development and youth workforce development programs that remainconsistent with our original Motto: “Creating Opportunities, Making Partnerships and Connecting Teens.”
Funding: Escondido Union High School District – Job Shadow Day, Youth
Opportunity Day, intensive Work Readiness Training
San Diego Workforce
1993
1993 Workforce Development expansion into Out-of-School services
Funding: San Diego Workforce Partnership – Out-of-School service provider
2002
2002 Pre-Workforce Development Services as well as Service Learning component.
Funding: Escondido Union School District – Career Days, Career Exploration, service learning.
2003
2003 California Service Corps – CA Governor’s Office on Service & Volunteerism (GO Serve)
Funding: AmeriCorps – 20 FT & PT members placed in positions supporting
education and other community needs.
2006
In 2006 COMPACT demonstrated that there was “no comprehensive coherent system’” in place that was responsible for the support and success of at risk In and Out-of-School in North County. COMPACT joined forces with Vista Unified School District’s STRIVE Program and created the North County Youth Career Network.
Funding: San Diego Workforce Partnership – In and Out-of-School service provider
2007
In 2007 COMPACT Board of Directors approved expanded vision that youth can only be as healthy safe as their family and community as a whole. This included our partnership with Escondido Police Department to provide Juvenile Diversion Services; Escondido Union School District through the CARE Youth Project to provide case management services. Our partnership with Vista Community Clinic to offer HIV/AIDS health education. As part of the “Live Well San Diego” initiative through the County of San Diego – we became a CX3 provider (Communities of Excellence in Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Prevention) which netted ourn community with Community Gardens, food distributions, store conversions for healthy food options. As a subcontractor to Interfaith Community Services, Family Self-Sufficiency Contract with the County of San Diego, HHSA; became the SNAP Ed Provider. The program provides Health Education through workshops, food demonstrations and community events for North Inland San Diego County. The establishment of the Palomar Health Community Coalition Escondido, through federal Drug-Free Communities grants to establish and strengthen community collaboration in support of local efforts to prevent youth substance use and to create an environment that makes it easier for people to act in healthy ways. Plus the addition of Safe Routes to School and Bike/Walk to create a safer and healthier community through establishing partnerships that emphasize the accessibility of complete streets that are safer, more livable and welcoming to everyone; especially for youth to and from school. An important component of Safe Routes was the Intergenerational Program which aimed to integrate local active older adults and youth in a variety of activities, such as Walk & Bike to School Day. Along with the vision of creating safe passages to and from school, COMPACT transitioned to oversee and administer the crossing guard program; which includes 18 locations throughout the Escondido Union School District.
Funding: City of Escondido, Escondido Police Department, Juvenile Diversion
Escondido Union School District – CARE Youth Project, Safe Route to School, Crossing Guards
County of San Diego, Live Well San Diego, CX3
County of San Diego, Interfaith Community Services, Family Self Sufficiency
SAMHSA, Drug-Free Communities
2010
In 2010 COMPACT expanded the North County Youth Career Network to include the mostdisconnected and disengaged youth; Youthful Offenders. Youth that are connected through theJuvenile Diversion Programs, have been in the Court Systems, have been on Probation and even youth that have been incarcerated and reentering into the communities of North County. We feel strongly that education and life guidance opportunities are the keys to the movement from poverty to a more stable style of life for families. Thousands of youth in North County, whose parents lack even a secondary education, aspire for higher levels of education and quality of life to help move their families from poverty toward prosperity. However, the many barriers of living within under-represented and poorly educated communities, riddled with violence, high levels of drug abuse and language barriers make achieving this goal a challenging task.
Funding: San Diego Workforce Partnership – Out-of-School service provider – R & R Services
2018
In 2018, The San Diego County Probation Department reports that of the 206 youth on probation, the risk for recidivism is extremely high. The data shows that about 38% or more will reoffend due to the harsh economic climate, limited employment skills, lack of education, and the stigma of having a criminal record. Unfortunately, these factors combined contribute negatively to whether a youth will be successful in their adulthood or not. The best strategies for them to succeed is offering a comprehensive and integrated model that combines education, mentoring, occupational skills/training, career pathway development with needed support services/wraparound services. Quality service delivery to this population requires longer and more intense programming. COMPACT received funding for our Project Hero Mentoring Program. Providing these youth, in the context of safe, nurturing relationships can start thriving in all areas of their lives including: education, employment and lower recidivism.
Funding: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention
2019
In 2019 COMPACT was selected as one of the three providers in the county charged with the launching and administration of their newly developed Achievement Centers funded through San Diego County Probation and Safety Group. The Achievement Center Escondido is an after-school program designed to maintain community safety and promote long-term success for probation and community youth, up to 19 years of age. To achieve this, a variety of services are offered that support youth in areas that are essential to their overall success including academic remediation and tutoring, career exploration, clinical services, work readiness training, community service opportunities, and positive youth engagement activities like athletic programing and the arts. The program’s focus is to provide a structured, yet positive environment that allows youth to thrive while supporting their families through intensive case management. We have expanded our services and program model to include the delivery of clinical services through our Community Assessment Team partnership, where we are a regional provider and through our subcontract to provides clinical and psych-educational education with the District Attorney Office, Juvenile Diversion Initiative; a program offering an Alternatives to Detention and clinical services to offenders.
Funding: County of San Diego, Probation Department, Achievement Centers
County of San Diego, Probation Department, SBCS, Community Assessment Team
County of San Diego, Probation Department, SBCS, Alternatives to Detention
County of San Diego, District Attorney’s Office, National Conflict
Resolution Center, Juvenile Diversion Initiative.
2021
Expansion of Project Hero Mentoring Program, which is an individual mentoring program that uses evidence-based strategies to match eligible youth with a gang nexus residing in Escondido. The mentoring relationship is monitored by a Program Coordinator and a Lead Mentor. Through COMPACT partnerships, Project Hero has been able to recruit volunteer mentors from the local community and universities. Including those mentors who have “lived experience” as part of the credible messenger model; which provides an opportunity to match at risk youth with caring adults who have walked in their shoes, have had similar life experiences and have taken all the steps necessary to turn their lives around.
Funding: Health & Human Services Agency, County of San Diego
2022
Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) Program serves youth who are currently homeless or are at risk of becoming homeless. A variety of services are provided through case management in order to assist youth in meeting their basic needs and/or achieve reunification, shelter or housing. Each youth creates an Individualized Service Plan with their Case Manager along with a Housing Plan. The Housing Plan consist of an emergency housing, transitional housing and/or permanent housing goal.The program serves Homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, 18 - 24 years old, North County –Focus on Escondido Youth.
McKinney-Vento Program is a partnership between COMPACT and Escondido UnionHigh School District, a Case Manager provides services to EUHSD students by screening individuals and families, determining client eligibility, providing resources, connecting youth to other programs and providing follow-up services. The Case Manager is stationed on various identified EUHSD campuses on a rotation and meets with youth referred through the District and School Social Workers. While on campus, the Case Manager not only screens youth for housing services, but also connects youth to other programs in COMPACT that can provide extra support and help meet the youth’s needs. In addition, the Case Manager will follow up with each screened student to assess if there is any additional assistance that the youth needs.
Funding: County, YMCA, Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention (HHAP)
McKinney-Vento, Escondido Union High School
2023
In 2023 COMPACT started their partnership with United Way of San Diego, the STEAM Initiative will recruit STEAM professionals to talk with students and/or serve as role models, recruit STEAM-focused businesses to be host sites for work-based learning experiences and recruit students to participate in the initiative; participate in hands on career exploration.
Funding: United Way of San Diego
COMPACT brings 30 + years of success and experience in servicing youth and families while also successfully administering large federal, state, local and private grants. In short, Education COMPACT offers strong accountability to its funders and collaborative partners, while never compromising its “youth-oriented” service delivery focus.
