A social-emotional focused childhood program that offers real-life and academic skill development within a farm and garden setting.
A social-emotional focused childhood program that offers real-life and academic skill development within a farm and garden setting.
Our children need a different approach in their education – one that teaches them skills to adapt and thrive as they grow into adulthood. Childhood education is at a precipice. For years, we have continued on the path of this public school experiment. But here we are, and children are dealing with a chronic illness epidemic, a mental health crisis, and weakening family and interpersonal relationship skills. On top of this, the world economic and political scene continue to grow more unpredictable, all while parents become more dependent on technology to survive daily life.
The world that or children face is changing rapidly. We are at a turning point, where we as a society now recognize the causes for many of our current struggles, and we can choose to support our children in ways that will help them thrive into adulthood.
The Compass Center Foundation offers our small contribution to the future. We give children and their parents a wide range of soul-enriching experiences grounded within the simple landscape of a farm and garden homestead. When children are immersed in the purposeful daily life of land and animal stewardship, they learn life skills that can foster a deep and clear sense of self: the jumping off point into a joyful and successful adulthood.
We are a 508(c)(1)(a) church ministry, and non-profit, tax-exempt corporation. We are a Christian ministry in our community values, but in our educational offerings, we believe that a diversity of cultures, religions and spiritual traditions should be honored and taught, so that where our humanity and our spirituality overlap can be celebrated and shared.
At The Compass Center Foundation, and similar to Rudolph Steiner’s approach to early childhood education, we believe that childhood is a passageway for our souls, transitioning into an earthly experience here on this beautiful planet. Looking at the challenges of childhood through this lens offers hopeful possibilities for early childhood education to bring meaning and purpose into their lives. We hold this belief in the forefront as we develop our offerings.
As our dream for a healthier childhood educational experience grew, another idea blossomed. What if an early childhood program could support parents too, not just kids? What if the organization could provide support, knowledge and community for the whole family? The Compass Center Foundation, as its fully realized self, will become a community wellness and educational center offering families a homeschool cooperative, a progressive and accredited school option, as well as a place to learn, heal, and grow together, in community, as spiritual beings.
We found common ground with the Henley family in Crozet, Virginia. With their support, we are now able to offer families an immersive and enriching experience on their land. We have been in operation since December of 2022.
The Compass Center Foundation’s purpose is to support families on their journey towards physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.
Our hope is that by offering an intentional childhood experience, we can be a part of a movement towards equipping the next generation to better thrive in our turbulent world.
We see a community of intentional families working together to raise vibrant, healthy and engaged children. Our long term vision includes a new farmstead campus to house our homeschool cooperative and/or an accredited school, and all of our wellness and spiritual events, plus the community gardens and farm animals.
Our children are facing major social and economic crises including the breakdown of community, family and interpersonal relationships, economic and political instability, chronic illness epidemics, and rising mental health challenges.
We feel that the average school is not taking the whole child into consideration in preparing them to face these challenges, and we recognize that the public school system is not able to. But, we are seeing the many consequences manifest, to the detriment of society and the economy.
We see a need for a new model in childhood education that offers more freedom for children and their parents to engage with learning experiences in a way that more closely aligns with the natural phases of childhood development and takes into consideration the unique challenges facing our future leaders.
At The Compass Center Foundation, we have four guiding principles. These principles speak to our everyday interactions and decisions, as well as long term goals.
The days at Compass Academy are filled with the opportunity, connection, purpose and peace that come naturally from being consistently immersed in the natural world.
We know that children are innate learners. We don’t worry about making sure that they learn, we worry about making sure that they are given the opportunity to learn at their pace, surrounded by adults and educators who model personal integrity, empathy and compassion, curiosity, and non-violent communication.
When children come to school at Compass Academy, they enter a diverse environment that exemplifies a holistic approach to learning, living, relating and earning.
We believe that when children grow up surrounded by adults who care deeply and live intentionally, they will thrive.