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POSTED: Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009

New program brings hundreds of elementary students to Western

BELLINGHAM - More than 800 Whatcom and Skagit county fifth-graders became Western Washington University students for the day Tuesday, Oct. 27, as part of a new program designed to get young students thinking about college.

Compass 2 Campus partners local fifth-grade students with Western students and creates a mentoring relationship that helps show the young students the importance of graduating from high school and continuing their education.

Students from seven Whatcom County schools participated, proudly showing off their florescent-green Compass 2 Campus T-shirts as they walked through Western and caught a glimpse of what college life is like.

The elementary students were broken into groups based on their interests, including the arts or science and math, and had tours and activities tailored to their interests.

"Chemistry was my favorite because the cold liquid turned into gas," said Kahanu Flores-Morales, 10, referring to the liquid nitrogen his group learned about. "I want to go to Western now... and do chemistry."

Before Tuesday, the Sumas Elementary fifth-grader, like many other participants, had never been to a college campus before.

"It's a lot bigger than I thought," he said. "I thought it would be one large building with lots of rooms."

The program, which is funded through grants and private sources, was established last spring by the Legislature in hopes of attracting more minorities, low-income and first-generation-college students to the state's higher education programs.

While Compass 2 Campus is based at Western, Whatcom Community, Bellingham Technical, Northwest Indian and Skagit Valley colleges also are part of the program.

Compass 2 Campus was created by Cyndie Shepard and is based on the Phuture Phoenix Program, which she co-founded at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay.

Shepard moved to Bellingham last year when her husband, Bruce, was named the new president of Western.

Phuture Phoenix, which will graduate its first group of high school students this year, has shown success improving grades and attendance rates for students who participate.

"We are very excited to have you here," Shepard, the volunteer director of the program, told the sea of students in Carver Gym Tuesday morning. "Our whole campus is waiting for you."

Plans are for the program to grow each year, with mentors eventually helping students in grades 5 through 12.

As part of the program, fifth-graders will visit Western each fall. The college mentors then work with the students back at their school on a weekly basis, assisting with homework and classroom activities.

"It's such a great opportunity to work with these fifth-graders," said CrystalAnn Cole, a senior from Woodring College of Education and student-leader in Compass 2 Campus. "I want them to have some people to look up to."

About 430 Western students, half of whom are education students, volunteered to be part of the program. Student mentors take a three-credit training course before working with students, but can participate in the program for as many quarters as they like.

"I just think this is a really good program," said sophomore Jon Bash. "There are lots of opportunities that could be wasted, if not for one of us."