Standing beneath banners representing each of the partners that comprise Coastal Compass are (from left) Irene Martinez, Workforce Solutions; Isabel Salinas, advisor for high school students; Dr. Janet Cunningham, executive director; Victoria Prewitt, coordinator; and Maria Cerda, office assistant. Photo by Jane Kathleen Gregorio
By Jane Kathleen Gregorio
A career change can be both daunting and intimidating, which is when Coastal Compass can make a difference. A partnership-based, nonprofit organization, Coastal Compass equips adults, veterans and students with the resources they need to successfully navigate their future careers — at no charge.
“We’re a one-stop shop that covers everything education- and job-related,” said Dr. Janet Cunningham, executive director.
Coastal Compass was established in 2013 by Citizens for Educational Excellence and operates under the joint partnership of organizations such as Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Del Mar College, Saint Leo University, Corpus Christi Independent School District, Education to Employment Partners, Education Service Center Region 2, Craft Training Center, Workforce Solutions and Corpus Christi Literacy Council.
“Our partners help keep this center going by providing us with furniture, equipment and staff,” Cunningham said. “This center is unique. I haven’t found any other place quite like this with the kind of services being offered for free to the community.”
In its convenient location at La Palmera Mall, Coastal Compass provides a variety of resources and one-on-one help to clients. The nonprofit assists with filling out financial aid forms, applying for colleges; English as a Second Language services; strategies for obtaining GED certifications; post-secondary, dual-credit or associate's degrees; and bachelor’s degrees.
“A lot of times, people have left school, or parents of high school seniors that need to prepare for college aren’t familiar with how to fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or admissions forms, so we sit down with people,” Cunningham said. “We don’t just hand them brochures. We personally walk them through step by step with whatever assistance they need.”
For those seeking job advancement or looking to sharpen their skills, the following free seminars on these topics are available:
- help with résumé writing and filling out job applications
- interviewing prep and tips
- exclusive access to computerized job banks
- aptitude testing and career interest inventories
- on-the-job training
- career-ready certification
- job placement services for veterans
The funding and operating expenses of Coastal Compass rely on donations from companies, board members, fundraising events and membership fees for Education to Employment Partners. The majority of its financial resources, however, comes from grants.
“We were really fortunate to recently get a grant from Charity League of Corpus Christi,” Cunningham said. “It enabled us to purchase a trailer that we’re outfitting to become our ‘Coastal Compass on Wheels’ that will service the rural community.”
Coastal Compass also received a $126,000 grant from Texas Guarantee Philanthropy to design career pathways for students in high school to earn jobs in the Coastal Bend.
“It’s so great to have so many organizations working together to help communities,” Cunningham said, adding that a 16-member executive board oversees the organization. Many of the board members are also partners in Coastal Compass.
“Our board president Ken Trevino is also the president of Workforce Solutions, Dr. Michael Sandroussi is with Craft Training Center, Dr. Mary Sherwood is the chief of staff at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, so a lot of our board members are invested in Coastal Compass,” she said. “For a small board and the small budget we have, we are able to do so much. It’s a very cost-effective operation.”
As for its vision for the future, Coastal Compass aims to increase educational and job attainment and hopes to meet the state’s goal of 60 percent of Texans having a credential or degree of any kind by 2030.
“We’re working hard to get people from where they are and move them into some type of post-secondary experience,” Cunningham said. “There are lots of opportunities here in the Coastal Bend, but without that higher education, people will have a hard time finding a job. A lot of the employers tell us they have a hard time finding employees in the Coastal Bend that have the education and skills that they need, so we’re working hard to change that.”
Coastal Compass is located at 5488 South Padre Island Drive Suite #1082 in La Palmera Mall by Longhorn Steakhouse. For more information, contact (361) 906-0703 or info@coastalcompass.org. Visit the website at coastalcompass.org.
