FAQ

All Western Washington University and Whatcom Community College students are able to become mentors by taking the first mentorship training class:

• WWU: C2C 201, C2C 202 or C2C 203
• WCC: CTWOC201

Depending on the site placement our mentors are doing a variety of direct service at the schools. Mentors provide one to one, small group, and whole class support through purposeful academic tutoring and mentoring in all academic areas. Mentors also help run afterschool programs, support sports teams, and spend time with students at recess, lunch and in-between class times. In all areas mentors focus on building relationships with students to encourage and enable their educational aspirations. Mentors are supported in their efforts by their instructors, Lead Mentors assigned to their school and also the classroom teachers they will be working with.

WWU C2C 201/WCC CTWOC201

• Attend class for the first 3 weeks of the quarter and also a scheduled check-in with the instructor midway through the quarter, and at the end of the quarter. 
• Weeks 4-10 are spent in direct service at the school site. Students commit 4 hours per week (total of 28 hours a quarter) and choose their schedule and site from a list of days/times by school.
• Complete all classwork assigned by instructor. 
• Participate weekly in discussion groups on Canvas.

WWU C2C 202

• Attend class for the first 2 weeks of the quarter and also a scheduled check-in with the instructor mid-quarter and at the end of the quarter. 
• Weeks 3-10 are spent in direct service at the school site. Students commit 4 hours per week (total of 32 hours a quarter) and choose their schedule and site from a list of days/times by school.
• Complete all classwork assigned by instructor. 
• Participate weekly in discussion groups on Canvas. 
• Completion of C2C 201, C2C 203, or WCC CTWOC201 is required prior to enrollment.

WWU C2C 203 

• Attend class each week throughout the quarter.
• Weeks 4-10 are spent in direct service at the school site. Students commit 4 hours per week (total of 28 hours a quarter) and choose their schedule and site from a list of days/times by school.
• Complete all classwork assigned by the instructor. 
• Participate in weekly discussion groups on Canvas. 

Mentors who volunteer more time than the required 4 hours a week are recognized for their dedication. Completion of more than 5 hours extra service makes a mentor eligible for a letter of recognition from the Compass 2 Campus Executive Director. 

No previous experience is necessary-you will receive training in your Compass 2 Campus course as well as support throughout the quarter to help you work with youth. The teachers, lead mentors, and your instructors are there to help, so be sure to ask lots of questions! A desire to help and to ask for help is all that is needed.

In addition to course commitments, mentors can expect to work with groups of 5-7 students in the classroom, will be expected to provide an equal amount of assistance to each student and to devote most of their time in the classroom to supporting the students. Mentors will learn about classroom expectations, how to work with students and teachers from their course instructors, and can also expect to receive support and guidance from the Classroom teacher and their lead mentor for the school they are placed at.

Compass 2 Campus is offered as an Elective and a GUR course. All students from any major can and are encouraged to participate. 

Students from all majors have the opportunity to make a big difference in the lives of students in Elementary, Middle and High Schools. Mentors also gain valuable skills in leadership, communication, and working with diverse populations. Compass 2 Campus is a great way to get involved directly with the community and gain experience for many future employment opportunities.

No problem! Two of our schools can be reached by bus-persons without a vehicle have first access to those schools. We also work with other mentors to help coordinate carpools to the sites that do require a vehicle to reach them.

Mentors must be able to provide their own transportation to WWU and site placements at local schools in Whatcom or Skagit County. We do our best to accommodate all transportation needs and restrictions.  Regular bus routes are available to a very limited number of site placements. Carpools can also be coordinated with other mentors who are driving and offer to carpool other students to their site placements.

You can reach out to Compass 2 Campus Program Staff at: Compass2Campus@wwu.edu with an inquiry requesting to verify hours. To receive a letter of recommendation, you must have completed 5 additional hours over the service requirement. Or-if you volunteer with C2C, you must complete the 2 hours per week that you committed to for the entirety of the Quarter.

For Elementary or Middle School-yes. For High School, we do not recommend it, this can sometimes compromise the leadership role that you are taking on as a mentor in the school. 

The purpose of our background check is to keep all minor students and mentors safe from harm. Background checks are completed based on a Criminal Conviction Verification form at the beginning of the quarter.

Only certain criminal records disqualify a mentor from mentoring with children. Criminal records that disqualify a mentor include any crime against children or the elderly, sex crimes, and violent hate crimes. Traffic infractions, drug and alcohol possession charges, and other nonviolent offenses do not disqualify students from mentoring. University Police and C2C reserve the right to review as warranted on a case-by-case basis.

Background checks would only be reviewed for these elements and should not cause any “alerts” to our knowledge outside of the university.

Yes! As long as you are a student at Western or Whatcom CC, you are able to be a mentor with C2C. C2C, in alignment with Western’s commitment to serving undocumented students, strives to welcome and serve undocumented mentors and mentees. We welcome and encourage mentors from all backgrounds, including undocumented mentors, as we know that the students we serve in our 5th-12th grade programs have similar backgrounds and experiences.

Mentors are able to request placement options that may be in certain locations or away from certain areas if they would like. We will do our best to accommodate these requests based on your class schedule and available mentoring options. Criminal background checks are required for all mentors to go into schools. Citizen or immigration status is not a factor in the background check process. These background checks are completed within the University and would only be used to look for crimes that could disqualify a mentor (mainly crimes against children or the elderly, sex crimes, and violent hate crimes). These reports stay within the university and would not cause any “alerts” to our knowledge outside of the university.

Our mentors’ safety and security are very important to us. If you have additional questions about your specific circumstance or any information shared here, you are welcome to contact our office at C2C@wwu.edu or stop by to talk with one of our program staff.

Compass 2 Campus is a huge effort, and support is always needed in a variety of ways. Here's how you can get involved:

• Become a mentor
• Become a lead mentor
• Volunteer to help
• Donate to Compass 2 Campus

Students who are taking a C2C course are acquiring service learning hours. Those that are volunteering after taking the course can count these hours as volunteer hours.