Youth Compass Thomas Speckhardt,
Executive Director
ExpatWomen's Interview with Thomas
ExpatWomen:Thomas, YouthCompass is a very unique, non-profit organization creating positive communities and experiences for teens in international communities. Tell us more about this great concept.
Thomas:YouthCompass was founded by a group of expat men and women who felt strongly about creating positive community and service venues for international teens. The founding meeting was in London in 2001. Shortly after that, YouthCompass Europe was founded in Frankfurt.
We are a community youth organisation, led by Christian volunteers and staff. Through local and regional programs for youth ages 12-19, we are able to create opportunities for the sons and daughters of expats to enjoy life together, and give to others by participating on our humanitarian relief projects. A mix of weekly events, camps, and service projects led by committed youth leaders build a caring community for highly mobile teens.
YouthCompass works with a volunteer base of adults to engage in the local community. At a certain point of development, we place full-time experienced staff to run our local programs as well as coordinate volunteers.
For parents and educators, YouthCompass staff lead seminars and workshops on transition, parenting your international child and cultural adjustment – providing fresh perspectives from our work with thousands of teens and families over the years.
ExpatWomen: In which countries do you run YouthCompass?
Thomas: With the help of many expats, YC has founded local non-profits in Germany (Duesseldorf & Frankfurt), Italy (Milan) and Hungary (Budapest), and is in the process of forming groups in Brussels and Moscow. We are also working to resource volunteers to begin YC activities in other cities, and an effort is underway to expand to Asia in the summer of 2009.
ExpatWomen:Who is eligible to enrol in YouthCompass programs?
Thomas: YouthCompass local and regional activities are open to all Middle and High School age students. If your local community is not yet involved in YouthCompass, you can request information on all of our events by sending an email to info@youthcompass.org, or checking the web site http://www.youthcompass.org/ for details.
ExpatWomen: Please share some more about Youth Compass' humanitarian relief projects.
Thomas: YouthCompass is committed to challenging international students to give of themselves to those less fortunate, who can never repay them. Whether it is renovating a building for a children's orphanage in Romania, or assisting with a women's shelter in Slovakia, teens have the chance to make a real difference.
Over the past eight years, YouthCompass has provided service opportunities for hundreds of high school teens. Project Compassion takes place over Spring Break and students have served in Croatia, Slovakia and Romania. This year we expect 200 students and leaders to attend Project Compassion. Many of our students use this opportunity to help fulfil the CAS requirements for the International Baccalaureate. We believe that each international teen really has a heart for service – we just need to give them the opportunity to engage in a real way to help others less fortunate.
ExpatWomen:Do you have any 'good news' stories from youth who have participated in YouthCompass programs?
Thomas: I am always encouraged when students report that they found community through YouthCompass because this is what YC is designed to do. Here are two first-hand descriptions from students involved in YC:
Project Compassion:
"Project Compassion 2007 was an unforgettable experience. Having only moved here at the beginning of this school year, the number of friends I had at the start of the trip was minimal. In spite of this, I made quite a few new friends in the grade below me and with a handful of people from other countries, not to mention the youth leaders. One of my favourite things about YouthCompass in general is how easy it is to interact with any given leader. They're eager to get to know each person on the trip and I knew I could always go and talk to my own leader concerning just about anything. As for the work we did, we dug holes, we made cement, we dug trenches, we back-filled trenches, we plastered the inside and outside of the building we were renovating, we built a woodshed. The list goes on. While it was hard work, it was also extremely fun. Some of the most fun I'd had in a while was digging holes for the foundation of a new apartment building. This led me to question the "no whining" rule on the Project Compassion rule sheet. By the end of the trip I felt really good about myself, and was sad to leave so soon. The week that we were there for went by extremely quickly. I'm looking forward to next year's trip already. I miss the temperature-confused showers and the food we complained about. I miss the entertainment in the evenings, courtesy of "Isaac Improv", Aaron the Guitarman, and Jaro with his videos. People have ignorantly asked me why I "wasted" a week in Romania doing work during my spring break, I challenge those people to "waste" their week of spring break next year and try their hardest to hate it. I guarantee you they won't be able to say it wasn't fun."
D.F. – 16 yrs. old
YouthCompass Club (local program):
"YouthCompass (CLUB) has helped me find happiness while I've lived here. When I was most down it has lifted me up. It has made me feel welcome and a part of the gang as soon as I stepped through the door. And even now, when I am having the worst time since I have lived here, I can still feel good and wanted. CLUB is somewhere I can laugh, smile, and feel good about myself..."
Brittany - 16 yrs. old
ExpatWomen:How can expat women in our audience help Youth Compass?
Thomas: Spread the word and volunteer! Don't wait until you are leaving your assignment to engage in supporting youth locally. YouthCompass desires to encourage and equip a local base of volunteers to address the needs of expat youth and families. Your middle or high school student can participate in any YouthCompass activity, regardless if you have a local chapter established or not. So come on, get involved!
ExpatWomen:Thank you very much for your time, Thomas. We congratulate YouthCompass on such a great initiative and wish you all the very, very best.
Note: YouthCompass is doing a seminar for expat employees and families called "Transition Together" in Frankfurt towards the end of February. Contact YouthCompass for details.
