Career Compass of Louisiana, a non-profit organization that provides career and college coaching services to high school seniors across the state, has expanded to include school districts in the Central Louisiana parishes of Allen, Avoyelles, Grant, Catahoula, Concordia, Franklin, LaSalle, Natchitoches, Rapides, Winn, Sabine and Red River.

Along with school districts in the northern and southern parts of Louisiana, Career Compass is now serving students in 28 districts statewide. In the 2012-13 school year alone, Career Compass will serve approximately 12,500 seniors statewide.

“The Orchard Foundation is very excited to partner with Career Compass, marking their expansion into the central Louisiana region. Through funding from The Rapides Foundation and the Central Louisiana Technical Community College, all public high schools in our nine-parish service region will receive Career Compass’ college and career coaching services. Our goal is to provide all Central Louisiana high school students with the resources and support systems they need to advance beyond high school, realize their full potential, and become productive citizens. Through Career Compass we can reach that goal,” stated Marjorie A. Taylor, Ed.D, Executive Director of The Orchard Foundation. “After just a few days in our high schools, the feedback from the students, faculty, and staff has been overwhelming. Student lives have already been touched and many are realizing that they do have opportunities beyond high school.”

“We are humbled by the continued growth of our organization,” said Career Compass Executive Director, Julie Scott. “The confidence that so many have placed in us is truly overwhelming as we continue to partner with school districts across the state to increase the number of students in Louisiana who attend a post-secondary institution by removing obstacles that keep them from making it a reality.”

Career Compass was founded in 2006, in response to a need Kacy Edwards and the group’s co-founder, Julie Scott, saw as high school teachers: that far too many students graduate with no direction for the future, the organization has helped more than 10,000 high school seniors create and execute a college success plan by graduation.

Ninety –nine percent of students who work with Career Compass applied to and/or were accepted to a post-secondary school they could successfully attend beyond high school graduation.

And of that number, 80 percent are still attending school. Career Compass’ programs include: individual college and career coaching for high school juniors and seniors, college awareness seminars for grades 5-11 and graduation coaching.