Club Compass Updates – October 2026

Club Compass Updates

Club Compass Is Back! A September Full of Firsts, Friends, and Fishing Poles

The backpacks are packed, the school bells are ringing, and best of all, Club Compass is officially back in session!

This September, we opened our doors and welcomed kids back to our Dubois, Graham, Black Hawk, and McClernand sites, and what a time it has been. From fishing at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to story time with the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum, our Compass kids have been learning, laughing, and growing together every week. (And psst, our Harvard Park site will be up and running soon, so stay tuned!)

At Club Compass, we’re all about high-quality experiences, the kind where kids feel safe, seen, and excited to try new things. Here’s a peek:

Getting Started the Right Way

The first weeks of any school year are all about building community. At every site, kids and adults worked together to create win-win agreements and shared expectations so everyone can get along and work together all year long. Through social-emotional learning (SEL) lessons, kids practiced communication skills and played getting-to-know-you games that turned a room of new faces into a team.

Learning From Our Community

One of the best parts of Club Compass? We don’t do it alone. This month, some wonderful friends from around Springfield joined us for enrichment activities:

  • Dubois Club Compass kids enjoyed Career Day, where kids met real professionals:
    • Desi Dennis, Radiologist (Memorial Health)
    • Jack Hutter, Meteorologist (WICS)
    • Kavita Sundaram, Graphic Designer (Compass for Kids)
  • Kim Dykstra and her Pawsitive Therapy Dogs visited Black Hawk Club Compass for an afternoon of furry, four-legged friendship.
  • Abigail Bussey from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum brought story time to Graham Club Compass.

Adventures Outside the Club

Field trips are fun and educational! Our McClernand and Graham Club Compass kids headed out with Christina Yoc from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for a fishing trip, and yes, they caught some fish! It was an SEL lesson in the making! What a fun way to learn patience and expectations. Our Dubois kids explored the Henson Robinson Zoo with Lori Crowder, getting up close with animals of every shape and size. The McClernand Club Compass kids also visited the Old State Capitol with Kaitlin Pottier from IDNR, State Historic Sites Springfield, walking in the footsteps of history right here in our own backyard.

Dinner Is Served — With Love

None of this happens on empty stomachs! At the end of each Club Compass day, our kids sit down to a warm meal provided by incredible volunteers from our community. A huge thank-you to September’s dinner providers:

  • Jerome United Methodist Church
  • Kathy Seadler
  • Gay Sybert
  • Lisa Hillestead
  • Brenda Cloyd & Patti Camille
  • Rotary Club of Springfield
  • Compass for Kids Board of Directors
  • HMA Mortgage
  • Shirley McCandless & Family
  • Rotary Club of Springfield Sunrise

Want to Be Part of the Magic?

Club Compass is volunteer driven! Our amazing volunteers are the heartbeat of everything we do. To keep our sites high quality, we need reliable volunteers in place at every location. If you (or someone you know!) would like to make a difference in the life of a child, we’d love to meet you.

Click to Volunteer

Here’s to a great year ahead! We can’t wait to share more adventures with you soon!