FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 2, 2024

CONTACT: Kimberly Aguilar, (805) 341-4689

THOUSAND OAKS, CA – Compass Charter Schools (Compass) is honored to receive an Award of Merit for The Firebird Chat Podcast. The award was presented on Friday, March 1, 2024, at the CalSPRA Annual Conference Awards Gala in Sacramento, CA. The Firebird Chat is Compass’ dynamic monthly podcast hosted by counselors and staff members, covering a wide range of relevant and critical topics for scholars and families.

“The Firebird Chat Podcast is dedicated to scholars’ social-emotional well-being,” shares Director of Counseling Services Debra Stephan. “This esteemed award recognizes the valuable contribution our team has made to enhancing the emotional wellness of scholars. The podcast and our daily counseling supports serve as a testament to the importance of prioritizing our scholars’ mental health and emotional development in today’s educational landscape.”

The podcast was envisioned by the counseling department and developed in partnership with the marketing department. Counselors Mandi Schwartzberg and Jacob Samples discuss important topics, such as Self-Advocacy, Exploring Compassion, Empathy, and the Beauty of Diversity, Emotional Resilience, Emotional Intelligence, and more. A podcast is also featured on Compass’ McKinney Vento program for homeless and transient scholars, featuring staff Karla Gonzalez, School Community Advocate, and Danielle Gamez, Director of Operations.

“We are so thrilled to receive this Award of Merit for The Firebird Chat Podcast,” shares Jacob Samples, Counselor. “When we started this podcast, our hope was to continue to find creative ways to engage meaningfully with our scholar population, and we are proud of our work thus far. We are having so much fun creating this scholar-focused content each month, and we look forward to our continued growth and outreach.”

“At Compass, we strive to provide the most cutting-edge education to our scholars and families,” shares Kimberly Aguilar, Community Relations Coordinator. “This podcast was created to expand our communication and to support scholars in all areas of their academic journey. We serve the whole scholar, and mental health is a priority at Compass.”

About CalSPRA

The California School Public Relations Association (CalSPRA) is a nationally recognized leader in school communications with a membership of more than 850. Members represent school districts and county offices of all sizes, ranging from the largest urban districts to those located in remote areas serving one or two schools, as well as other professionals in the field of education. Some members are trained public relations professionals, many others serve a variety of roles in educational agencies and rely on CalSPRA to provide communication guidance and support.

About Compass Charter Schools

Compass Charter Schools is a WASC-accredited virtual personalized learning public charter school serving thousands of scholars throughout California. Catering to TK-12 grade scholars, Compass offers two personalized learning programs. Compass is committed to creating a collaborative virtual learning community, inspiring scholars to appreciate the ways in which arts and sciences nurture a curiosity for lifelong learning, and preparing scholars to take responsibility for their future successes.

For more information, visit About Compass and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.