A BluePrint for Success: Case Studies of Successful - Educational ...

A Blueprint for Success
verse students “are able to learn from each other and realize that, while they might be a different race
or ethnicity, they have a lot in common.”
To achieve this, Bridges to a Brighter Future was designed to incorporate several specific and intentional
activities to assist students in becoming a family and feeling a connection with and commitment
to the program. These include the annual “Spring into Bridges” event that brings together new
and returning students and their families; the welcome weekend of the summer program that fosters
teambuilding and leadership development; an intensive diversity workshop early in the program to
breakdown biases and open a productive dialogue on all aspects of diversity; an intentional “family”
structure or feeling in the program staffing, activities, and communication; and, an end of summer
banquet that celebrates student accomplishments.
Lessons Learned
Program Identity
Bridges has many programmatic aspects to foster a clear program identity with which people want to
be connected and belong. Having a clear value system and mission, and crafting a program that supports
these, are crucial. Further, the program culture must include students and help to create a
family for them. Through a clear program identity, Bridges strives to create pride and enthusiasm to
be a part of program among students and staff members. To help communicate the program identity,
each new student is paired with two continuing students as mentors. The older students teach the
new students what bridges is about, expose them to pride in the program, and share the chants and
songs about bridges. Each cohort learns the traditions and helps to build on them.
Recruitment
Bridges purposefully selects only students that need the program, have the commitment necessary to
benefit from the program, and who want to be there because they see in the program real value to
improving their success in life. Early on, behavior was a problem. Initially, the program worked to
help students make the choice to modify their behavior and commitment or leave the program. Additionally,
Bridges spends considerable time recruiting the right counselors, teachers, and staff members,
all of whom are passionate about working with these students. Today, staff recruitment is largely
word-of-mouth and it is much easier to bring in the right people.
Program Structure
The intensive, four-week residential summer program is designed to provide structured and safe opportunities
for students to grow. This aspect is crucial to helping students disengage, even temporarily,
from the distractions of their lives and focus on academics, personal development, and their future.
Further, the Bridges program creates one-on-one relationships between staff members and each
of the students it serves to ensure that students’ needs are met. The Crossing the Bridge component
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