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Summer Bridge program gives incoming ninth-graders monthlong introduction to high school
Summary
Program staff and students described a monthlong Summer Bridge program that rotates participants through seven courses and draws on 10 years of data showing improved freshman-year outcomes and growth in local CTE and STEM offerings.
Staff member (program staff) described the Summer Bridge program as a monthlong, cross-curricular course designed to ease incoming ninth-graders into high school. “About 10 years ago, we were given the task to create a program for incoming ninth graders transitioning from middle school to high school,” the staff member said. “It's about a month long program where they come in and they rotate between 7 different classes. English, math, science, a STEM robotics class, public speaking, and a leadership course.”
The staff member said the program seeks to teach skills students will need both for high school and beyond, and to familiarize them with campus life: “We have several middle schools that feed into our high school, and so they get to know our staff, our campus, where classes are, a large number of the students that they're gonna actually go to high school with for the next 4 years.”
Two students who participated described personal gains. Student (participant 1) said the program helped build confidence and practical classroom skills: “Since middle school, I've been enjoying the art of STEM and exploring it. So I knew I wanted to continue in high school, and I found out that my first opportunity couldn't come from the summer bridge program. Program. Not everyone's comfortable with just entering high school and starting in August, but I feel like the district offering it helps build confidence with all the students that attend summer bridal, and that's what I enjoy most about it.”
Student (participant 2) described social and instructional improvements after multiple years in the program: “I didn't know how to talk to anybody. Right? I was just super shy. And then even through 1 year as just being in the program, I learned how to how to talk to my students. Year 2, I learned how to talk to my teachers. Year 3, I learned how to help students and talk to them and teach them how to learn new things. And I know I'm gonna take this into college, whatever my future endeavors are, and they were really supported by Summer Bridge.”
The staff member said 10 years of data show the program correlates with stronger freshman-year performance and continued benefits across the four high-school years: “We are super proud of our Summer Bridge program because we have gotten to see the results 10 years later. We have data. The data shows that students that are in our Summer Bridge program are more successful their freshman year of high school, which is huge. But really, we've noticed that they're also just throughout the 4 years as well.”
The staff member also noted district-level growth in career and technical education (CTE) and STEM offerings over the past decade: “And what's really cool is we've also been able to see over the last 10 years, our CTE and our STEM program have just exploded.”
No formal actions, votes, or funding details were recorded in the transcript. The presentation in the meeting functioned as a program overview and testimonial from staff and participating students.
