ABOUT
Since 2017, The Bridge has been a beacon of support for high school students who are in foster care and kinship care. Our methodology is rooted in a researched and proven dropout prevention model, ensuring that every intervention is backed by proven strategies for success. With full-time Mentors placed in high school settings across 5 counties, we're making a tangible difference in the lives of hundreds of students annually through consistent interactions.
Data is tracked in an online portal. Data metrics include Attendance, Behavioral Incidents, and Grades. Additionally, post-secondary plans are measured.
Services Include:
One-On-One Meetings: Each week Mentors sit down with each child on their caseload to work towards goals in the areas of attendance, behavior, grades, and post-secondary planning. This level of consistency continues to lead students toward academic success.
Family Engagement: Success happens not just when we interact with students but when we also include their families in the progress of a child’s education. Including a child’s caretakers builds a stronger foundation so that youth are supported not just in school but also at home.
Advocacy: Bridge advocacy takes place through ongoing collaboration with school staff and additional partners. Through strong partnerships, Mentors can advocate for youth in an educational setting.
Enrichment Opportunities: A key part of learning and self-exploration takes place when students get opportunities not just in the classroom but also outside of it. The Bridge program assists in the planning and implementation of field trips to college campuses, work sites, and additional settings where students gain experiences.
Post-secondary Education Planning: We understand that to support a student fully this includes assisting them with the organization of what they will do after high school. Whether it’s workforce readiness or a traditional college, we work side by side with students in securing financial assistance, gaining practical skills, and removing barriers that will allow them to achieve their goals and become self-sufficient after graduation.
Each Bridge Mentor tracks student progress through an online database and internal tracking systems which outline progress in students’ attendance, behavior, grades, scholarship amounts, post-secondary goals, graduation outcomes, and more. To view a full report on results from the 2023-2024 school year please look at our Outcome Report.
Future Vision
Our desire is that this program will have a permanent place in WV schools. The Bridge is a model that can be scaled up to include all West Virginian students that have experienced a crisis in parenting, economic downturn, and the impact of the drug epidemic. We seek to support schools to become nationwide leaders in the work to ensure that students in the foster care system and other at-risk youth perform at pace or better with their peers.