“Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.”

~Oprah Winfrey

Who We Are:  Passionate Advocates

The BRIDGE Foundation is committed to transforming the lives of marginalized youth who will ultimately become our future leaders.  As educators, the founders of BRIDGE analyzed the factors affecting student achievement and what has historically been done to address them.  Our unique relationships with students, schools, and communities have ignited and prepared us with the insights and drive essential to creating effective and lasting change that will ultimately improve the trajectories of all.  

What We Do: Maximize Potential

The BRIDGE Foundation offers programs, experiences, and connections that build Bridge Ambassadors who are well equipped to achieve post-secondary goals.   Through developed opportunities participants are able to develop cognitive strategies and academic behaviors,  broaden awareness and respond to diverse perspectives, and foster relationships with themselves, their peers, and their communities.

Why We Do It: Transform Tomorrow

The BRIDGE Foundation has been created to bridge the gap between college and career eligibility and college and career readiness to ensure students are prepared for the rigor of college and possess the soft skills that will allow them to succeed in any pathway they choose.  By investing in the preparation and personal development of our youth, we are creating a guaranteed return on a more cultured and robust society.

How We Are Different: Authentic Experience

The BRIDGE Foundation is founded by real educators who have developed solutions based on real experience.   While many programs promising increased student achievement operate on statistics and theory, BRIDGE operates on the knowledge of how those statistics are manifested, what strategies are essential to combating the root causes of them, and what has been proven to transform the paths of our youth.

Current trends and stats about our future leaders:

Low-income and first generation college students are far less likely than their counterparts to earn a degree.  This forces them to settle for low wage work or engage in criminal behaviors as a means of supporting themselves.

%

of incoming college freshmen require remedial courses in English, Mathematics, or both.

1 in 3 college freshmen do not graduate from college.

Crystal Gilliam

Crystal Gilliam

Founder & Director of Community Outreach

Jennifer Freds

Jennifer Freds

Co-Founder & Director of Cultural Exposure

DeOnna Dalton

DeOnna Dalton

Co-Founder & Director of Literacy