The BRIDGES program began more than a decade ago to meet parents’ needs for after-school care for their upper elementary- and junior high-aged children. Since then it has evolved into one of the most powerful tools in the Sylacauga community for dropout prevention.
“We’re really just trying to get the kids early, and trying to do what we can to keep their grades and attendance up,” said Debbie Adair, who heads up BRIDGES.
Three public schools in Sylacauga now have at least one BRIDGES program, and BRIDGES’ grant-funded programs have expanded their mission from dropout prevention to also include youth development and prevention of risky behaviors.
The programs, two of them located at local churches, typically cater to students in grades four through eight and provide services to students throughout the school year.
Nichols-Lawson BRIDGES
The program at Nichols-Lawson Middle School began in January 2005 with the Saturday school programs and quickly expanded to a twice-weekly program.
Now it operates Monday through Thursday from 3 to 4:30 p.m. throughout the school year.
Students in grades six through eight who have been referred into the program from the school-level Building Base Student Support Team, school administrators or the child’s parents receive homework help from teachers and study for tests with teachers or AmeriCorps volunteers, who are usually students at Central Alabama Community College.
In addition to the homework help and test prep, students are also taught lessons from both the “Too Good For Drugs and Violence,” which teaches students about the dangers of drugs and alcohol use, and “First Tee,” which intertwines golf skills with social and life skills, curriculums.
The students also get to participate in nutrition lessons and craft activities.
“We reinforce what they’re doing in class,” said teacher and volunteer tutor Jenny Martin. “I found out what lessons they have, and teachers give us information if they’re behind on something or need to redo an assignment.”
Martin said the volunteers help students with test preparation, as well. On days the students are not studying for a test, they often get to play educational games, she said.
Dre McElrath, a seventh-grader at NLMS, said his favorite part of participating in BRIDGES is learning, getting help with his homework and improving his grades. Dre said he was referred into the program by his mother.
BRIDGES student Emmanuel Ervin, who says he has been participating in the program for two years, was also referred into the program by his mother.
“I needed a little help with the work, so my mom put me in it,” he said.
While Emmanuel said his favorite parts of the program are getting snacks and using the computers after his homework is finished, he said he knows the program is helping him because his grades are “getting up.”
Seventh-grader Chad Yarbrough said assistant principal Gary Rivers referred his parents to the program.
“I didn’t really know what it was about when I started,” Chad said, but he is now familiar with both the program and its results.
He said his grades have improved by an average of 10 points as a result of his participation in BRIDGES
Saturday School
Adair said the same students who come to NLMS BRIDGES during the week participate in the Saturday program.
“Not as many come, but it’s the same students,” she said.
Also similar to some of the after-school programs, Saturday school incorporates the “Too Good for Drugs and Violence,” “First Tee,” and nutrition curriculums. Within the “First Tee” program, students go to Farm Links golf course in Fayetteville to practice their golf game.
On Saturdays close to the end of a semester, the students are given the opportunity to study for their exams with the help of flash cards made by the BRIDGES staff from study guide materials provided by the teachers.
Devin O’Neal, an eighth-grader at NLMS who attends both Saturday school and the after-school program, said he likes the chance to study for his exams because, according to him, he doesn’t study for most tests but does for his big exams.
On a normal Saturday school day, however, Devin said his favorite thing to do is go to Farm Links. ‘
“It’s kind of like my favorite thing to do,” he said. “I’m not school good, but for a rookie, good.”
Briana Hallman, a seventh-grader at NLMS, said her favorite Saturday school activities are golfing, cooking and doing activities, but also said she likes having the study time.
“Because it gets me focused on stuff,” she said.
Held every other Saturday at NLMS, BRIDGES Saturday school is open from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Summer School
Students who’ve participated in the BRIDGES programs at NLMS, Comer Elementary or Comer High the previous year are invited each year to participate in the summer school program. Similar to the after-school programs, the students work on reading and math skills to reinforce the material learned during the school year.
Students are also given silent reading time to read required books for the upcoming year or to enjoy reading. Curriculums from the “First Tee” and “Too Good for Drugs and Violence” programs, as well as crafts and nutrition, where students prepare snacks, are also incorporated into the program.
Summer school is open at NLMS for three weeks during the summer months. The program is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on regular days and from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. on special field trip days.
BRIDGES TOO
Xavian Tate knows why he loves the BRIDGES Too program.
“I like BRIDGES because they help you with your homework, and they’re really nice,” said the 10-year-old fifth-grader at Pinecrest Elementary School, who is in his second year of participating in the program. Xavian said he enjoys doing activities for his age group and getting prepared for the upcoming school year.
“I like that we laugh a lot and they teach you on the board how to do division,” said fifth-grader Elijah Peyton.
The BRIDGES Too program serves students in grades four through eight on a first-come, first-served basis. The group meets four days a week at the True Light Community Church in Sylacauga. Pam Pope is director of BRIDGES Too.
Students also have access to homework help and study time, and they also work on lessons from the “Too Good for Drugs and Violence” and “First Tee” programs.
Like other BRIDGES participants, BRIDGES Too students take weekly trips out to Farm Links to practice their golf swing, and they have free access to the driving range for the duration of their membership in BRIDGES.
Comer BRIDGES
The BRIDGES program at Comer High School targets grades five through eight and is held Monday through Thursday from 3 to 5:30 p.m.
Students can be referred to the program by parents, school administrators or the school-level Building Based Student Support Team
The students at Comer BRIDGES receive homework help from teachers and study for tests with teachers or AmeriCorps volunteers, who are usually students at Central Alabama Community College.
In addition to the homework help and test preparation, students are also taught lessons from both the “Too Good For Drugs and Violence” and “First Tee” curriculums.
“I would give anything for my students to have had this,” said tutor Kathy Landers, a retired schoolteacher. “It is the most wonderful program in the world.”
Eighth-grader Lamar Suttle has been involved with Comer BRIDGES for two years, and he said the tutoring he has received has been one of the most helpful aspects of the program. His grades have improved drastically, he said.
Shaq Thomas, also in the eighth grade, said he has been on the A/B Honor Roll at Comer since he joined the BRIDGES program. He said this is his last year in the program, since it ends after eighth grade.
“I’m going to miss it,” he said, “especially the helpers — they push you hard, but it’s because they like you and want to see you do good.”
Rebecca Butler, in seventh grade, has also seen her grades improve dramatically in the past two years since she’s been in the BRIDGES program.
“It brought me from F’s last year to the A/B Honor Roll this year,” she said.
Butler’s mom, Kathy Dwyer, said the Comer BRIDGES program has helped make Butler’s transition from elementary school into high school smoother than it would have been otherwise, since it taught her how to prioritize and discipline herself in her studies.
“It’s a phenomenal program,” Dwyer said. “I love the program and I can’t say enough about it; I just wish it was offered until they graduate.”
Dwyer said she gives kudos to the tutors, like Landers, who pour love and patience on the students and help them adjust academically, but also socially.
Wanda Graham, whose daughter Shay graduated from the BRIDGES program and still returns to help tutor when she has time, said her daughter got more out of the program than either of them at first expected.
“It’s just a good program to have the kids in,” Graham said.
CREDIT RECOVERY
Students in grades nine through 12 are able to take part in the BRIDGES ACCESS Credit Recovery program, which enables students who have failed classes or transferred schools to stay on course for graduation.
Held at Sylacauga High School, Credit Recovery began last January and offers online courses after school in subjects like English, algebra, government and history.
The courses are offered from 3:30 to 5 p.m. four days a week after school, and BRIDGES provides tutors to help guide students through the courses.
“It’s a great program, and these kids are getting an experience that I think they wouldn’t get in a regular school day,” said volunteer Teresa Conville. “They’re not only learning their subjects, but they’re learning how to do an online class, which could be even better for them than they realize if they choose to go to college. But they will have some of that experience, and at least on the job they will have some of those computer skills.”
Although it is available to high school underclassmen, Credit Recovery targets students in 11th- and 12th-grade first, to ensure they have the opportunity to make up any needed credits in order to graduate on time with their classes.
The Credit Recovery has already been tremendously successful in its first year of operation, Adair said.
Nearly 100 percent of the students who participated in the program its first semester passed their online courses, she said, and many of them passed with flying colors.
“We have had some students who, when they first took a class in high school, maybe they made a 34,” she said, “and when they took it online after school, they made something like an 82.”
Because of the one-on-one environment, the program size has to remain limited to about 15 students, she said. Right now there are approximately 11 students at SHS taking online courses through Credit Recovery.
BRIDGES 21st Century
Bridges 21st Century takes place at First Baptist Church in Sylacauga five days per week year-round. During the school year, students in grades four through eight begin arriving by bus from the schools around 3:30; they stay until 5:30, receiving help with homework, enjoying snacks and participating in other enrichment activities.
“I like that they study with us and help us with our homework,” said fifth-grader Shelby Harris.
“And that we go golfing, and we get lots of exercise,” piped Paul Markert.
Like other BRIDGES students, 21st Century participants take weekly trips out to Farm Links to practice their golf swing, and they have free access to the driving range for the duration of their membership in BRIDGES.
During the summer, BRIDGES 21st Century is open 7:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. and provides children with dance, music and art lessons, along with other youth development programs such as “Too Good For Drugs and Violence” and “First Tee.”
Midas Oden, an eighth-grader at NLMS who has been doing the program for almost four years, said he likes the homework help opportunities.
“I love to catch up on my work,” Oden said. “I like that they make flash cards and help us study because it helps my pass my quizzes easily.”
Oden said this will be his last year participating in BRIDGES.
“I am a little bit (sad), but eventually I have to move on to high school.”
SHS BRIDGES
Sylacauga High School’s BRIDGES program meets Monday through Wednesday every week during the school year. Volunteers focus mostly on tutoring and academic enrichment for freshman and sophomore students, Adair said.
Eleventh-grader Daniel McKinney said he has been involved in BRIDGES programs since he was in sixth-grade, and they have helped him tremendously. The studious-looking young man said the high grades he receives because of BRIDGES are what keeps him involved in the program.
He said he misses the activities he enjoyed when he was in the BRIDGES programs for younger students, such as trips to Birmingham Barons baseball games and to the McWane Center in Birmingham. But through the high school program he has gotten involved in community service projects like last month’s Communitywide Thanksgiving Dinner.
AmeriCorps tutor Anna Blankenship, a second year student at CACC, said she got involved in the program when the director of the 21st Century program contacted her grandmother. She said she interviewed for the job and knew it would be a job where she would be able to serve the community.
“It’s the best to know that you’re making a difference in someone’s life somehow,” Blankenship, 19, said
Recently Blankenship’s been working with the SHS students, but said the tutors rotate weekly and work with students in each facet of the BRIDGES program, including Saturday school.
She said working with the program is also influencing her life by leading her to major in elementary education and music in college.
“It’ll really help you decide whether you want to be in education or not,” Blankenship said.
BRIDGES Transition
For BRIDGES students taking the leap from middle school to high school, BRIDGES Transition is designed to be a step on the right foot.
Done in the summer, the program is get BRIDGES students more acquainted with their new settings.
“It just helps them so they’re familiar with high school because it can be a scary thing to go the high school for the first time,” Adair said. “It helps to ease that anxiety.”
Adair said the students are also able to have some time to meet the school’s assistant principal and guidance counselor, as well as get copies of their schedules to locate classes and learn to use their lockers.
Adair said SAFE provides copies of the required reading texts for the upcoming years free of charge after the students hear an overview of the summer reading.
