The Bridge Component

Selected APPLE graduates are invited to participate in a Bridge Program in the summer following their graduation from high school. Seniors are selected based on their academic record and their overall attitude, motivation and commitment to postsecondary education. For all selected seniors in good standing, the project will provide a Bridge Scholarship of two Lyon College Summer School courses (five to six college-credit hours) that are core requirements at most colleges. The project will pay for the Bridge textbooks, fees, and supplies and provide room and board, as well as tutors who will monitor the Bridge students’ academic progress and report to the Assistant Director/Academic Coordinator, who serves as the Project’s liaison with the students’ instructors.

In addition to their coursework, Bridge students attend Postsecondary Skills Seminars (PSS), supervised by the Assistant Director/Academic Coordinator. These seminars address important skills, such as registering for classes, living in a multicultural environment, budgeting time and money, communicating effectively with faculty members, managing stress, and other skills essential to a smooth transition to college life. Project staff also conduct a Bridge Students’ Retreat early in the session, with the intention of building the students’ self-confidence and creating unity and peer support among them.

Finally, each Bridge student will be given a college work-study assignment as a part of his or her Bridge Summer Contract. Students will work with college faculty or degreed staff, up to ten hours per week, as aides or lab assistants and will be matched, as much as possible, in fields of their career and educational interests. Students will receive a $300 stipend upon completion of the required number of work hours.