Special to the American
It was quite a summer for the Bridge Program at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Twelve-year-olds learned how to dissect a pig’s heart, ninth-graders learned strategies for taking an ACT exam, and high school sophomores were advised by a panel of professionals on what it took to become a doctor, an attorney, an engineer or a financial advisor.
The Bridge Program at the University of Missouri-St. Louis is a pre-collegiate program that provides 9th through 12th graders with educational experiences designed to build academic proficiency essential to collegiate success.
More than 160 students completed the annual Summer Academy, where all participants concentrated on areas of math, science and writing skills, five mornings a week for a month. Students were exposed to experts in a wide range of fields who served as instructors.
This summer’s enrollment nearly doubled last year’s numbers, according to Natissia Small, director of pre-collegiate programs at UMSL, who credited a “team” that includes students and parents in the community, the Division of Student Affairs and many individuals on campus.
The program’s success has soared also can be traced directly to the programs’ graduates. According to Small, nearly 100 percent of the students who attend academy programs finish high school and move on to college successfully.
This summer, the program launched a pilot project that attracted even younger students.
“Thanks to a generous donation from Express Scripts, Inc., we were able to offer a summer academy program for 55 students from Normandy Middle School,” said Small.
“Additionally, the Saigh Foundation has donated funds to assist with a variety of our programs to meet the needs of our high school student and parent participants.”
The middle school program’s science curriculum had the students taking on sophisticated projects from studying water quality in Bugg Lake at UMSL, to the pig heart dissection, an activity conducted on a field trip to St Louis University’s Adventures in Medicine and Science program.
The Summer Academy Program is one of several within the Bridge Program. Since its inception in 1986, the program has focused on math and science enrichment for students throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area.
Additionally, students are exposed to strategies that enhance writing skills, effective communication, college-career exploration and ACT preparation. The Bridge Program provides parent support opportunities through workshops, literature, speaker series and personal meetings.
Curt Coonrod, vice provost for student affairs, is especially pleased with the number of parents involved in the various Bridge programs.
“Last year we added a parent component to our Saturday Academy,” said Coonrod. “It was a huge success – so much so that they didn’t want to stop meeting. It provides an external support system for parents and gives them an opportunity to understand the college admissions process and discuss how they can best support their college-bound student.”
The Bridge Program has consistently included year-round program offerings: Summer Academy, Saturday Academy and After School Clubs during the school year.
According to Small, Bridge Program components are structured to:
• Increase the number of students who complete high school and pursue post-secondary attainment
• Increase the number of students who are prepared and motivated to seek careers in math, science, engineering and technological fields
• Support mathematics and science instruction in participating schools
• Prepare students to develop strong academic, personal, interpersonal and professional skills
Small emphasized the importance of social and professional development. “Effective writing and speaking skills are critical to many professions,” she said.
She related a story of Doniqua Jackson, a shy Normandy middle schooler who made a presentation to over 200 students and family during the closing ceremony. Jackson said, “When I started this program I couldn’t even look one of you in the eye. Now look at me. I can look all of you in the eye and am a confident presenter now.”
“It’s witnessing those moments that make it an honor to work with students and parents in the community,” said Small.
Now, the Bridge Program is gearing up for the highly successful and long-running Saturday Academy, which begins Oct. 4. Classes are held two Saturday mornings a month from October through March.
For more information on Bridge programs at UMSL, call the office at (314) 516-5196 or visit www.umslbridge.org/.
