How does the program work?
Initially the program started with high
school juniors, completing Westerns placement exams in Writing and
Mathematics to determine where they would place if they enrolled in
college that semester. As a result, university and high school
faculty would plan curricular changes for high school seniors to
help at-risk students become college-ready. Students were retested
in the spring of their senior year to measure progress. At the same
time, juniors were tested for the next cohort of students in the
project.
The Bridges partnership between Western
and Bethel and Danbury high schools served as a model for the
Connecticut State University System, with our three sister
universities now engaged in projects with their local high schools.
These collaborations cross boundaries and match high school
standards with college expectations, improve access, accountability,
affordability and the quality of the students education. In other
words, prepared students enter the university ready to take full
advantage of the opportunities offered
In 2010, the program evolved and began to
offer a variety of educational outreach programs to middle school
students at Danburys Rogers Park and Broadview Middle Schools and
Bethel Middle School. The current components of WCSUs Bridges
program include:
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Enrichment Days
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The Junior Meteorology Program
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Hurricane Research
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Tutoring for middle school students
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Placement testing for high school juniors and seniors
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Camp College
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Professional development workshops for Danbury and Bethel public school teachers
All the components of the WCSUs Bridges
program are designed to support college preparation and equalize
the pre-college experience at an earlier age for all students in our
partner school districts.
