Mission Statement
The Western Connecticut State University Bridge
Program is committed to providing educational access and
opportunities to students from the Bethel and Danbury school
districts. Through a collaborative effort, the Bridge program
matches high school standards with college expectations, improves
access, accountability and affordability. Bridge provides
participants information about post-secondary education, fosters
potential and provides enrichment opportunities. Our
goal is simple, support college readiness for all high school
students so that post-secondary education is an achievable dream.
We believe education empowers communities to inspire
future generations and effect change.
Program Overview
Since the 2004-2005 school year, Western Connecticut State University has partnered with Bethel and Danbury high schools on a project called “Building a Bridge to Improve Student Success.” The partnership has helped thousands of high school seniors move successfully to college— and succeed there.
The majority of students who graduate from Bridges and attend Western are able to skip remedial classes in mathematics and writing; moving directly into credit-bearing courses. This provides students the opportunity to earn their university degree more quickly, saving both money and time.
Bridge students persist at Western at a solid rate. The first-year retention rate for Bridge students for the past two cohorts has ranged from 13 to 16 percentage points higher than for students from non-Bridges schools.
Partnering Schools
- Bethel High School
- Bethel Middle School
- Broadview Middle School
- Danbury High School
- Rogers Park Middle School
Program Sponsor
