Our Impact

Who we serve:

To date, Bridges has served over 10,000 students and 1,000 educators at more than 50 schools across New York State.

Students come from various countries and language backgrounds:

Arabic, Bangla, Burmese, French, Haitian Creole, Mandarin, Russian, S’gaw Karen, Somali, Soninke, Spanish, Swahili, Woloff

Bangladesh, Burma, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Gambia, Guatemala, Honduras, Senegal, Syria, Thailand, Puerto Rico, Yemen and more.

Testimonials

Classroom Culture

The Bridges curriculum, in conjunction with the Bridges staff developers’ coaching and support, has given our teachers the assurance that guided reading instruction is an essential practice for the acquisition of academic language at the early stages of language development. During classroom visitations, I have observed many “year 1 SIFE” students using sophisticated English language words and sentences. They want to participate in class discussions, are eager to share their connection with the content presented and look forward to teach each other. Our teachers see the value of the Bridges lessons and we are grateful for the support the Bridges team has provided us.  We have built a “symbiotic relationship” and our students have benefited the most! As we know, it is all about the children.

(Wanda, Administrator)

Fostering collaboration

Because every people are of the community because everybody are one single family. Because I think I have a part in the community because I can express my feelings and I can talk English.

(Student, ICHS)

When I am helping others, I help the other classmates….when my partner doesn’t know how to say a word or how to write a word, I help.

(Student, Brentwood)

Increased Confidence

I am proud that I am learning more, that I am understanding more of the class and bringing home good grades. I am feeling better about the class. I feel like I am learning more than I learned in my home country.  

(Student, Brentwood, translated from Spanish)

Safety

When there’s a problem in the school, I feel like teachers listen and will help me.

(Student, Brentwood)

Challenging stereotypes

I now realize that SIFE are capable of using higher-order thinking skills, and that allowing students to use their home language allows students’ to communicate more sophisticated responses.

(Teacher, Brentwood)

Drop Out Prevention

Before Bridges when I talked to these students I would recommend they find a job or a trade. When they didn’t understand in class they would make trouble, some of them. Bridges helps them and makes all the classes more manageable.

(Hugo, Assessment Coordinator, ICHS)

Student Progress in Reading: Bridges Labsite Classrooms

Impact Flyer

Longitudinal Data