The Bridge Academy Alternative School, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, fills a vital need for those students for whom traditional educational methods have failed. Established four years ago as an alternative for high school learning, The Bridge Academy has helped hundreds of students improve their self-esteem and reach their goal of graduation.

Part of their success is due to the fact that students are required to obtain employment and complete community service. This sense of responsibility prepares them for the general work force and instills confidence. Recently, the teachers and staff at this school were honored with the Idaho Brightest Star award, presented by Governor James Risch, for their tireless work to help the children of their community.

The Bridge Academy Sees Results

Stephanie Bennett, principal of The Bridge Academy, nominated her staff for the RAPSA Best Practices Award.  She explains the basis of her school’s success: “The teachers and teaching assistants exemplify how to reach at-promise students….  When the district started the program, they thought that it would reach approximately 50 dropout students every year.  Because of their nurturing and unconditional help students receive from the teachers, we will be graduating approximately 150 students this spring!  Why?  Every student has an assigned mentor teacher.  Each teacher keeps track of approximately 50 students.  Keeping track consists of weekly reports on students’ progress that is discussed by all of the teachers every Friday, calling parents after the meeting if students are off track, calling the students to get out of bed if they are not there that day, and when students walk in the door, greeting them like they are their own children.

“We have also been working a lot on teaching the students to take responsibility for their own education.  An example of this is that we have the students create goals at the beginning of the year on how many classes they will complete (each student works at a computer at his/her own pace, once class at a time, for three hours a day) and then the students go over those goals with their parents at conference time in November.  The students lead the conference entirely by themselves.  The Bridge Academy teachers prep them for the conference and get them ready.  At conference time, teachers only say positive things about the students, and parents walk away feeling very proud of their son or daughter, again, building self-esteem.  Those goals are revisited in February, and students lead another conference with parents.  It is an awesome way for the parents to communicate with their child and to see that their child does want to graduate.

“Another outstanding thing that the teachers do is to help students with a graduation culminating event called the ‘Senior Summit.’  This is an activity that lasts throughout the year.  Students participate with the staff at The Bridge Academy doing good deeds all over our community.  We do this so the community can see that our students are very good kids and have a lot to offer.  It also shows the students that it is fun to participate in community functions.

“The best event of the year is graduation.  Instead of valedictorians standing up to give a speech, we have students who get up and talk about how much it meant to them that the teachers and assistants at The Bridge Academy made a difference in their lives, and they wouldn’t have made it if it wasn’t for them.  I am also happy to say that 60% of our graduates went off to college last year!  With a lot of support and care, students like ours can be the future leaders of our world.”

For more information, please visit www.cdaschools.org/bridge to learn more about this alternative education program.