College Bridge

30-40% of graduating seniors who are accepted to college and plan to enroll fail to do so in the fall. Failure to matriculate can be traced to the many and complicated application and enrollment tasks that take place over the course of senior year and through the summer.

A Look inside College Bridge at One High School

College Bridge Program Model

  • Bridge Coaches have 70+ hours of comprehensive training in college access content.

    Bridge Coaches develop a range of skills and content knowledge that they then use, alongside their unique near-to-peer perspective, to provide individualized support to graduating students. Trainings include the following topics:

     

    College Applications:
    -College List-Making
    -CUNY System
    -SUNY System
    -Private Colleges

    Financial Aid:
    -Financial Aid Applications
    -Financial Aid Packages
    -Opportunity Programs

    Working with Students:
    -Counseling Skills
    -Leading College Transition Workshops
    -Supporting Undocumented Students
    -Professionalism

    Career Pathways:
    -Certificate Programs
    -Workforce Placements
    -Matriculation Steps

    College Matriculation:
    -College-decision making
    -Outreach and Engagement
    -Caseload Management
    -Data Tracking

    Peer Leadership for College Access & Success Core Competencies

    Peer Leadership for College Access & Success Professional Capacities

    Table of Contents
  • CARA works with schools to help support the integration of College Bridge into existing college office work.

    CARA brings College Bridge supervisors together several times a year to support the implementation of the program at their individual schools. CARA also provides:

    • Counselor resources such as college match tools and income documentation forms
    • Support with data-tracking and planning
    • Opportunities to meet with high-level college admission professionals to discuss how admission policies impact students on the ground
    • Provision of workshops for College Bridge coaches to run in senior classes

Program Rubric

See College Bridge’s Program Rubric

See our Theory of Change Model

How College Bridge Works

Hire a College Coach

Recruit one Bridge Coach per 100 seniors from your pool of alumni

Pay Bridge Coach $17 per hour for school-based work and training time (10 hrs/week + 74 hours training = 474 hours total) + pay CARA training fee

Make time available during the school day for Bridge Coach to work with students

Supervise your College Coach

Meet weekly with Bridge Coach throughout the school year

Attend CARA Supervisor meetings

Communicate with CARA as needed to support programming

Provide Summer Assistance

Supervise Bridge Coach at least five hours per week during the summer months

Provide space for College Coach to work and meet with students

Give College Coach access to student forms and information needed for college enrollment during summer

Participate in Evaluation

Track and report data to CARA

Participate in assessments as needed by CARA

Complete evaluations of College Coach

College Bridge Reach

43 Peer Leaders being trained in 2022-23
33 Participating sites
3300 Students being served

College Bridge Curriculum & Resources

CARA partner schools can log in to access College Bridge curriculum and resources by clicking the button below.

Access College Bridge Curriculum & Resources
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