Leyden's BRIDGE Program closes gap

It was an afternoon filled with mixed emotions as Kristyan Barron, Hunter Smith, Alyssa Garcia, Jessica Berns, Cesar Aguirre and Eric Lagunas, seniors in Leyden’s BRIDGE Program, bid their teachers and classmates farewell. The graduates are leaving high school and moving on to the next chapter in their life, joyous and bittersweet at the same time.

The BRIDGE Graduation Tea, held in early May, is a long-standing tradition at Leyden. An event known for heartfelt, candid stories about academic, social and emotional growth, it is a time for remembrance. Students speak individually of the challenges they face, and how they have managed to overcome obstacles thanks to their teachers’ guidance and dedication.

Teachers share funny anecdotes, and speak with pride about their students and how they’ve matured and mastered skills that lead to independent living. They also give each student an award that reflects his or her strength, such as Best Writer, Best Sense of Humor and Most Responsible.

A self-contained curriculum, Leyden’s BRIDGE Program (building responsibility and independence through data and goal-based education) includes students from the East and West campuses. “The goal of the BRIDGE program is to provide students with educational opportunities to learn and apply their academic skills to real-life situations,” says Joseph DeGiulio, department co-chair. The program is different from mainstream curriculum, he says, because “we are able to have weekly community experiences, daily hands-on work experiences, cross-curricular projects and field trips and integrated services such as a speech pathologist and social worker.”

Program participants hone daily living skills such as domestic arts, vocational independence, community awareness, and recreation and leisure skills. Program teachers instruct students on tasks such as budget planning and banking and provide students with hands-on experiences such as looking for an apartment, and comparison shopping. Students also have the opportunity to take elective classes such as autos, home repair, art, and family and consumer sciences.

The students spoke well of their experiences in the BRIDGE program. Most reflected on how they acquired important skills, gained confidence, established goals and learned to believe in themselves. Graduating senior Eric Lagunas said it best when he quoted Theodore Roosevelt.

“Believe you can and you’re half way there,” he said.

Pictured from left to right: 2018 BRIDGE Program graduates Cesar Aguirre, Eric Lagunas, Kristyan Barron, Alyssa Garcia, Jessica Berns, Hunter Smith. Six seniors were recognized for their accomplishments at Leyden’s annual BRIDGE Program Graduation Tea.