At BRIDGES...
...the heart of everything we do is transformation – our programs transform young people in countless ways, and the result is a growing community of leaders poised to advance racial, educational, economic and environmental justice. And we trust that these transformed young people will play a positive role in shaping the change and transformation taking place in our city, our nation and in the world.
Countless passionate people—from our Board of Trustees and leadership to a talented staff and passionate community volunteers—carry out that work of transformation and community building every day. The names and faces sometimes change and people come and go, but the work of equipping and inspiring youth to make change now and in the future remains constant.
Our Approach
The approach to learning that has evolved here at BRIDGES from 90 years of serving Memphis youth is based on the observation that when adults believe in young people and say, “You can,” they will.
But the BRIDGES approach goes beyond just positive reinforcement. The BRIDGES approach is adventurous, relational and transformative.
Adventurous
An active physical experience can help young people – and adults – understand and believe they can do all kinds of things. That’s what our real-life learning does for the young people we serve. The primary purpose of the BRIDGES Center is to be an adventurous and safe learning space for young people. The TeamBRIDGES staff support all of BRIDGES youth programs and provide experiential learning experiences for scores of corporate, school and faith groups from across the Memphis area.
Relational
Inclusion and respect for diversity are at the heart of the BRIDGES experience, and there are endless stories of friendships forged among young people who come together from every neighborhood in the community and from vastly different backgrounds – friendships that often last into adulthood.
Transformative
Transformation is synonymous with the BRIDGES approach to learning – among youth from middle school into college. And the transforming power of BRIDGES programs is evident not only in participants with regular, long-term contact with the agency.
Transformation can be sudden and life changing for participants with only a marginal connection to BRIDGES - which is one of the many reasons BRIDGES has expanded its Bridge Builders® program to include grades 6th through 12th. With three different ways for youth to engage with Bridge Builders programming - CONNECT, COLLABORATE and CHANGE - more young people than ever before will have the chance at BRIDGES-style transformation - whether its connecting through one or just a few large scale events.