Bridge Connection I

Bridge Connection I is a teen pregnancy prevention program for youth ages 9-15. Requirements include free lunch program and at least one of the following:
  • Child abuse or neglect
  • High rate of school absenteeism,
  • Lives with one parent or neither,
  • Homeless,
  • In foster care,
  • A runaway,
  • Deficient in basic literacy,
  • Sibling of a pregnant or parenting teen,
  • Has been suspended or is a youth offender.
bridge_connect_picYouth Development Specialists work with the entire household using strategies to engage those in need of support. Whatever the family needs from transportation to medical appointments to tutors, the staff is there to help.  Staff builds relationships with the child and the family to assure primary support services through The Bridge and connections to other resources within the community.

Youth Development Specialists refer families to services to help them improve relationships and ensure productive use of their children’s non school time. The specialists monitor child/ parent activities through frequent home and school visits. Students are encouraged to participate in after school programs including BUS and TEAM UP programs at their neighborhood schools.  Reading skills improvement is required and students are pre and post tested to insure improvement. Eleven Bridge Connection youth participate in the Take Stock in Children Scholarship/mentoring program and YDS provide support and coaching.

Bridge Connection I offers pregnancy prevention and sexuality education. Through the efforts of the staff, many clients receive individual and group counseling to work on self-esteem issues and decision making process, allowing clients to make better decisions and practice better self-care in spite of their living environment. The overall teen pregnancy rate has dropped and the success rate in this program is over 98%.  Health services like medical, dental and eye exams are handled through referrals.  

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Jada Scott: Bridge student, Peer Educator, Poet

Jada was brought to The Bridge by her grandmother and caregiver, Mrs. Evelyn Mackey, and the family was enrolled in the Bridge Connection I intensive case management program.

She was a very shy, withdrawn little 11 year old girl with no self confidence. Today, Jada is 16 and a self assured young woman participating in the Bridge Urban Springfield teen program and the Tipping the Scale mentoring and job skills program. Jada is a trained peer educator with the Straight Talk program. She has also developed her artistic side through creative writing and art in the Teen art program.

She has competed in and won spoken poetry contests with encouragement from Bridge staff.  Jada speaks out on behalf of her peers allowing their voices as well as hers to be heard.

“Where would I be without The Bridge? I would be afraid to try new things or speak up for myself. I love to write poetry and share it with other people and the teachers at The Bridge have encouraged me to do that. I want to go to college and today I believe that I will.”