Bridges to Pathways (Bridges)

The Bridges program offered a multi-phase program focused on four main service areas: academic enrichment, socio-emotional learning (SEL), workforce readiness training, and mentorship and case management services. Participants began the program by attending a group orientation session and taking the Test of Adult Basic Education and an online financial training. Following the financial training, participants began the first of three phases of Bridges services. Per the planned model, Phase 1 services lasted five weeks and consisted of online instruction toward a high school diploma or GED, SEL workshops, individual counseling, and soft-skills and employment-readiness training. In Phase 2, which lasted 12 weeks, participants spent 33 hours per week working in subsidized internships and working toward their academic goals. In Phase 3, which lasted eight weeks, participants earned their GED, completed their counseling, and were assisted in obtaining employment. Bridges provided six months of services and three months of follow-up. Bridges served male-identifying youth between the ages of 17 and 21 who did not have a high school diploma and who had been incarcerated at least once in their lives. This program operated in Chicago, IL, from 2013 to 2016; a redesigned Bridges program launched in 2017 that incorporated lessons learned from this pilot.