• Bridges does not use a cookie-cutter approach. While the structure remains the same, the specific services, programs, and staff evolve to meet individual student needs.
• Students receive year-round, individual academic and personal support.
• Students are selected based upon their “need” for the program to ensure that they will benefit from the services provided.
• The Bridges program has a culture of high expectations. Students are accountable for decisions made during and outside of the program. Students are required to maintain a 3.0 grade point average to stay in the program for all three years.
• Bridges addresses the unique needs of at-risk students including: academic success, self-esteem, leadership, healthy decision-making, coping skills, communication, anger management, conflict resolution, career exploration, and the college planning process.
• Bridges encourages inclusion. The diversity of students cultivates an environment of inclusion in which students learn lifelong skills in understanding and appreciating diversity, community, and acceptance.
• Bridges to a Brighter Future is a part of Furman University and is included in the strategic plan. The University has a vested interest in and a powerful commitment to the program.

Holistic Approach
One of the foundational components of Bridges to a Brighter Future summer program is the holistic approach we take in working with each individual student. The teachers and counselors meet daily to assess individual students and devise a team plan for meeting their needs.

Diversity
Bridges to a Brighter Future was founded on the principals of diversity. The program makes a profound impact on students’ perspectives of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and economics. Student participants identify with six different races, more than 16 countries/ethnicities, and six different religious beliefs. This diversity creates a rich learning environment upon which students learn about each other. We create and promote a culture of inclusion, acceptance, and love. Our students take what they learn in Bridges and take it back to their high schools, families, friends, and lives.