A Bridge for Kids alum Eric Tran discusses the importance of mentorship among low-income, first-generation students. As a freshman at Princeton University, Eric plans to study international education policy and his ultimate goal is to help increase access to education in underdeveloped countries. Q: How did you first hear about A Bridge for Kids and what inspired you to apply? A: I heard about A Bridge for Kids in 9th grade through our college counselor. She helped a lot of us [students] find programs and organizations that would benefit … [Read more...]

Essay Topic and Judging: Eligible students (see contest rules and eligibility below) may enter the 2019 A Bridge for Kids Essay Contest by submitting an original essay of 750 words or fewer describing their thoughts on the following: What is the greatest adversity you have had to overcome and how did it help make you into the person you are today?   A panel of volunteers will judge the essays and the winners will be picked based on the creativity, originality, clarity and overall impact of the essay. Note: Deadline for entry is midnight … [Read more...]

This holiday season, once again, brought A Bridge For Kids and the La Jolla Country Day School together to continue their tradition of providing seasonal joy for San Diego's low income and foster youth. The Giving Tree event creates excitement and joy on the school campus as students and their parents peruse a board full of icons, each one naming a needy child, their age, and the gift they wish to receive this year. Requested items are often PJ's, slippers, make-up, robes, sports shoes, gift cards, game consoles, phone chargers, toys and more. … [Read more...]

OH WHAT A NIGHT! On October 6th, the A Bridge For Kids signature event, DreamMakers, brought over 200 members of the San Diego community together to raise over $200,000 to support high achieving, low income teens seeking to improve their lives and create a brighter future. The energy throughout the evening was electric as guests enjoyed an open bar, delicious food stations, casino games, a fun photo booth, and dancing to music by DJ Noel. A great time was had by all! Additionally, our two teen guest speakers, Ronald and Sierra, who shared … [Read more...]

We’re pleased to share that A Bridge for Kids’ Founder and CEO, Michael Nance, is profiled in the September 2018 issue of Ranch and Coast magazine. In the article, Nance explains why A Bridge for Kids is so crucially important and how the financial support for teens can be life changing: “I’m convinced that if we get these kids into the right fit college, vocational program, or whatever it is they aspire to do, they have a much better chance for success.” Read more about Michael Nance, his vision, and why he has “committed his life” to … [Read more...]

For high-achieving students who are also first-generation, low-income students, college tours may be unattainable, which is an incredibly big disadvantage going into the college application process. A Bridge for Kids has made it possible for students like us this summer to get to know everything from class sizes to the surrounding community of the colleges that we are interested in.       The first school that we headed to was the University of California Irvine (UCI). Being a UC school, it was a school that was on all of our lists. One of … [Read more...]

A Bridge for Kids receives 100's of applications from low income teens each year and we make a point to interview EVERY one of those students.  This takes 1,000+ volunteer hours to accomplish  but it is well worth the effort because we routinely meet kids that are deserving of a "hand up". A recent trip to Steele Canyon High School was especially rewarding, because we meet Tyler.  That is until he turned 9, and his family was flipped upside down when his mother was diagnosed with Stage 2 Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.  After this devastating event, … [Read more...]

When A Bridge for Kids first created partnerships with San Diego schools, the students most frequently nominated for sponsorships were juniors and seniors, students who benefitted most immediately from funds supporting college exams, entrance fees, and campus tours. A little over 4 years ago, A Bridge for Kids recognized that we could significantly impact the future of the teens we help if we could begin providing sponsorships to ninth graders and support them throughout their high school journey, beginning early to assist their development … [Read more...]

A Bridge For Kids is planning 3 summer tours for San Diego‘s low-income teens who, unlike many of their contemporaries, do not have the means to visit college campuses throughout California and the East Coast. Campus trips open each student’s eyes to the various types of colleges, rural vs urban, large vs small, liberal arts focus vs STEAM focus, etc.; and help them decide where they want to spend their college years. Each tour is designed to visit schools that the majority of participants are most interested in seeing. The East Coast tour … [Read more...]

Congratulations to our graduating seniors! This year, the A Bridge For Kids Class of 2018 consists of 14 sponsored students who have devoted their high school years to the pursuit of excellence and the end goal of attending the college of their choice. More teens than ever have applied to and been accepted into colleges outside of California. We definitely have seen the influence of our East Coast college tours with many students who have participated in this yearly tour actively applying to East Coast schools. We are proud of each student’s … [Read more...]