Planting
Seeds
Summer Bridge (SB) and
First Year Experience (FYE)
Programs
Diana Bonilla, Counseling
Faculty, AtD Co-Chair, M.A.
Why Summer Bridge and FYE?
 These
“programs can provide an effective
method to reduce the college readiness
gap between incoming students from
underserved communities and those
more privileged school opportunities.
 Reducing this readiness gap can assist “at
risk” students in enhancing and increasing
completion rates.” –(Garcia, P. (1991.
Summer bridge: Improving retention rates
for underrepresented students. Journal of
Freshman Year Experience, 3(2), 91-105.
Goals of the Programs
Student retention and progression
 Campus Orientation
 Career exploration
 Advance one level of English/Reading
and Math- Summer Bridge
 Provide a cohort experience
 Earn transfer level credit
 Integration of study skills

Who will these programs
serve?
Any student testing two level below in
English and Math
 Self-selected into the program
 Student willing to invest time in the
summer to prepare for the fall
 Students willing to participate in a cohort
experience
 Students committed to embracing the
college experience.

Program Creation
Pilot Program
Design
Implement and
Outreach
Assess , Evaluate
and Adjust
What’s in it for you?
 Impact
on student success
 Work with dynamic colleagues
 Be part of the process of program
development
 Learn new strategies to increase student
success
 Rewarding experience
 Inviting retreat settings and time to
collaborate with peers
 Activities that support accreditation
 Interdisciplinary collaboration
The Timeline
Phase1
• Planning meetings twice a month
• (August – November)
Phase 2
• All day training Retreat
• (December)
Phase 3
• Curriculum approval
• (January-March)
Phase 4
• Launch Pilot
• (July 2015)
Be Part of the Process!
Input
Ideas
SB/FYE
Expertise
Involvement
2015
Be Part of the Process to:
Increase
Student Success!
SB/ FYE Long Term Goals
 Annual
growth of summer and FYE
program (serving over 300 students by the
fifth year-2020)
 5% improvement in Math and 2%
improvement in English retention,
persistence and success at the remedial
level.
See LAMC Scorecard:
 Sustainability
“Gearing up for SB/FYE 2015”
To Do List For August 2014:
 Attend BSI Leadership Retreat
 Create Timeline Draft
 Review of the Literature
 Committee members Identified