Peninsula Bridge giving support all year for kids

A five-week summer program held in seven private schools ( an in-kind donation from Castilleja, Crystal Springs Uplands, Sacred Heart, St. Matthews, Menlo, Nueva and Woodside Priory) improves writing and math skills. Certified teachers teach classes in morning; in afternoon student volunteers offer a variety of electives. Year-round after-school programs are held at both private and public schools. Middle School Academy provides an expanded learning program for fifth through seventh graders after school 2 1/2 hours two days a week. An eighth grade Academy helps students transition into high school. Students attend Saturday workshops. Last year there were 321 students in Middle School Academy including 106 in eighth grade.

A High School Academy ensures that all students stay on path to college. Bridge provides academic advising until graduation and Saturday workshops on high school success skills, college and career readiness. A Homework Club meets after school three times a week where students have a safe place to work and receive academic support. Summer programs includes classes, corporate internships and ways to foster student and family engagement. Parents are involved from the very beginning of a student’s entry into Bridge. They have to fill out application forms and write an essay about their children. It’s OK if the essay is in their native language and if their child helps. Parent education courses are mandatory. And all of this pays off. Students who go through the Bridge program have a 100% high school graduation rate and 94% attend four-year colleges.

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The program was founded in 1990. In the past three years, Bridge has grown from 400 to 700 students. Of that, 57% are middle school; 31% high school; 12% college; 59% female; 90% Latino. And 44% live in Redwood City, East Palo Alto and Menlo Park; 30% live in San Mateo; and 18% in Mountain View. The staff includes 23 full-time workers; 80 part-time credentialed teachers; and 120 student volunteer teaching assistants.

The largest feeder middle schools in San Mateo are Borel Middle School (45 students) and Abbott Middle School (23 students); largest feeder high school is Aragon High school (22 students). There also are 21 students at San Mateo Park and 15 students at Bayside STEM. The nonprofit is funded by foundations and private donations.

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Randi Shafton is the executive director and has nurtured Peninsula Bridge for the past seven years. Of course with the pandemic everything that was done in person had to be changed. She said Bridge brought Chrome books for students and provided technical support. “The pandemic has really magnified the educational inequities for the Peninsula Bridge students and families on the Peninsula. The achievement gaps will most likely widen because of disparities in access to computers, home internet connections and direct instruction from teachers. Peninsula Bridge’s persistent academic support through the pandemic is providing invaluable supplemental instruction and guidance that is stemming learning losses.”

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Two longtime supervisors will be termed out in 2022, Don Horsley and Carole Groom. Already candidates are lining up to take their place. Charles Stone, current Belmont mayor and SamTrans chair, seems to have a lock on Groom’s seat. He declared his interest several years ago and in the meantime has collected valuable support. Candidates for Horsley’s seat are now emerging. They include current San Carlos Mayor Laura Parmer-Lohan; Harbor Commissioner Virginia Chang Kiraly; and Menlo Park Councilman Ray Mueller.

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If you want a gourmet holiday feast and contribute to those who are feastless check out Taste Catering in Millbrae and its Mistletoe Celebration Holiday Box for four, which includes a hefty donation of food to a local food bank. Happy Holidays!

Sue Lempert is the former mayor of San Mateo. Her column runs every Monday. She can be reached at sue@smdailyjournal.com.