Purpose

The Bridge Program in Math & Science was founded in 1999 to provide a select number of students of color with a research-rich summer experience and to increase the diversity of the student body at The University of the South. Currently, the program is open to all students whose backgrounds and experiences would contribute to and enrich the diversity within our academic community. Through the physics and calculus classes, high-achieving students improve skills necessary for success in college. Specifically, they work in teams for problem solving and discussion both in class and during study hours. They practice clear, concise expository writing and become more adept at using technology and more skilled at time management. The program is project-based: students display their work as the culmination of the program and post their physics projects on the web.

“The best thing I got out of the program is that there are a lot of things that I don’t know and haven’t experienced. I hope to keep an open mind and always try new things.”

Who Should Apply?

The Bridge Program is open to all students who are intereseted in an exciting summer learning experience whose backgrounds and experiences would contribute to and enrich the diversity within our academic community. Twenty highly motivated students from across the nation will be selected to spend three weeks this summer, June 22 —July 12, on the campus of The University of the South. Room, meals, tuition, school supplies, and access to the facilities are all free. Applications are available by contacting the Bridge Program or downloading directly from the Bridge Program website.

The Curriculum

The academic program consists of college-level mini-courses in physics and calculus, taught by college professors. These short courses are designed to prepare students for their senior year in high school and for college. There is no college credit given.

“The teaching staff was very patient and taught with a passion.”

“One thing I’ve learned here is how to make a great web page with additional pictures and background music.”

“When we were introduced to ‘limits’ at school the subject went straight over my head. Ms. Emily provided the connection between what I already learned and what was too abstract for me to comprehend without the connection.”

"I am learning things I never expected to learn in a physics class.”

“The teachers have an urge to teach just like I have an urge to learn.”

Outside the Classroom

In the evenings, students are free until study time. On a given day, they might hang out with new friends, go to the gym for a swim or pick-up game of basketball, drop by the coffeehouse, take dance lessons, or just relax in the dorm.

Weekends, many students sleep in. Later in the day, there are opportunities to canoe, hike, attend Sewanee Summer Music Festival concerts, enjoy Sewanee's Lake Cheston, or go to neighboring Chattanooga for the day.

Students live together in a college dorm, supervised by a head resident and college student mentors. They eat in the dining hall and have access to all of the facilities on campus, including the library and the athletic complex. Sewanee is situated on a beautiful wooded 10,000-acre campus with over 50 miles of hiking and biking trails waiting to be explored. For a glimpse of previous sessions, check out our scrapbook.

Although the Bridge Program gives students a taste of college life, it is not college. Dorm life is supervised by a head resident assisted by college students, and males and females live on separate floors in the dormitory. Students have a daily schedule, including a curfew. To maximize the benefit of the courses, study hours are provided Sunday through Thursday evenings for students to complete work outside the classroom. Click here for last summer's schedule.

“I had a good experience. I met new friends that I will keep in contact with for life.”

“The Bridge Program is the best thing I have participated in. I am having fun and I am learning a lot at the same time. I’m really enjoying this.”

“It is an unforgettable experience.”

When do I Hear?

All applications that are completed by March 15 will be evaluated and students informed about acceptance by April 15 at the latest. Later-arriving applications will be evaluated as they come in if there is space available. We do maintain a waiting list, and students from that list will be admitted if vacancies occur.

What do I Bring?

Students need casual clothes for class and lab; nicer outfits for the closing banquet and if they want to attend church; and at least one set of clothes they can really get dirty in. A backpack/ daypack for books and for hiking, sheets and towels, and an alarm clock will cover the basics.

You might like to bring a bathing suit, tennis racket, a bike,and/ or a musical instrument. Bridge Program participants will have access to e-mail, but you may want to bring a telephone calling card for phoning home. Cell phone service can be spotty in Sewanee, for example in the dorms. Be sure to pack a camera for recording your summer memories. More detailed information on all of this will be mailed out to all participants in late spring.

Expectations of Students

The University of the South places major emphasis on honor, and Bridge Program participants are expected to abide by it and to conduct themselves with integrity, responsibility, and regard for other people while they are here.

To get the most out of the Bridge Program experience, students are expected to attend and participate in all classes, study sessions, and program events.

In late spring, each participant will receive a copy of the Bridge Program Student Handbook, which spells out all of this information, including student rules and expectations, in detail.

“The Bridge Program is something that I wouldn’t miss if it was proposed to me again.”

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“I learned a lot and I enjoyed my time here.”