STEP Bridges to the Future

A Brief History of the Program

Bridges to the Future is a collaboration between the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the Greenfield, Gill-Montague and Orange School Districts. This initiative is intended to promote teacher education, the enhancement of local schools, literacy education and the expansion of youth opportunities in these communities. Inspired by Bill Cosby, a UMass Amherst School of Education alum and resident of Shelburne Falls, which is in the Route 2 corridor, Bridges to the Future aims not only to educate excellent new teachers, but also to reach out to the rural communities north of the University. We kicked off the program in March of 2004 with a visit from Mr. Cosby to the Pleasant Street School in Athol. In the fall of 2004 we began our first year and in the spring graduated 36 students in elementary and secondary education. Three of our graduates from last year are currently working in the Mahar Regional School.

The Secondary Teacher Education Program Bridges to the Future started in Ralph C. Mahar Regional School, Athol High School and Athol-Royalston Regional Middle School. Students in Mathematics, the Sciences, English and History spent the school year becoming part of school communities and working on community service projects within the communities. These districts were eager to become part of the preparation of new teachers and the communities welcomed our students with open arms. We formed a strong working alliance with the North Quabbin Community Coalition and through them were introduced to a range of community-based initiatives of which we became a part. (To find out more about these, go to –link to csl page). Teachers acted as site coordinators, supervising practitioners, and program supervisors. Our students not only grew to be teachers in the classroom, but went to sporting and cultural events, planned curriculum, and were feted by the community at a NQCC breakfast meeting in May of 2004, receiving an award for community service. In June we held a graduation ceremony in Athol that celebrated not only our students, but the work of the many people who were involved in their development.

In Fall of 2005 we expanded into Greenfield High School and Great Falls Middle School. (Due to contract issues within the district, we were unable to continue in Athol.) In the past months we are building the program within these schools, working with teachers as supervising practitioners, program supervisors and instructors. We are coming to know these new communities through the community service learning initiatives in which the students are engaged. Our plans for next year are to further nurture and develop these current relationships with the hope of casting a wider net of inclusion in the schools and the communities.