$21,950 grant will transition Baldwin ninth graders to high school

A $21,950 grant from Robins Financial Credit Union will fund two years of the Summer Bridge program at Baldwin High School. The support was offered to Georgia College & State University’s Communities in Schools (CIS) for Milledgeville/Baldwin County.

The transitional, week-long camp is for helping rising ninth graders acclimate to high school successfully. Sixty students went to the camp held July 17 – 20.

They participated in whole-group activities and discussions centered around conflict resolution and time management. Students also completed daily journal entries with prompts that encouraged reflection and the opportunity to learn from previous school experiences.

The credit system was explained to make students aware of how grades work in high school versus middle school. These activities will help camp participants to transition more easily to high school.          

“High school requires students to have patience with not only their peers but themselves,” said Christalyn Lewis, site coordinator, Baldwin High School CIS at Georgia College & State University. “Being able to manage time wisely while effectively resolving conflict will lead to a smoother transition. Also, being able to reflect on mistakes in order to grow will also prove effective as they matriculate through high school.”

Many of these students have never been truly held accountable for their academics, so these workshops help rising high schoolers understand the importance of academics.

The Summer Bridge program was born from the Baldwin High School principal and counselor’s ideas to help prepare ninth graders for those new challenges.

“Transitions like moving from middle school to high school are critical in the success of our students,” said Janet Cavin, executive director, Communities in Schools Milledgeville/Baldwin County at GCSU. “If the transition is done well, there’s a greater chance students will stay in school and graduate from high school on time.” 

CIS’ mission is to reduce as many barriers as possible to surround students with a community of support to empower them to stay in school and achieve goals in life.

“The Summer Bridge program is a prime example of how we make this possible,” Cavin said.