Bars to Bridges

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Home > MESD Schools & Programs > Bridges

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The MESD Bridges programs support positive educational transitions and outcomes for justice-involved youth and their families. We advocate for equitable educational and cultural experiences through outreach with community partners and share resources on culturally relevant interagency practices.
 
The Bridges programs are based on the Bars to Bridges (B2B) model developed with the support of The African American Success Plan Grant. The Bars to Bridges (B2B) program was one of the original recipients of House Bill 2016/The African American Success Plan Grant. With expansion over the years, the Bridges program now pairs Transition Specialists with any​ youth who have entered the juvenile justice system through continued funding from HB 2016, and the Youth Development Division Re Engagement Grant. 

Our Transition Specialists then provide trauma-informed and culturally responsive support and mentoring to our youth. We also provide the same services to the siblings of our clients. Additionally, we provide relevant and culturally responsive professional development and resources to students, families, educators, juvenile justice service providers and community members. We also connect these communities with similar services and training opportunities.

​Our transition specialists assist eligible youth in transitioning out of the juvenile justice system and into school settings and the workforce, to be individually determined in collaboration with the youth and important adults and family in the youth’s life. Additionally, youth are encouraged to actualize post-secondary educational goals and career goals. 

When students become eligible, a transition specialist meets with them and stays with them as they move through their education journey, regardless of where it takes them in Oregon. This support builds positive and trust-based relationships between the transition specialist, the student, the student’s family and other involved adults. Fostering these relationships is the life-blood of the program.

Bridges also offers professional learning opportunities about equity, inclusion, culturally responsive teaching and disproportionate discipline to educational staff and stakeholders in relevant school districts.

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Juvenile Justice Complex
1401 NE 68th Pl.
Portland, OR 97213
(503) 988-3577
fax (503) 988-5937

Project Director
Christine Otto
cotto@mesd.k12.or.us
(503) 257-1759

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About the Project

 The Bridges Projects support goals under the following grant programs:
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African American Student Success Plan Grant
Reduce the number of discipline incidents for African American/Black Students.
Increase attendance and reduce absenteeism rates for African American/Black students.
Increase the rate of freshman on-track for African American/Black students.
Increase graduation rates for African American/Black Students.
Increase the post-secondary enrollment rates of African American/Black students, high school graduates and GED completers.

Youth Development Division Re-engagement Grant
Increase the number of justice involved youth enrolled in school, post-secondary, or college/career education. 
Increase attendance and reduce absenteeism for justice-involved youth.
Increase graduation rates and credit completion for justice-involved youth.
Increase post-secondary enrollment rates for graduates and GED completers.

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Project Background

The state awarded Bridges (formerly Bars to Bridges) its first grant in 2016 with the directive to provide transitional services for African American, Black, Biracial and Multiracial​ students, with the focus of increasing school and before/after school activity engagement, supporting transitions, supporting culturally responsive practices and increasing attendance in post-secondary schools.

In 2015, the Oregon Legislature enacted House Bill 2016, which directed the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) to develop and implement a statewide education plan for African American/Black students who are in early childhood through post-secondary education programs.

Since the program began, funding has been awarded from the Youth Development Division in past years, providing a Youth Development Community Investment Grant for Youth Workforce and Innovation from the Youth Development Division in 2019. This grant expanded services to more fully support obtaining job skills, workforce access and career preparation for eligible youth and their siblings. Activities employed from the workforce grant also facilitated more opportunities for youth  and their siblings to enroll in combined education-career programs, trade schools, CTE programs and vocational programs.