Bridging Programs: Pathways to Equity in Post-Secondary Education

The purpose of this report is to review the evidence related to how well existing PSE bridging programs support and enable underrepresented youth to access, persist, and complete a PSE program. To close the PSE opportunity gap and “move the dial” on PSE access and completion equity, our report is intended to serve as an evidence-based resource for youth-serving organizations and individuals interested in developing and/or evaluating bridging programs. This report provides a point-in-time summary of the evidence-base related to PSE bridging programs. As this field of research evolves, so will the data. As such, this report presents a snapshot of both the academic and grey literature, highlighting promising practices that are evidence-based and that, as a result, provide an important starting point for those interested in program development and/or evaluation.

This paper seeks to: review and assess the most effective bridging strategies and/or programs for engaging underrepresented youth in PSE; present evaluated strategies for engaging young people in bridging opportunities and for keeping them engaged and supported after transitioning to PSE; and reflect on the challenges in the delivery of bridging programs and examine case studies of programs that have achieved significant success.