BridgeUP is The New York Public Library's innovative after-school program for New York City high schoolers. BridgeUP "scholars" receive free tutoring, test prep, college admissions guidance, and mentorship from dedicated staff throughout their four years in high school. Our scholars are passionate, curious, and creative.

At the end of each academic year, BridgeUP scholars work on "Passion Projects". These projects are student-driven and designed to give BridgeUP scholars the freedom to work together and explore topics they are interested in.  In the past, scholars have produced podcasts and albums. They have published magazines, graphic novels, and poetry. They've created murals, films, photo books, and more.

While these projects are a hands-on experience, they also require a lot of research, which is why The New York Public Library is the best place to work on Passion Projects. BridgeUP scholars know how to take advantage of the Library's resources and as a result, they have created some impressive work!

BridgeUP Allerton: AMOC

The BridgeUP cohort in Allerton worked together to create a graphic novel for their Passion Project. They started by discussing storyboarding, character development, theme, and craft and they got first-hand tips from a professional graphic artist who came to their BridgeUP classroom to give the scholars one-on-one instruction.  They also used Lynda.com, an NYPL database with an array of tutorial videos and courses, to study drawing, illustration, and comic book design. Their courses included:

• Manga Studio Essential Training with Doug Hills
• Penciling a Comic Book Page with Ben Bishop
• Introduction to Graphic Design with Tony Harmer

Countee Cullen Alpha: The Politics of Fashion

The BridgeUP scholars at the Countee Cullen Library in Harlem decided to study fashion as a form of expression and a way of bringing awareness to the contemporary social issues that are important to them. They created a "Look Book" with fashion designs, original artwork, essays, and poetry. They started their research by watching  Fruitvale Station, Beyonce's Lemonade, Selma, and  Paris is Burning. The Berg Fashion Library was another favorite resource, especially their lesson plan on Diversification in Fashion Markets, Street Styles, and Cultural Change. They also took a look at some the NYPL Digital Collections André Fashion Illustrations and 
Creators Studios Fashion Illustrations for a glimpse into American fashions of the 1930's, 40's, and 50's.



 

The Other Side Of The Story: Deconstructing Stereotypes And Understanding Discrimination

Our 9th-grade BridgeUP scholars at the Bronx Library Center are ambitious kids!  They wanted to learn more about some of the stereotypes prevalent in American society. At BridgeUP, our scholars explore New York City for inspiration, and after trips to the Museum of Chinese in America and the National Museum of the American Indian, they started to delve into the library's resources for further research.  They started out with some popular titles: The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, and Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton.  Movies like Mulan and X-Men were good ways to explore how stereotypes make their way into popular culture and they used the NYPL Flipster app to read relevant articles in Teen Vogue and The Atlantic. 

P.E.A.C.E: Poverty Endangers All Children's Education

BridgeUP scholars have always been interested in the social issues that affect their communities. Countee Cullen Beta's Passion Project focused on how socio-economic circumstance can affect the education of American minority groups. The Countee Cullen Beta kids started their project by volunteering in their community. After a visit to The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture's Black Power! exhibit, they delved into the Schomburg's extensive digital resources. The Schomberg's their online exhibits, particularly their Black New Yorkers and Black Power! The Movement, The Legacy were particularly inspiring. 

Want to learn more about BridgeUP? Visit our website, hear from one of our scholars, or see some of our work.