I can try this.
Approachable entry points reduce the fear of getting something wrong.
Findings & new developments
We pay attention to what grows after the activity ends.
Confidence, curiosity, belonging, and a clearer sense of what comes next are the outcomes Building Bridges keeps working to strengthen.
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What we work toward
An experience should change what feels possible.
Our program design centers three connected kinds of growth.
I can learn this.
Testing, reflection, and another attempt turn activity into skill.
I can become this.
Mentors and career exposure connect today’s project to tomorrow’s options.
Our findings
Stories, evidence, and learning from the field
This space brings program reflections and research-facing work into one clear home, making it easier to follow what learners experience and what Building Bridges learns along the way.
South Side STEM Girls & We Run STEM
South Side programs connected girls and gender-expansive youth with robotics, food processing, cosmetic chemistry, working professionals, and sustained STEM exposure.
Read the community story →Junior Science Café
Community science conversations make expertise feel close, human, and connected to questions young people already carry.
Mentorship strengthens confidence
At the 2025 STEM Empowerment Summer Camp, more than 90% of participants reported feeling extremely confident in STEM at the end, and none reported low confidence.
View the 2026 conference poster →Reports & presentations
Annual reports and conference posters bring program learning, evidence, and next questions into one place.
Read the 2023 annual report →New developments
The bridge keeps extending
New work connects youth learning to community sustainability, career exploration, and real-world experience.
Growing program
Sustainability education
Science learning rooted in food systems, waste, climate, and choices learners can connect to everyday life.
Career exploration through play
Explore 120 careers, answer an adaptive quiz, and try a different interactive mini-game for every path.
Play the 120-career game →Internships & workforce pathways
Real projects that help emerging professionals connect skills with purpose.
Explore internships →Southside STEM Station
A neighborhood learning space for workshops, family STEM nights, summer programming, and community access.
Visit Southside STEM Station →Build with us
Impact gets stronger when it is shared.
Schools, families, funders, volunteers, and program partners each add something the bridge needs.