Summer Bridge

Welcome to Summer Bridge 2022!

Imagine the impact South Dakota State University could have on students by creating a more accessible Summer Bridge program for student populations who need additional support with the transition to college. The Wintrode Student Success and Opportunity Center is changing the Summer Bridge model at SDSU to facilitate this impact. The new model demonstrates better alignment with SDSU’s access-oriented mission and core values of People-centered and Diversity, and supports Imagine 2023 strategic goals of affirming student success as a foundational university priority and increasing recruitment, retention and graduation of professionally prepared global citizens. It also upholds the goals of the current Summer Bridge program to help students:

• begin their college experience in a focused environment;
• strengthen their academic skills;
• meet new friends and develop a peer support network and
• become more familiar with the SDSU campus and its resources.

The new Summer Bridge model will run as a pilot program Summer 2022, supporting early orientation programs offered through the American Indian Student Center and Office of International Affairs, with plans to incorporate an early orientation program for first-generation college students in the future. The reduced timeframe and cost of the program will allow more students from specified populations to participate. Additionally, the refreshed model will streamline services and resources, and will foster connections and collaborations rather than separation of services and students, resulting in improved outcomes for SDSU students and staff.