SCHOOL ON WHEELS OF MASSACHUSETTS INC

The Bridge Program provides customized mentoring, services and resources to empower homeless and formerly homeless students from middle school to college ages to graduate from high school, get their GED and successfully transition and succeed in post-secondary education and gain self-sufficiency through employment. Students may be matched with a volunteer Mentor to overcome challenges & access connections & resources. Services include: test prep, identifying vocational/college opportunities, training/college applications, financial aid applications, financial literacy training, access to internships and career exploration. The program offers flexible resources to help cover unmet needs such as textbooks, tuition/housing gaps, transportation, grocery cards, dorm supplies, moving, laptops, software, emergencies etc. The program also offers annual scholarships for students to attend college.

It all starts with a brand new backpack. For students impacted by homelessness and poverty with little to call their own, a brand new backpack tells them that someone cares about them and believes in their school success --- boosting their confidence and giving them the tools they need to be prepared for school. Every student in one of our programs receives a new fully stocked grade-level backpack filled with grade-level books and school supplies. We also distribute these customized backpacks to students (in 38+ communities across the state) who are impacted by homelessness and poverty, reaching on average 6,000+ annually responding to requests from schools and organizations.