DATE: August 15, 2008

CONTACT: Pam Bryant, (803) 553-7705
pbryant@clemson.edu

WRITER: Chris Copeland, (803) 397-0597
ccopela@clemson.edu

Clemson helps Furman build bridges for high school students

PICKENS — Changing the world…one young person at a time, that’s the motto for Furman University’s program Building Bridges to a Brighter Future.

The mission of Clemson University’s Youth Learning Institute (YLI) is to help youth and work with dedicated partners and combine resources to create and deliver innovative programs that enhance the lives of all they serve.

It makes sense, then, that Clemson and Furman would join forces by sharing resources to help young people.

“The Bridges program has a solid track record of providing quality experiences for young people. We’re excited to offer our camp as an addition to their line-up of life-changing opportunities,” said Jorge Calzadilla, YLI executive director.

Since 1998, Furman University’s Building Bridges to a Brighter Future has enriched the lives of hundreds of Greenville County high school students with extreme economic, cultural or family situations that could prevent them from attaining their full potential. These are students who have the academic capability to go to college. The three-year, pre-college, academic enrichment program gives 80 students the resources and skills to thrive in high school, in higher education and in life.

“The Bridges program has had remarkable success,” said David Shi, Furman University president. “While every one of the students comes from a household with an annual income of less than $35,000, all of them have graduated from high school, and 90 percent have enrolled in college.”

During the four-week summer residential part of the Bridges program, students live on campus at Furman and attend core academic and enrichment classes; participate in character education, cultural diversity and college planning workshops; visit colleges in and out of state; explore the Greenville community; perform community service and participate in outdoor activities that build strong relationships and emotional skills.

This summer, as an extension to the Bridges program, Clemson and Furman joined to give Bridges students Adventure Summer Camp, operated by Clemson’s Youth Learning Institute (YLI).

Made possible through a partnership with YLI and The Cliffs Communities, the 100-acre camp at Pinnacle Falls in the Eastatoe Valley features a trout stream, 60-foot waterfall, game field and hiking trails with access to the 76-mile Foothills Trail and Lake Jocassee.

In July, the students spent 10 days camping, backpacking, mountain biking, rock climbing, waterfall rappelling and canoeing in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North and South Carolina. They learned wilderness safety, survival skills and the value of teamwork. They also discovered what they can do when faced with new challenges.

“For these kids to have this kind of exposure to the outdoors is so great,” said Tobi Swartz, director of Bridges to a Brighter Future. “All of the camp activities are adrenaline-rushing opportunities that they’ve never experienced.”

Erika Garcia, who has been a Bridges student for three years, concurred. “When we first heard of the program, it really caught my attention. It interested me because it’s something I’ve never done before.”

Garcia describes her Adventure Camp experience with the words “wonderful” and “amazing.” But, the one word that best sums up the experience, she says, is “awesome.”

Adventure Camp was the last Bridges program activity for Garcia, who is a rising senior at Greenville High School. She is looking forward to life in college and beyond.

Demarcus Hill says he will always remember the experience as “a great time.” He enjoyed all of the activities, especially biking and hiking, and “learned how to make fires and survive in the wilderness.”

Hill, a rising junior at Greenville Technical Charter School, is also looking ahead to college and law school.

“Connecting kids with nature is important for healthy youth development,” said Brett Deming, YLI adventure programming director. “Teaching them outdoor adventure skills gives them incentive to be more active.”

Swartz agrees. “Learning life-saving and adventure skills is a perfect addition to Bridges activities that are designed to expose students to new opportunities and build their confidence to do such activities again,” he said.

Adventure Camp counselor Andrew Hopson was impressed with how well the students worked together as a team and how motivated they were to meet even the toughest challenges.

Shi said, “Bridges to a Brighter Future has demonstrated that we need to change the way we assess and nurture students from difficult environments. They do not need to be the reason South Carolina perennially appears at the bottom of national surveys. Instead, they can elevate the trajectory of their lives and in the process enhance the state’s economic landscape and social welfare.”

For more information about Furman’s Building Bridges to a Brighter Future, contact Tobi Swartz, (864) 294-3135, tobi.swartz@furman.edu or www.furman.edu/bridges. For more information about Clemson’s Adventure Summer Camp, contact Lori Gugan, (864) 878-1041, lgugan@clemson.edu or www.clemson.edu/yli/pages/adventure.php.

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