Workforce Readiness Starts Early
Bridge to Success meets young people where they are.
Building Confidence for the Future
For many young people, the future can feel exciting—and overwhelming. They may know what interests them but not how those interests connect to a career. They may be the first in their family to consider college or career training. Others may simply need guidance understanding the many pathways available after high school.
The Bridge to Success program introduces career awareness early and provides increasingly focused support as members grow. Through caring mentors, hands-on learning, workplace exposure, college visits, leadership opportunities, and practical preparation, young people begin building the skills and confidence to make informed decisions about their futures.
The goal is not to steer every young person toward the same destination. It is to help each member discover a path that reflects their own strengths, interests, goals, and potential.
From Discovery to Achievement
💡 Expands Possibilities
Career exploration introduces young people to industries, roles, and pathways they may not have considered before.
🛠️ Builds Practical Skills
Hands-on experiences help members develop abilities that support success in school, work, and independent life.
🤝 Connects Youth with Mentors
Supportive adults provide guidance, encouragement, and perspective as members consider their next steps.
🎯 Encourages Goal Setting
Young people learn how to identify goals, create plans, and make steady progress toward achieving them.
🌟 Strengthens Confidence
Exploring interests and practicing new skills help members see themselves as capable students, employees, leaders, and problem-solvers.
Our Workforce Readiness Programs:
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Young people begin by learning more about themselves and the world around them.
Through conversations, activities, guest speakers, and exposure to different fields, members are encouraged to recognize their interests, abilities, and emerging strengths. They begin to understand that the subjects they enjoy, the problems they like to solve, and the activities that capture their attention may all point toward future possibilities.
At this stage, workforce readiness is about curiosity—helping young people recognize their potential and see how many opportunities may be available to them.
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As members enter high school, they begin looking more closely at careers, industries, and educational pathways.
Career presentations, hands-on activities, workplace tours, college visits, and conversations with local professionals allow young people to experience possibilities beyond what they may already know. They can ask questions, challenge assumptions, and begin connecting their interests and strengths to real-world opportunities.
Exploration makes the future more tangible while giving young people the freedom to discover what appeals to them—and what may not be the right fit.
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As graduation moves closer, Bridge to Success helps young people turn their developing interests into a practical plan.
Members receive guidance as they investigate colleges, certificate programs, apprenticeships, the skilled trades, military service, and employment opportunities. They begin identifying the education, experience, or training required for the pathways that interest them while strengthening essential workplace and life skills.
This phase helps young people move from asking, “What might I want to do?” to understanding, “What will it take to get there?”
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During senior year and the transition after graduation, Bridge to Success helps young people put their plans into action.
Members may receive support with college and training applications, résumés, interviews, financial literacy, workplace preparation, and connections to employers and community resources. Programs such as the Senior Summit and Summer Senior Success Weeks provide focused guidance during this important transition.
Individualized support, mentoring, and work-based learning help participants take meaningful next steps into college, technical training, apprenticeships, military service, employment, or another path aligned with their goals.
Success will look different for every young person. Bridge to Success helps each one move forward with a plan, a support system, and a stronger belief in what they can accomplish.
Many Pathways. One Goal: A Successful Future.
Bridge to Success recognizes that young people may choose very different directions after high school.
The program helps members explore and prepare for pathways that may include:
A college degree
A trade or technical certificate
An apprenticeship
Direct entry into the workforce
Military service
Cross-cultural integration and continued personal development
With support from caring adults and community partners, young people can better understand what each pathway involves, compare their options, and make decisions based on their interests, strengths, and goals.
Learning Through Real-World Experiences
Workforce Preparation
Young people learn about careers most effectively when they can see, experience, and discuss them firsthand. Bridge to Success brings workforce preparation to life through experiences that connect Club members with the world beyond the Club.
Depending on their age and stage, participants may take part in:
✔Career and industry presentations
✔Conversations with local professionals
✔Hands-on workshops and demonstrations
✔College and training-program visits
✔Workplace tours and job-shadowing
✔Mentoring and individualized guidance
✔Résumé development and interview preparation
✔Financial literacy and workplace-readiness activities
✔Internships and other work-based learning opportunities
✔Leadership and life-skills development
These experiences help young people understand not only what different careers involve, but also how education, training, communication, collaboration, reliability, and problem-solving contribute to success in nearly every field.
Community Connections Make the Difference
Preparing young people for successful futures is a shared responsibility. Local businesses, colleges, training providers, community organizations, and professionals bring knowledge and experiences that help Club members understand the opportunities available throughout Southern Maine.
Partners can support Bridge to Success by:
Introducing young people to careers and industries
Hosting workplace tours or job-shadowing experiences
Leading workshops or hands-on demonstrations
Participating in career panels and special events
Providing résumé guidance or mock interviews
Serving as mentors
Offering internships or work-based learning experiences
Sharing information about college, training, or apprenticeship pathways
Investing financially in workforce readiness programming
These partnerships also allow employers to help cultivate a prepared, skilled, and diverse future workforce—one built around young people who understand their strengths and can see a meaningful future for themselves in Maine.
Bridge to Success in Action
Bridge to Success is already connecting Southern Maine youth with educational opportunities, career resources, and people who can help guide their next steps.
Recent program experiences have included:
A Senior Summit serving 45 seniors from four local high schools with support from 40 community partners
College visits that allowed 77 high school participants to explore eight colleges during the school year
Summer Senior Success Weeks providing 19 high school participants with focused guidance and preparation
These experiences broaden young people’s understanding of what is available after high school while giving them practical information, personal connections, and greater confidence as they make important decisions.
Growing the Future of Bridge to Success
Bridge to Success is already helping young people explore careers, develop practical skills, and prepare for life after high school. Now, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine is creating a dedicated home where this work can grow.
Through the A Place for Growth Capital Campaign, the Portland campus is being renovated and expanded into the Greater Portland Youth Campus. At its center will be the new 13,000-square-foot James and Hilla Bruni Bridge to Success Center, designed specifically for teens and young adults.
The center will include three large garage bays for hands-on trades training, a virtual reality career-exploration lab, dedicated mentoring areas, and flexible spaces for workshops, collaboration, and employer-led programming.
The new center is not the beginning of Bridge to Success. It is an investment in the future of an established initiative—providing the space, equipment, and capacity needed to reach more young people and deepen the experiences available to them.
Safe, Supportive Spaces to Explore the Future
Young people are more willing to try new things, ask questions, and imagine new possibilities when they feel safe and supported.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine provides welcoming environments where members can explore their interests, practice new skills, and receive encouragement from caring adults. Staff establish clear expectations, promote respectful behavior, and help young people approach challenges with confidence and curiosity. LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR SAFETY PROTOCOLS
family. The greatest impact the club had on me was the guidance I received. I could talk openly about my personal life, ask for advice, get help with school, and navigate the college application process.
—Club Member
Help Your Child Prepare for a Great Future
Whatever your child’s path, what matters most is that each young person has the information, support, and confidence to pursue a path that is right for them.
Available at These Clubs
Programs vary by Club and season.