BRDG Showcase Challenge

The Bridge to Connect Showcase Challenge is empowering first-generation and low-income college students to develop and enhance their professional workplace skills. The majority of BRDG students are first-generation college students facing disproportionate challenges to achieving professional success after attaining a college degree. The BRDG showcase challenge attempts to reduce disparities in professional outcomes for first-generation students by bolstering students’ professional toolkits and raising awareness of opportunities through networking and visible role models. Multi-generation college students often benefit from social networks, personal connections, and accessible internships.

 

The BRDG challenge showcase began with the selection of college students from various STEM, business, and social science disciplines who have teamed up with coaches, who are professionals from industry, to guide students through the creation of a project solution to a sustainability challenge. On each team, BRDG students establish individual roles within their team to divide the project responsibilities. BRDG students are learning how to delegate team responsibilities, which will benefit them greatly in a corporate work culture where they will need to speak up for themselves to achieve successful outcomes. BRDG students are learning the social skills necessary to maneuver gracefully through corporate workplace conflict.

 

Students are given the intellectual freedom to showcase their ideas and apply their discipline-specific knowledge acquired during undergraduate studies. Throughout the project, BRDG students are developing interpersonal communication skills necessary for dealing with contemporary workplace dynamics. BRDG students are exposed to interdisciplinary project collaboration, enabling students to expand their perspectives. BRDG students have self-appointed a team captain for each team and chosen team roles to ensure that each team member is utilizing their skills to help the project. Students are utilizing this opportunity to become acquainted with corporate project management which differs vastly from the “group projects” many undergraduates are required to partake in. Students are learning to function under the demands of corporate project culture, an invaluable tool that will help them transition from their education to the workplace.

 

BRDG students must take workshops to improve their conflict resolution skills and awareness of the project management framework. BRDG students are implementing these new skills to brainstorm ideas and collaborate together driving the design of their team projects forward. The majority of BRDG students are taking a break from coursework during the summer, although some BRDG students are simultaneously balancing their own internships and the BRDG showcase challenge. BRDG students are preparing for a contemporary corporate work culture where “work from home” and Zoom meetings are commonplace so many team interactions take place online. BRDG students are able to connect with each other and exchange project ideas even though team members are in various locations. BRDG students are becoming accustomed to online professional communication and are encouraged to present their ideas to team members in a way that reflects corporate project culture. BRDG students are building up their skills necessary for their success in the corporate workplace while innovating a more sustainable future through the designing of their projects. As the BRDG Challenge Showcase progresses, stay tuned to learn more about BRDG students progressing and achievement through hands-on learning of the corporate workplace.