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Tamera Walker, an educator and mother of three, said she and her daughters have found a family with The Bridge Educational Philanthropy, a Jasper nonprofit that gives area children mentors and academic support.

The Bridge was founded during the pandemic, when Monisha Moore, now board president of the nonprofit, saw students and families struggling to thrive in school.

Teachers with The Bridge help pre-K through college students by providing literacy, STEM, art and bilingual tutoring services. So far this year, 57% of participating students have improved in both math and reading, according to leaders at The Bridge.

“Every single one of those ladies working at The Bridge, our village, are wonderful people,” Walker said. “Those relationships matter. When those kids know that you care, you are able to help them accomplish things that they otherwise wouldn’t, because when kids know that you care, they work harder.”

Walker’s children, Layla Walker, 5, and DeCaleigh Calvin, 16, have received tutoring for more than a year.

Walker said that she has seen her daughters make academic strides and become more responsible.

“It’s giving her some purpose. Our village at The Bridge doesn’t just provide academic help. It provides everything we need for them to succeed,” Walker said.

Calvin has interned with The Bridge for almost two years, where she primarily serves elementary students.

She helps younger students with their assignments, lends them a listening ear and on some days can be found dancing and drawing with the students as well.

“I just really understand what they go through on a day to day. I think it’s really good for the kids, because I know sometimes it’s hard to trust an actual adult. I think that they need someone that’s closer in age to truly understand what’s going on with them,” Calvin said.

Calvin has dyslexia and said she sometimes struggles with balancing softball and volleyball obligations with her academics.

Through The Bridge, she receives math tutoring and ACT prep.

“The Bridge helps me with everything like time management and understanding the things that I may have missed in class,” Calvin said. “They really push me to be the best that I can be.”

Moore said students call her and The Bridge teachers at all hours of the day asking for help with class assignments.

She often spends her days teaching younger students how to communicate their feelings and helping older students with college and job applications.

“Our goal is to ensure that our students have all of the resources they need for a quality education because we know if they’re successful with their education, they have options when they get older…we don’t want them to ever fall through the cracks again,” Moore said.

She said every student gets a specialized learning plan to fit their needs.

Students and their families are often referred to other area nonprofits to meet their needs outside of education, including resources for food, housing and therapy.

“What we tend to see is the reason our students are suffering in the classroom is oftentimes not primarily academic. It’s because of other issues. It can be hunger, food insecurity. It could be abuse,” Moore said. “It takes a village.”

Research indicates that, when done right (a big caveat), one-on-one and small group support can boost student academics. While many school districts added tutoring and support services during the pandemic, with federal funding drying up, outside groups may be needed even more.

Jasper City Schools earned a ‘B’ on its most recent report card from the Alabama Department of Education, according to AL.com. While the majority of students have reached proficiency in English and science, only 40% of students are proficient in math, according to the most recent information available from the state.

The Bridge gets to know their community’s needs by hosting community forums and distributing surveys to teachers, students and families.

“We believe it is so important to center students and their families’ voices. So often their voices are omitted or just forgotten about,” Kristian Douglas, executive director of the nonprofit, said.

Douglas said The Bridge’s services are important because he has seen what a lack of education can do to a child.

“When students are held back, they are at a higher risk of falling into the school to prison pipeline…We really want to make sure we are setting our students and their families up for success,” Douglas said.

A 2019 Alabama Literacy Act, which adds support services and funding to help more children learn to read also holds back students if after three years of additional instruction and support cannot read on grade level.

Third-graders who cannot read well enough will not advance into fourth grade.

The National Bureau of Economic Research found in a 2018 study that being held back in school may increase the likelihood of being convicted of a violent crime as an adult. Researchers found that the likelihood of being convicted increased by 58%, when students are held back, particularly in eighth grade.

“We know that students and their families do better when they receive wrap-around services for however long they need it.”

“When we invest in social programs, we are disrupting the narrative. We are disrupting that unfortunate trend of gun violence so that our students can thrive and they’re not funneled into that cycle,” Douglas said.

The program is referral-based, but those who are interested can connect with The Bridge Educational Philanthropy through their website or social media.

Pauletta Windham, vice president of community impact at the Walker Area Community Foundation, said The Bridge largely serves students living in single-parent households, low-income housing and foster homes. She believes the program works.

“They’re making a difference in our community, and they’re really driving change,” Windham said.

Alaina Bookman’s role at AL.com and the Beyond the Violence collaborative is supported by Report for America and individual contributions. Support her work today.