Collaborate

BRIDGE BUILDERS LEVEL 2

Summer & Year-round Leadership

Calling all rising 7–12 graders! Our year-round Collaborate program brings students from across our city to learn from each other, get hands-on in our community, and of course make new friends. Participants leave feeling motivated, courageous, and confident in being a leader in every aspect of life.
Collaborate Applications for the 2025-26 school year are now open!

More Information

Become a force for positive change.

Bridge Builders Collaborate helps you unlock your true leadership potential.

For more than three decades, Collaborate has helped youth develop deep relationships, meet challenges head-on, and grow the skills needed to be a community leader. In this year-long program, you’ll experience:

Bridge Builders Summer Leadership Conference
Bridge Builders activity sessions
Community action events
Electives

Learn about the Summer Conference

Bridge Builders Summer Conference

Connect with your fellow Bridge Builders through new experiences.

Kick off Collaborate with a week-long Summer Leadership Conference led by BRIDGES staff & AmeriCorps Service Members. You’ll learn, play, and grow alongside your peers during a range of adventurous activities — and build lasting friendships at the same time.

Trainings

Learn from each other—and have fun doing it!

Dig into leadership skills and community issues during engaging activity sessions with your group. We’ll talk about diversity, communication, teamwork, and more. This is your chance to make your voice heard on the issues you care about most, and learn what other Bridge Builders think.

Community Action

Get hands-on in your own neighborhood.

Explore your passions and gain the skills and know-how you need to make real change. Join in on projects that address challenges like blight, education, and other social issues, and you’ll be on your way to becoming a true activist.

Electives

Expand your horizons in Memphis and beyond.

From conversations with city leaders to interactive workshops on music, art appreciation, and more. You'll have the opportunity to pick electives based on your interests, be it social justice, local politics, or the arts.

Apply Today

Bridge Builders influences me to be a more open-minded and understanding person so I can work better with teams to communicate my ideas and make a difference.”

12th grade participant

Bridge Builders has influenced me to speak up for what I believe in, value others’ opinions and backgrounds, and to focus on myself and well-being.”

7th grade participant

Contact Arielle Brown at

abrown@bridgesusa.org

901-260-3703

for more information about Collaborate.

Bridge Builders Youth Program

Connect

Custom Workshops & Experiences

Our Connect Team works with teachers and leaders to create custom experiences for students that complement classroom curriculum. These sessions grow relationships, problem-solving skills, empathy, and confidence.

Explore the Connect experience

Change

Fellowships

Students in grades 8-12 enroll in this one-year community service project to become influential community organizers and advocates.

Create change in Memphis

Every student counts.

Young people are born with creativity and passion to lead. BRIDGES has worked with thousands of students to unlock that potential and activate new generations of leaders across Memphis.

Support our work

*Data from 2022-2023

2,044

Total youth
participated

30

Schools and youth-serving organizations

49

Zip Codes
Represented

4 of 5

students said
their leadership skills improved