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Eligibility and Enrollment

BRIDGES Eligibility and Enrollment

BRIDGES 2024-25 Interest Form

Please use this form to indicate a student’s interest in rising to BRIDGES in the 2025-2026 school year. If you have questions about this form, please contact Chelsea Palmer cmpalmer@seattleschools.org.

Once this form is submitted, you will receive additional information about next steps.

Submit BRIDGES Interest Form

BRIDGES Eligibility

All students with an IEP who need continued support in working towards their post-secondary transition goals are eligible for BRIDGES. Students in BRIDGES will be near their peers daily, make frequent trips out into the community both to volunteer and experience the community, and will be supported in and expected to work towards workplace behaviors to the extent they are able.

The decision to enroll and move to BRIDGES is an IEP team decision that includes the BRIDGES team. The earlier you can get us involved the more we can support in ensuring that a student can make a successful transition to our program if that is what they want.

BRIDGES Enrollment Process and Timeline

As early as 9th grade, you can reach out to the BRIDGES Program Specialist for information about the program. In addition to chatting on the phone or answering questions via email, they are happy to attend IEP, Eval, or Parent/Teacher meetings to discuss the program and any services or supports that can be offered during high school around transition.

Sophomore Year

We recommend that at the latest you start informing families and student about BRIDGES during a student’s 10th grade year.

Winter/Spring of 11th Grade Year

If you haven’t already, start inviting the BRIDGES Program Specialist to IEP meetings for the student interested in BRIDGES, so the family and student can get questions answered and the team can start planning for what the student might need to work on during 12th grade.

Fall of 12th Grade Year (September to November)

Case Managers fill out and submit the BRIDGES Interest Form for the student.

Winter of 12th Grade Year (December to March)
  • Parents, student, and case manager fill out informational form for BRIDGES to get to know student.
  • BRIDGES staff schedule observation/interview of student
Spring of 12th Grade Year (April to June)
  • Initial placement offers are sent out to student, family, and case manager.
  • BRIDGES case managers reach out to student and families to get to know them.
  • High school case manager and BRIDGES staff work collaboratively to amend the IEP before the end of the year to reflect the student’s transition to BRIDGES the following year.
Anytime 12th Grade Year
  • Please invite BRIDGES program specialist to IEP meetings for any 12th grade student who is considering BRIDGES for the following year.
  • Please reach out to BRIDGES program specialist if you are interested in a tour of the program if the students are interested.