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Bridgewater-Raritan, New Jersey
Grant Period: 1998 - 2001
Community Initiative
The Bridge to Employment (BTE) partnership at Bridgewater-Raritan High School worked to close the gap between students' high school preparations and employers' workplace expectations. Through their participation in the BTE program, students gained a clearer understanding of the requisite behavioral skills for the successful operation of a business structure.
The BTE program used a two-prong "classroom environment" model; the science (Advanced Biology) and business (Career Communications Skills) curriculum was modeled to parallel that of a pharmaceutical corporation. For example, Advanced Biology students conducted various research projects to develop specific products, while Career Communications Skills students developed structures to support the work being done in the science arena, including financial, marketing and organizational mechanisms to ensure the products' commercial viability. Approximately 40 students from grades 10-12 participated in the program each year from 1998 to 2001.
In addition, the program included a project-based mentoring component. Engineers, researchers, and business representatives from Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceuticals, a local Johnson & Johnson operating company, provided guidance and on-site instruction to high school students. Students worked with their mentors at the Ortho-McNeil plant, communicated via e-mail, and met together for regular status-review sessions. As part of the year-long program, students also participated in several company activities.
The company provided an evaluation of student performance using the Johnson & Johnson Core Competency Skills to assess student's content knowledge, group work, and community skills and the New Jersey Core Curriculum Cross Content Workplace Readiness Standards were adopted.
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