BTE Student Stories

BTE Yumbo Group
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Bridge to Employment is proud to spotlight BTE- Yumbo, Colombia! The program launched in March 2017 and has been hitting the ground running ever since. Together in partnership with Johnson & Johnson, IED Titan de Yumbo high school, and United Way Dividendo por Colombia, students have been immersed with new and exciting opportunities over the course of the last three years aiding in their professional development, career exploration, academic enrichment, and higher education preparation.

In January 2020, BTE-Yumbo participants, together with all program supporters, will celebrate the conclusion of their three-year successful program. The following is a recap of some of the program’s highlights throughout the years. We are so proud of all our BTE-Yumbo youth and program supporters!

Academic Support

BTE-Yumbo students received on-site support to improve their skills and obtain good academic results. They received weekly tutorials in the areas of Natural Sciences, Mathematics, Language, Social Sciences and English. As a result of their hard work and dedication, students improved their academic performance and achieved positive results on their state examinations.

FabLab Sessions

The FabLab is a space for research, innovation and production that allows ideas and concepts to turn into reality. In partnership with the Autonomous University of the West, each BTE student attended 2 FabLab sessions, where they participated in STEM activities and learned to solve environmental problems through modeling and digital prototyping of new products. These sessions allowed students to further develop their creative and innovation skills.

Model UN

Students engaged in an activity that simulated the functioning of the United Nations, strengthening their creativity in solving problems & developing an understanding of different points of view of people living in different regions of the world.

Professional Preparation & Social Entrepreneurship 

During the 3-year program, BTE- Yumbo students received support from Johnson & Johnson volunteers for their preparation to the work and professional world through mentoring and other activities. Through numerous activities, students had the opportunity to strengthen their communication and creativity skills, receive tips for overcoming obstacles and achieving goals, obtain tools to develop self-knowledge skills, and foster a realistic and positive view of themselves. Working with their J&J mentors, students became “Dream Makers” & developed tools to facilitate communication, empower creative capacity, & create group learning challenges related to leadership & entrepreneurship.

In their own words, the BTE program has helped Yumbo participants feel motivated in continuing their studies of higher education, be productive and contributing members of society, develop continuous life goals, and help support their communities through the lessons learned while participating in the program.