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Providence Summerbridge was founded in 1992 by Jenn David and Michael Goldstein. It is a successful, year-round education program that provides a path to college for high potential public middle school students from Providence and promotes careers in education for high school and college students from throughout the United States.

Summerbridge is unique in that it recognizes the importance of building skills and confidence early in life and makes an extended commitment to each of its students beginning the summer before the 7th grade. Students agree to spend two years in the program, participating in rigorous academic summer sessions, weekly after school and monthly Saturday classes during the school year, ongoing mentoring, and college-prep activities.

Since its inception in 1992, more than 500 middle-schoolers have attended Providence Summerbridge, and approximately 85% have gone on to attend top college preparatory high schools in the area, including Classical High School, The Met School, Wheeler, Moses Brown, and Lincoln. More than 90% of its college age graduates are also in secondary programs.

This success is largely attributable to the hard work and dedication of the talented high school and college students who serve as teachers in the program. Teachers attend such respected institutions as Brown, Harvard, Columbia, Washington University in St. Louis, Rhode Island College, Providence College, Wheeler, and Classical High School. With the help of an intense training program and the guidance of professional teachers, Summerbridge faculty design curricula, teach classes, plan projects, evaluate students, meet with families and reflect on their practice. In this way, Providence Summerbridge not only addresses the needs of students today, but it also works to cultivate talented young teachers for tomorrow.