Bridges Academy After-School Courses: Fall 2024
Bridges Academy has partnered with Young Scholars Academy, a strength-based virtual enrichment program for 2e kiddos founded by former Bridges teacher Sam Young.
This is an amazing opportunity for your student to engage in meaningful courses after school, at the school you know and love, all while forging new relationships, exploring new material, and growing under new mentors! Bridges after-school staff will be on-site to supervise students as they take these courses.
We’re excited about this partnership, and the value it brings to our families through our after-school program.
Check back here for upcoming courses offered in conjunction with YSA.
We also offer on-campus courses led by Bridges Academy full-time and guest instructors. See our current offerings below.
This is an amazing opportunity for your student to engage in meaningful courses after school, at the school you know and love, all while forging new relationships, exploring new material, and growing under new mentors! Bridges after-school staff will be on-site to supervise students as they take these courses.
We’re excited about this partnership, and the value it brings to our families through our after-school program.
Check back here for upcoming courses offered in conjunction with YSA.
We also offer on-campus courses led by Bridges Academy full-time and guest instructors. See our current offerings below.
In-Person Courses
The following in-person courses will be held on-campus at Bridges during the fall semester. Click the register link to sign up.
Please email Kevin Slee ([email protected]) with any questions.
•Basketball w/JMG- Wednesdays - Dec. 4 - March 12
Hours: 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Tuition: $429
Grades: Phoenix, M.S.
Registration: 6 student minimum, 13 student maximum
JMG believes in a growth mindset philosophy. All children learn and grow differently with different timing. We give personal attention to both child and parent on how to get through those times where it seems that your child is not engaged or emotions are running high.
All children go through this and it is up to us to recognize and understand what is happening to them every step of the way. We believe that perseverance, grit, and communication are the most important things for a child to learn at a young age for healthy development!
Have your little ones start learning the basic skills for the fast-paced game of basketball. We'll work on hand-eye coordination, proper form, and rules of the game. All this while teaching proper sportsmanship and teamwork!
Whether it’s school tryouts or travel ball, we aim to increase players' skill levels, confidence, and grit on and off the court. JMG's basketball staff has years of experience playing and coaching at the high school, college, and pro level. The pace of our workouts guarantees the maximum amount of repetition in a great learning environment. Our trainers take the time to explain the “when” and the “why” of each move to increase your child's Basketball IQ!
JMG Coaches have played at the pro, semi pro, collegiate, or club team levels and many have a background in childhood development and education. Through role modeling, communication, and FUN, they reinforce character building skills already being taught at your home & school.
REGISTER HERE
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•Comic Book Production w/Rachel Jackson - Fridays - Aug. 30 - Dec. 13
Hours: 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Tuition: $330
Grades: Phoenix, M.S., H.S.
Students will learn how to write, draw, format, and print a zine of the comic books they created. The goal will be to produce two zines every semester and the course is open to Phoenix through High School. A lot of emphasis will be placed on the story telling and formatting phase to ensure a quality zine.
REGISTER HERE
-----------------------
•Electric Guitar/Bass Construction and Maintenance w/Ben Schwartz - Wednesdays - Oct 16 - Nov 20
Hours: 4-5 p.m.
Tuition: $400 (includes cost of guitar kit)
Grades: M.S., H.S.
Registration Deadline: October 1
Do you play guitar or bass? Have you ever taken apart your instrument and wondered "what the heck are all these wires?" Or maybe, when you play certain frets, the notes don't quite ring out, and you want to know what you can do to fix it? Or maybe your instrument just doesn't sound as good as you want it to, and you want to know what you would need to change to make it better.
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then this course is for you! If you take this course, you'll not only learn the fine details of setting up and upgrading your instrument, but you'll also come away from this course with a cherry new axe of your own creation! Yes, this course is not only for learning how to set up an existing instrument, but we will be touching on the basics of building one from scratch as you assemble unfinished parts into a fully functioning instrument.
While it is preferable that you already own a guitar/bass and have some playing experience, this course will be open to those who have never played but may be interested in starting, and if you're worried that not knowing how to play will affect your ability to succeed in this course, don't! After all, the great Leo Fender famously never knew how to play, and he designed some of the greatest guitars ever made. Spots in this course are limited, though more spots may open up if there is enough interest.
The guitar kits the students can choose from are:
REGISTER HERE
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•Soccer - Fridays - Sept. 6 - Dec. 13
Hours: 1:30-2:30 p.m. (Phoenix); 2:30-3:30 p.m. (M.S.)
Tuition: $429
Grades: Phoenix, M.S.
We all watched the Summer Olympics and eagerly await the next World Cup. In the meantime we continue to indoctrinate new soccer players every day! Our soccer curriculum develops athletic skills through fun, age appropriate games like Jedi Training, Speed Racer and Super Hero! For our older players, skill, strategy & team formations are introduced via small sided games. Whatever age, character, teamwork and sportsmanship are taught. using the tenets of a Growth Mindset.
REGISTER HERE
-----------------------
•Tae Kwon Do with Officer Tom - Tuesdays - Nov. 12 - Jan. 21
Hours: 4-5 p.m.
Tuition: $240
Grades: All
Bridges' very own security guard, Officer Tom, was inducted into the Master's Hall of Fame in 2016 after spending over forty years practicing and teaching martial arts. Officer Tom specializes in Tae Kwon Do, the art of self-discipline and self-defense, and holds a Seventh Degree Black Belt, and is a three-time U.S. National Champion and a Pan-American Gold Medalist. Officer Tom has spent most of his life practicing and training men, women, and children in self-defense, courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, and respect. Officer Tom develops martial arts programs based on students' specific discipline and coordination levels. Practicing martial arts has been proven to sharpen the mind and body while having a fun and exciting experience.
REGISTER HERE
-----------------------
•You Can Write a Movie! with Dana L. Davis - Thursdays, Aug. 29 - Dec 19
Hours: 4-5 p.m.
Tuition: $450
Grades: M.S., H.S.
Creative Writing Afterschool Class where you will learn the fundamentals to writing a Hollywood Screenplay. Watch film clips, read screenplay excerpts, play screenwriting games, and begin your very own original, feature-length film script. Open to all middle school and high school writers with an interest in film. No experience needed! Beginners welcome. At the final class we will meet with and interview a Hollywood talent agent/manager.
REGISTER HERE
-----------------------
•General after-care will be held from dismissal until 5:30 p.m., Monday-Thursday, and until 4 p.m. on Fridays, at a rate of $18 per hour, or part thereof. Contact Kevin Slee ([email protected]) for more information.
The following in-person courses will be held on-campus at Bridges during the fall semester. Click the register link to sign up.
Please email Kevin Slee ([email protected]) with any questions.
•Basketball w/JMG- Wednesdays - Dec. 4 - March 12
Hours: 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Tuition: $429
Grades: Phoenix, M.S.
Registration: 6 student minimum, 13 student maximum
JMG believes in a growth mindset philosophy. All children learn and grow differently with different timing. We give personal attention to both child and parent on how to get through those times where it seems that your child is not engaged or emotions are running high.
All children go through this and it is up to us to recognize and understand what is happening to them every step of the way. We believe that perseverance, grit, and communication are the most important things for a child to learn at a young age for healthy development!
Have your little ones start learning the basic skills for the fast-paced game of basketball. We'll work on hand-eye coordination, proper form, and rules of the game. All this while teaching proper sportsmanship and teamwork!
Whether it’s school tryouts or travel ball, we aim to increase players' skill levels, confidence, and grit on and off the court. JMG's basketball staff has years of experience playing and coaching at the high school, college, and pro level. The pace of our workouts guarantees the maximum amount of repetition in a great learning environment. Our trainers take the time to explain the “when” and the “why” of each move to increase your child's Basketball IQ!
JMG Coaches have played at the pro, semi pro, collegiate, or club team levels and many have a background in childhood development and education. Through role modeling, communication, and FUN, they reinforce character building skills already being taught at your home & school.
REGISTER HERE
-----------------------
•Comic Book Production w/Rachel Jackson - Fridays - Aug. 30 - Dec. 13
Hours: 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Tuition: $330
Grades: Phoenix, M.S., H.S.
Students will learn how to write, draw, format, and print a zine of the comic books they created. The goal will be to produce two zines every semester and the course is open to Phoenix through High School. A lot of emphasis will be placed on the story telling and formatting phase to ensure a quality zine.
REGISTER HERE
-----------------------
•Electric Guitar/Bass Construction and Maintenance w/Ben Schwartz - Wednesdays - Oct 16 - Nov 20
Hours: 4-5 p.m.
Tuition: $400 (includes cost of guitar kit)
Grades: M.S., H.S.
Registration Deadline: October 1
Do you play guitar or bass? Have you ever taken apart your instrument and wondered "what the heck are all these wires?" Or maybe, when you play certain frets, the notes don't quite ring out, and you want to know what you can do to fix it? Or maybe your instrument just doesn't sound as good as you want it to, and you want to know what you would need to change to make it better.
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then this course is for you! If you take this course, you'll not only learn the fine details of setting up and upgrading your instrument, but you'll also come away from this course with a cherry new axe of your own creation! Yes, this course is not only for learning how to set up an existing instrument, but we will be touching on the basics of building one from scratch as you assemble unfinished parts into a fully functioning instrument.
While it is preferable that you already own a guitar/bass and have some playing experience, this course will be open to those who have never played but may be interested in starting, and if you're worried that not knowing how to play will affect your ability to succeed in this course, don't! After all, the great Leo Fender famously never knew how to play, and he designed some of the greatest guitars ever made. Spots in this course are limited, though more spots may open up if there is enough interest.
The guitar kits the students can choose from are:
- Six-string guitar -- Shop Solo SGK-1 DIY Electric Guitar Kit With Bolt-On Neck Online (solomusicgear.com)
- Four-string bass guitar -- Shop Solo MMK-10 DIY Electric Bass Guitar Kit Online (solomusicgear.com)
REGISTER HERE
-----------------------
•Soccer - Fridays - Sept. 6 - Dec. 13
Hours: 1:30-2:30 p.m. (Phoenix); 2:30-3:30 p.m. (M.S.)
Tuition: $429
Grades: Phoenix, M.S.
We all watched the Summer Olympics and eagerly await the next World Cup. In the meantime we continue to indoctrinate new soccer players every day! Our soccer curriculum develops athletic skills through fun, age appropriate games like Jedi Training, Speed Racer and Super Hero! For our older players, skill, strategy & team formations are introduced via small sided games. Whatever age, character, teamwork and sportsmanship are taught. using the tenets of a Growth Mindset.
REGISTER HERE
-----------------------
•Tae Kwon Do with Officer Tom - Tuesdays - Nov. 12 - Jan. 21
Hours: 4-5 p.m.
Tuition: $240
Grades: All
Bridges' very own security guard, Officer Tom, was inducted into the Master's Hall of Fame in 2016 after spending over forty years practicing and teaching martial arts. Officer Tom specializes in Tae Kwon Do, the art of self-discipline and self-defense, and holds a Seventh Degree Black Belt, and is a three-time U.S. National Champion and a Pan-American Gold Medalist. Officer Tom has spent most of his life practicing and training men, women, and children in self-defense, courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, and respect. Officer Tom develops martial arts programs based on students' specific discipline and coordination levels. Practicing martial arts has been proven to sharpen the mind and body while having a fun and exciting experience.
REGISTER HERE
-----------------------
•You Can Write a Movie! with Dana L. Davis - Thursdays, Aug. 29 - Dec 19
Hours: 4-5 p.m.
Tuition: $450
Grades: M.S., H.S.
Creative Writing Afterschool Class where you will learn the fundamentals to writing a Hollywood Screenplay. Watch film clips, read screenplay excerpts, play screenwriting games, and begin your very own original, feature-length film script. Open to all middle school and high school writers with an interest in film. No experience needed! Beginners welcome. At the final class we will meet with and interview a Hollywood talent agent/manager.
REGISTER HERE
-----------------------
•General after-care will be held from dismissal until 5:30 p.m., Monday-Thursday, and until 4 p.m. on Fridays, at a rate of $18 per hour, or part thereof. Contact Kevin Slee ([email protected]) for more information.
Bridges Academy Online Courses
•World Building 101 with Steve Townshend - Mondays & Wednesdays, Sept. 30-Nov. 20*
Hours: 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Tuition: $400
Grades: High school
In this course, students will collaboratively create worlds and the people who inhabit them, exploring geography, cultures, and timelines. It's an excellent opportunity for those interested in storytelling and creative exploration.
*There will be no classes the last two weeks of October
REGISTER HERE
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•Dungeons & Dragons Mini Adventures with Steve Townshend - Tuesdays & Thursdays, Oct. 1-Nov. 21*
This course focuses on mini adventures within the Dungeons & Dragons universe, building skills in collaborative storytelling, tactical strategy, and creative problem-solving. Highly recommended for fantasy readers, aspiring writers, and lovers of cooperative games.
*There will be no classes the last two weeks of October
Hours: 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Cost: $400
Grades: High school
REGISTER HERE
Steven Townshend is a fine art/portrait photographer and writer with a background in theatre, written narrative, and award-winning game design. As a young artist, Steven toured the US and Canada performing in Shakespeare companies while journaling their moments on paper and film. He has many role-playing game credits to his name, most for Dungeons & Dragons. Steven worked in the publications department for the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures at the University of Chicago, where he served as managing editor for a time. He is the owner/photographer of Distant Era Fine Art & Portraiture, though he still works in games (including running games for Bridges students!).
•World Building 101 with Steve Townshend - Mondays & Wednesdays, Sept. 30-Nov. 20*
Hours: 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Tuition: $400
Grades: High school
In this course, students will collaboratively create worlds and the people who inhabit them, exploring geography, cultures, and timelines. It's an excellent opportunity for those interested in storytelling and creative exploration.
*There will be no classes the last two weeks of October
REGISTER HERE
-----------------------
•Dungeons & Dragons Mini Adventures with Steve Townshend - Tuesdays & Thursdays, Oct. 1-Nov. 21*
This course focuses on mini adventures within the Dungeons & Dragons universe, building skills in collaborative storytelling, tactical strategy, and creative problem-solving. Highly recommended for fantasy readers, aspiring writers, and lovers of cooperative games.
*There will be no classes the last two weeks of October
Hours: 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Cost: $400
Grades: High school
REGISTER HERE
Steven Townshend is a fine art/portrait photographer and writer with a background in theatre, written narrative, and award-winning game design. As a young artist, Steven toured the US and Canada performing in Shakespeare companies while journaling their moments on paper and film. He has many role-playing game credits to his name, most for Dungeons & Dragons. Steven worked in the publications department for the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures at the University of Chicago, where he served as managing editor for a time. He is the owner/photographer of Distant Era Fine Art & Portraiture, though he still works in games (including running games for Bridges students!).