Mr. Berger, Mrs. Davis and Mr. Konopinski Win Martha Holden Jennings Foundation Award

July 30, 2018—High School Individuals & Societies teachers Brian Berger, Sarah Davis and Joseph Konopinski won the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation Team Teaching Award for their work with Shaker Heights Schools’ Bridges program. 

Bridges is a cohort of students, supported by their classroom teachers, to increase the number of diverse students as well as student success in our Advanced Placement, Honors and International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme courses. The Bridges program employs summer sessions plus all-year supports to enhance students’ abilities to actively apply their learning on tests and academic projects. The ultimate goal is to create a pipeline of increasing numbers of African American, Hispanic, English Language Learner and students identified with specific learning needs into our highest level courses. Over three summers, the Bridges program has grown from serving students only in 10th grade AP US History, to include four grade levels of Math Honors, Grade 9 English honors, two Grade 11 AP and DP History courses. 

The Martha Holden Jennings Award enables these teachers to continue the deep learning by staff and increase student engagement in the Bridges program as we work to expand it  in more disciplines and in more of our buildings.