By building a bridge to an experience, staff members are giving students memories of a lifetime over the summer.
 
Going to the park, the zoo, the museum or library are common summer trips for many families throughout the summer. But, some Washington Street Elementary staff want to make sure it’s an experience for every child. They’ve formed a group called Bridge Builders to make sure less fortunate kids don’t go without great trips and summertime stories to tell when they get back to school in the fall.
 
Students will embark on four trips this summer. They had a taste of what was to come right before spring break when Bridge Builders scheduled a trip to a Grand Rapids Drive basketball game. Along with the game itself, the experience of driving into the city, catching t-shirts that were thrown out at the game, going to the concession stand and more broadened their experience. “Just driving back through the city at night, you would have thought they were watching fireworks,” said Jennifer Rickstad, the group’s founder.
 
Rickstad created the group after hearing several stories about students who didn’t go anywhere with their families. These students didn’t get to experience some of the seemingly normal things in life like going to the park. “We ask them to write about places they’ve been -- how can they do that if they don’t go anywhere,” said Rickstad. She thought of the name Bridge Builders for the group because it was about taking them to new places. “I wanted to build bridges to experiences, to knowledge, to friendships, to mentoring and to the world around them,” Rickstad added.
 
Students are going all over the area this summer! There are 10 children who will embark on four field trips to the Kalamazoo Valley Museum, Celery Flats, a dairy farm and the beach.
 
Trips take place every other Wednesday in June and July. They kicked off the Bridge Builders summer trips at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum, where they took part in the Tinker Toys exhibit, watched a movie and ate lunch. They also walked around downtown Kalamazoo and stopped in the Kalamazoo Public Library. One student said it was “the best field trip ever!”
 
There are three to four staff members helping out on each trip. “It is great to see the kids excited and appreciative of being a part of the program,” said teacher Aubrey Richie. “They are experiencing things they may have never gotten the chance to and are loving it,” Richie added.   
 
Their next trip is to Celery Flats in Portage where students will walk along the paths and see wildlife, nature and different grasses.
 
At the dairy farm, they’ll be able to milk a cow, feed baby cows and make ice cream, all while learning how the farm operates.
 
On the beach trip, they’ll also be able to experience the dunes at the Van Buren State Park.
 
The smiles and excitement from the kids has been contagious. After the Grand Rapids Drive trip, other staff members wanted to join in -- it feels good for them to make this type of a difference.
 
“These kids will always remember these trips,” Rickstad says.
 
Bridge Builders is possible through donations. The Otsego Public Schools’ Foundation awarded the group a $500 grant. They also received $100 from a local bank and a $40 gift card from Harding’s. This helps with transportation, lunch and any additional fees. They are hoping to continue the program into the school year if donations continue to rise.
 
Bridge Builders staff members include Jennifer Rickstad, Jennifer Loomis, Kris Kruizenga, Rita Mitchell, Dana Shaltry, Mary Megan Heintz, Aubrey Richie, Kathy Reifert, Jennifer Knight and Lori Bronkema.