The Bridge to College Division offers multiple programs for students served by the GEAR UP (GU) and Upward Bound (UB) grants. The programs are open to all students participating in GU and UB from the four local high schools. Students will be in academic classes from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm, Monday through Thursday. Friday is designated for field trips including Empower Leadership Team Building, University of Connecticut, University of Bridgeport, Fairfield University Pequot Museum, and Adventure Rooms. 

The summer program is made up of 3 "Academies":
Upward Bound 9/10 Preparatory Academy – 9th and 10th grade Upward Bound students from Crosby, Kennedy, and Wilby participate in a 6-week preparatory academy with a focus on English, Math, Foreign language, and STEM. Students take four hour long classes with a project based designed to include all curriculum. Students work with instructors in aligning curriculum content to real-world, discovery based learning opportunities. The goal is to improve upon students' academic skill set while preparing students for their successive high school years. 

GEAR UP/Upward Bound Junior Academy– Juniors from both programs have been enrolled in a series of 4 college credit courses: Intro to Nutrition, Public Speaking, Principles of Marketing, and Intro to Human Services. Students take one class in the morning followed by SAT prep and college access workshops in the afternoon. 

GEAR UP/Upward Bound Senior Academy – Recent graduating seniors are enrolled in classes such as English 096, Math 095, and First Year Experience (FYE). The goal is to get an early start on their class schedule for the fall. Enrolling in a developmental class prepares students to succeed in 100 level English and math courses at NVCC. 

NVCC President Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Ph.D. enthusiastically welcomed the program to campus by saying to the students, "This is a beautiful moment in your lives. Summers are for growing: Physically - you will be taller in September, but also intellectually. Your world and your horizons will expand. Please make this opportunity your own. Seize the moment to learn and to explore new fields of study. Welcome to NVCC."

NVCC Bridge to College (BTC) Division Director, Dave Celotto shared the excitement of the BTC team on opening day of the summer session. "This summer is an exciting time for the Bridge to College Division. We have students from two diverse grant programs, joining on campus as one family. GEAR UP is beginning its sixth year of service with our first graduating class. Upward Bound is completing its first year. This summer the BTC team is enjoying the successes of GEAR UP as we celebrate our graduating seniors, while paving the way for our future graduates in Upward Bound. We could not be more proud of all the Bridge to College students and their dedication to the program. They are taking time out of their summer to grow as individuals by taking the necessary steps to reach their goals and become college students. The Bridge to College team celebrates this motivation and looks to harness the energy of our youth by offering college-access programs for years to come."