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College Bridge Cafe, A Spring Bank Nonprofit Feature

“One caring adult can change the trajectory of a student’s life. There is room for all of us working together to support Bronx students.” – Isabel Pradas, Co-Founder and Executive Director, College Bridge Cafe

There’s no place as collaborative as the Bronx. Community-based partnerships are the cornerstone of our resiliency, something we learned from day one of opening our headquarters on 167th. Also anchored here in the Bronx is our nonprofit client, College Bridge Cafe, an organization that supports Bronx residents through career-oriented educational counseling, mentoring, and referral services to access college and other post-secondary education options. Their mission is to motivate and prepare Bronx residents to pursue their dreams and achieve their goals for a better life. We are proud to be their partner.

First and foremost, we recognize the profound impact of the recent death of the co-founder, Kevin Anthony. Our hearts, prayers, and condolences are with co-founder and Executive Director Isabel Pradas and her team, and with every student Kevin Anthony served and supported for almost 30 years.  Learn in this feature how you can join us in keeping Kevin’s legacy alive by contributing to The Bridge Forward Campaign and the Kevin Anthony Memorial Scholarship, which provides direct financial support to graduating seniors as they take their next step into college or career pathways.

Founded in 2018, College Bridge Cafe provides in-school career development and college prep programming across six New York Public middle and high schools. College Bridge Cafe directly supports over 1,000 students. With a team of just six employees, they rely on their alliances with community partners, colleges, and higher education allies to reach more students.

“Many people don’t know that the Bronx has 13 institutions of higher education. It’s like a mini college town,” says Isabel.

The team at College Bridge Cafes provides class-based workshops, one-to-one support, college trip visits, career day experiences, and workforce development exploration. They recognize that not every student will go to college and help them identify alternative career options, connecting them with community colleges, certificate programs, and apprenticeships.

“We meet students where they are, and help them imagine their lives five, ten, twenty years from now. If traditional college is not for them, we help them identify the skills or credentials they will need, and what they will bring to the table to stand out to prospective employers,” says Isabel.

Last month, our team joined College Bridge Cafe at Storyland at the Bronx Terminal and students from four schools for a financial literacy workshop, diving into personal savings, credit-building, and personal financial management 101.  We look forward to hosting a series of workshops across their six schools.

“It’s been great to roll out a youth-focused financial literacy program with Spring Bank. Teens connected with leaders who had similar lived experiences and modeled potential career paths. I am very grateful for our banking relationship, and even more that we are working together to make an impact for Bronx students; it’s pretty special,” shares Isabel.

We feel the same way. If you are eager to invest in Bronx youth and the next generation of leaders, we encourage you to donate to the Kevin Anthony Memorial Scholarship. For the first year of the scholarship program, College Bridge Cafe will offer it to their six partner schools, about 400 students, and the award amounts will be based on the total they raise.  Rolling out in May, decisions will be made by June, and students will be awarded scholarships by the end of the summer.

“Raising funds to provide scholarships for seniors is something Kevin and I have been wanting to do for years,” says Isabel. “Directly giving students money to help them close the financial gap, or reduce their work hours, to make the load lighter for them, in Kevin’s honor, means everything.”

Learn more about the work and impact of College Bridge Cafe. Donate to their The Bridge Forward Campaign and Kevin Anthony Memorial Scholarship here.  Find more information about our Nonprofit Banking Program and how we can help your organization grow here.