Build campus-wide capacity to support undocumented and immigrant students.
BRIDGE is a nine-week, expert-led training program for whole departments, combining current policy guidance, department-specific practice, a Campus Action Proposal, and alumni support so campuses can build coordinated systems of care.
Undocumented student support isn't one office's job.
One trained office is a resource. A trained campus is an ecosystem.
A student's future shouldn't depend on which door they walk through.
Schools are the last place these students are still fully present. Let's meet the moment.
Four gaps. One certification built to close them.
Building Resources for Immigrant Dreams, Growth & Empowerment.
Flip each card to see the gap campuses face, and the step of the BRIDGE pathway that closes it.
Support gets trapped in one office.
Students are often referred to the same center or staff member, even when their question belongs in financial aid, advising, career services, or wellness.
"Most departments refer students to the first-gen center even when the student needs help with something specific, like financial aid or career planning."
Every office gets a shared foundation.
BRIDGE gives campus teams nine weeks of expert-led, department-specific training so more offices can respond with accurate information, clear boundaries, and confidence in their role.
"BRIDGE gave me a shared language for conversations I was already having with students, but didn't always feel fully prepared for."
Four doors, four answers.
Without coordination, the quality of support can depend on which office, staff member, or campus a student reaches first.
"There can be variations in support even within the same school system."
Departments train together.
BRIDGE brings campus teams through the learning experience side by side, helping offices understand each other's roles, referral points, and shared responsibilities.
"It helped me understand what my office can actually do, what we shouldn't try to answer alone, and when it's better to connect a student with someone who has more expertise."
Policy changes faster than teams can keep up.
Yesterday's correct answer can become today's misguidance, and many student-facing staff don't have a reliable way to stay current.
"The people interacting with students day to day aren't always up to date on the latest policies, and there's always a risk of unintentional misguidance."
Current guidance, reviewed and refreshed.
BRIDGE combines expert instruction, legal review, and timely policy updates with an ongoing ally network, so practitioners aren't relying on outdated information or navigating change alone.
"The most helpful part was realizing who else on campus is doing this work. Now I have actual people I can reach out to or refer students to."
One-off trainings fade.
A single webinar can raise awareness, but it rarely creates lasting practice, shared resources, or implementation across campus.
"Awareness matters, but students need systems that still work after the training ends."
Action and community keep the work moving.
Each participant develops a Campus Action Proposal to turn learning into implementation, then stays connected through BRIDGE resources, updates, and alumni support.
"The capstone made me apply the sessions at my campus: what we already have, what's missing, and where students may still be falling through."
Piloted at 10 campuses across six states.
From the nation's largest public university system to liberal-arts consortia.
Everywhere BRIDGE runs, educators leave measurably more prepared.
What certified educators say.
My biggest takeaway, after seeing the speakers, is that there is hope. I appreciate that they share their personal experiences and the resources available. Knowing about these resources is life-changing.
BRIDGE Certified Participant (Spring 2026)
Post-graduate preparation changed my outlook on how to support students for life after graduating. I was very pessimistic and uncomfortable with this topic before, but now I feel much more comfortable talking to students about opportunities and ideas for their future.
BRIDGE Certified Participant (Spring 2026)
The breadth of available resources that are there for students. If I was supporting a student, I would now feel confident saying that they are truly not alone.
BRIDGE Certified Participant (Spring 2026)
This program has helped open the dialogue on campus about the resources available and the best ways to support our undocumented students.
BRIDGE Certified Participant (Fall 2025)
The [campus action proposal] helped me move from understanding the issue to thinking about what I could actually change on my campus.
BRIDGE Certified Participant (Fall 2025)
I love the BRIDGE program so much. I truly learned, and beyond that I connected with so many more people on campus who all share the goal of supporting undocumented students in the ways we can.
BRIDGE Certified Participant (Spring 2026)
Hearing in more depth the emotional concerns of the undocumented student experience was both sobering and grounding. It lays the foundation for why this work is so vital in ensuring our campuses remain diverse, curious, and resilient.
BRIDGE Certified Participant (Fall 2025)
The research, resources, and testimonials helped me better understand the deep impact this has on undocumented students. I continue to feel empowered to ensure their needs are met, with great hope beyond their time with us.
BRIDGE Certified Participant (Fall 2025)
We have the power to help our students in meaningful ways.
BRIDGE Certified Participant (Fall 2025)
Nine sessions. One shared foundation.
Spanning law, access, well-being, and data privacy, ending in a Campus Action Proposal.
Introduction to the undocumented & immigrant community
Core immigration statuses, humanizing terminology, demographics, and how DACA & TPS work.
State & federal laws & policies
Understand how federal and state immigration law shapes access, equity, and campus operations.
Access to higher education
Admission, tuition, licensing, and funding barriers, plus intersecting student identities.
Pathways after college
Alternative funding, ITIN vs SSN, independent contracting, and career advising without work authorization.
Supporting mental health & well-being
Trauma-informed care, stigma, and legally safe counseling for undocumented students.
Protecting students & their data
FERPA, warrants, the visibility trap, and safe data-collection practices.
Department-specific support strategies
Role-specific actions across admissions, financial aid, advising, basic needs, and leadership.
Specialized trackCampus Action Proposal
A grounded proposal that drives sustainable institutional change on your campus, beyond BRIDGE.
Signature projectAbout an hour a week, offered twice weekly, with recordings for anyone who can't join live. A self-paced + hybrid format is coming soon.
What you keep long after the final session.
A verifiable digital badge
A shareable credential with a unique ID that deans, HR, and partners can confirm in seconds on the public verification portal.
A private ally network
Campus-specific Slack channels connect you with 225+ certified practitioners, so no one does this work alone.
A living resource library
Every slide, recording, guide, and Q&A in one portal your whole team can return to when a hard case walks in.
Policy briefings after you certify
When the rules change, certified educators hear it from us, so your credential never goes stale.
Led by people with lived experience. BRIDGE is designed and taught by immigrant professionals who understand the community firsthand.
BRIDGE is brought to you in collaboration with
First Gen Empower designs and delivers BRIDGE end to end, supporting participants and carrying implementation forward with campuses and partners.
The Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration champions BRIDGE and helps carry it to campuses nationwide.
CUNY's Office of Undocumented and Immigrant Student Programs helped develop and revise the curriculum, grounding it in real campus practice.
Pro-bono counsel reviews the curriculum for legal accuracy so educators receive precise, current guidance.
Take BRIDGE your way.
Whether you're one practitioner or a whole system, there's a way in.
Pick yours and the form below will be ready for you.
Enroll in BRIDGE as an individual
For educators, advisors, faculty, student-facing staff, and nonprofit practitioners who want direct access to BRIDGE certification.
- Join an upcoming cohort or self-paced/hybrid option when available (coming soon)
- Earn a verifiable BRIDGE credential
- Build a Campus Action Proposal tied to your role
Bring BRIDGE to your campus
For colleges and universities building a shared, trained internal network across departments.
- Enroll a cross-departmental campus cohort
- Align advising, referrals, and support practices
- Receive campus-level participation and impact reporting
Expand access to your network
For member organizations, nonprofits, funders, regional consortia, and college or university systems bringing BRIDGE to multiple campuses or partners.
- Offer BRIDGE to member institutions, campuses, or partner organizations
- Use specialized pricing or sponsored access for your network
- Coordinate shared implementation, reporting, and follow-up support
Become the educator your students can count on.
Tell us a little about you and we'll follow up with dates, pricing, and the best way in for you.
Prefer email? info@firstgenempower.org
Thank you. We've got it.
Someone from the First Gen Empower team will be in touch shortly.
Every BRIDGE credential is publicly verifiable.
Each certificate carries a unique ID (like BRG-XXXX-XXXX). Anyone, from a dean to an HR team to a partner, can confirm it in seconds.
Opens the official verification portal at firstgenempower.org/bridge-verify.
What educators and campuses ask first.
Yes. The curriculum is developed with subject-matter experts and reviewed for legal accuracy by pro-bono counsel, and it's updated as immigration policy shifts, so your team is never working from last year's rules.
Not at all. BRIDGE is built for staff and faculty across every department, with no prior expertise required. You'll leave knowing your lane, what your office can support, and when to refer.
Anyone who interacts with students: financial aid, admissions, advising, career services, basic-needs and wellness, faculty, and leadership. BRIDGE is strongest when whole departments go through it together.
About an hour a week across a series of guided sessions. To certify, you complete the session requirement and design a Campus Action Proposal. A self-paced + hybrid option is coming soon.
You stay current. Certified educators keep receiving timely policy updates and remain in the year-round alumni network, so your knowledge doesn't expire.
Both. Individual enrollment is now open, and campuses can enroll groups with no participant cap plus an institutional impact packet. Networks can offer BRIDGE to their members with referral discounts.
BRIDGE uses sliding-scale pricing to stay accessible, with individual and campus options and discounts for partner networks. Tell us a bit about your situation in the form above and we'll share specifics.