September 4, 2025

By Louis Huler 

Children everywhere are heading back to school, but for some of the littlest learners, this year will be their first year of school. For many kindergartners, this is their first time going to a classroom, learning from a teacher and interacting with classmates. It can all feel overwhelming. That is where the Kindergarten Bridge program comes in. Run by the School of Education, the Kindergarten Bridge, or “K Bridge,” plays a vital role in helping rising kindergarteners in Philadelphia learn the basics of being a student.

Since 2021, the K Bridge program has run a free summer session in West Philadelphia for children about to enter kindergarten. Students learn what a normal school day looks like, as well as nurturing cognitive development. Organized and staffed by a combination of Drexel professional staff and School of Education undergraduate and graduate students, the program not only gives young children a mental “bridge” from pre-school to elementary but provides invaluable experience to future teachers.

Andrea DiMola, Director of Strategic Partnerships for the School of Education, oversees the program and describes it as being a true resource, both for the kids and their families. “The goal is to help children feel confident going into kindergarten. We really focus on those routines like being in a classroom environment, raising your hand, getting in line and going to the cafeteria, going to the gym… Really helping them kind of get oriented to school,” she said.

The K Bridge program doesn’t just help the young students; Drexel students, acting as teachers, say it as an excellent learning opportunity in their educational studies. Madison Haney, BS in Elementary Education ‘27, sees it as a great chance to get her bearings as an educator. “It's definitely taught me a lot about classroom management and how I want to lead my classroom eventually,” she said. “It’s helped me to learn a lot about patience and the ability to make those connections with them. Especially at this age, it’s so crucial to literally every part of development.”

Madison isn’t alone. Naomi Yoon, BS Elementary Education ‘28, appreciates the developmental nature of K-Bridge, especially for students who may want to do this as a career one day. “I think the way we have it set up is perfect because they're not just throwing us into the deep end and saying, ‘go, go, just do it’. We get a lot of support from the leaders who have experience with kids, and we get a teaching partner,” she said.

For Naomi, not only has the program been a good learning experience but something that reaffirmed her drive for what’s next. “I go home every day and I think to myself, I'm so lucky that this is going to be the rest of my life because I love it so much,” she said.

The success of K Bridge with the development of the younger kids and the experience for the college students signifies it’s working exactly as intended, something DiMola hopes to keep up as the program continues to grow. She says of the children, “We've seen a lot of growth academically, but also socially and emotionally. We’re really seeing an increase in the way they're able to engage with other kids and communicate with each other, which is one of the really big skills in kindergarten that takes a lot of time.”

As for the student teachers, she feels equally optimistic. “We really want to support our teachers in getting that practice of being a leader in a classroom. Giving them that leadership experience in a fairly low stakes environment,” she said.