NSF CURE Summer Bridge Program

Statics and Mechanics of Materials have been identified as gateway engineering courses at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, with historically high failure rates impacting student retention and progression. To help address this challenge, the Summer Bridge Program (SBP) hosted approximately 70 students in person between 2023–2026 at no cost, serving students from three institutions and providing foundational preparation for success in these courses.

Following the success of the in-person program, the Online Summer Bridge Program was launched to expand accessibility and continue supporting engineering students beyond the local campus community.

The Online Summer Bridge Program aims to prepare rising second-year engineering students for success in Statics and Mechanics of Materials through targeted review and early exposure to core concepts. The program focuses on strengthening prerequisite knowledge in:

• Spatial skills
• Trigonometry
• Calculus II
• Physics

In addition, students receive an introductory preview of concepts covered in:

• Statics
• Mechanics of Materials

By reinforcing these foundational topics, the program seeks to improve student confidence, preparedness, and academic performance before entering these rigorous engineering courses.

As students prepare for these critical gateway courses, the Online Summer Bridge Program seeks to achieve the following long-term outcomes:

• Improve student performance in Statics and Mechanics of Materials
• Improve performance in subsequent engineering coursework
• Reduce dropout rates within engineering programs
• Reduce student time-to-degree completion
• Provide scalable educational resources for other institutions facing similar challenges
• Strengthen and expand the STEM workforce by supporting the development of well-prepared engineers

The Online Summer Bridge Program is offered completely free of charge. Our goal is to make high-quality engineering preparation resources accessible to students and faculty nationwide, helping students succeed in foundational engineering courses such as Statics and Mechanics of Materials regardless of their institution or financial background.