Bridges Academy

Bridges Academy
Imagine, Persevere, Achieve
Address
3921 Laurel Canyon Blvd Studio City, California United States
Coordinates	34°08′28″N 118°23′43″W / 34.141082°N 118.395316°W / 34.141082; -118.395316Coordinates: 34°08′28″N 118°23′43″W / 34.141082°N 118.395316°W / 34.141082; -118.395316
Information
Type	Independent
Established	1994
Founder	Carolyn McWilliams
Dean	Greg Kaczynski Chris Wiebe Carmen Sevilla
Headmaster	Carl Sabatino
Faculty	60
Grades	4-12
Gender	Co-Ed
Number of students	170+
Campus	3+ acres
Athletics	Cross country, track, basketball
Mascot	Phoenix
Nickname	Bridges
Accreditation	WASC, NAIS, CAIS
Student to faculty ratio	9:1
Average class size	4-15
Phoenix Program Director	Marty Colglaizer
Director of Admissions	Doug Lenzini
Website	www.bridges.edu

Bridges Academy is a college prep school (grades 4-12) serving twice-exceptional (or "2e") learners—students are who gifted and highly gifted but who also have learning differences such as Autism, AD/HD, executive functioning challenges, processing deficits, mild dyslexia, and anxiety. The students are driven by creativity and intellectual curiosity. The Bridges educational model is strength-based and talent-development driven. Each student has an individual learning plan created to meet his/her diverse learning style, academic, creative and social/emotional needs. Stimulating core classes, abundant enrichment, small class size, extensive academic supports and a vital advisory and mentoring program are all part of the Bridges approach. The school is located in Studio City, Los Angeles, California.

Bridges Academy started as a private tutorial for three students in the home of founder Carolyn McWilliams in 1994. Prior to the 1997-1998 school year, the school relocated to its former site on Burbank Boulevard in Sherman Oaks, California. During that time, annual enrollment was between 40 and 50 students a year.

In 1998, the school was granted non-profit corporation status, with a Board of Trustees and McWilliams continuing as the Head of School. In 2001, the Board of Trustees and Head of School dedicated the mission of the school to educating twice-exceptional students. McWilliams retired in the summer of 2003 and Charles "Chuck" Potts, the founding Head of the Wesley School in North Hollywood, California, was hired as interim Head of School. After a national search, Carl Sabatino, former Head of the Upper School of Lawrence Woodmere Academy in NY, was hired as the Head of School in 2005. In 2008 enrollment had reached over 100 students; as of 2010 it had risen to over 150 students. Current enrollment is around 170.

In 2005, Bridges moved from its previous location in Sherman Oaks, California to its current location in a shared-use arrangement with Osaka Sangyo University (OSULA) Education Center. The campus is the former site of the all-girls Catholic Corvallis High School (California). It was purchased by OSULA in the late 1980s. Bridges continued absorbing more and more classroom and administrative space until finally purchasing the campus in 2011 at which time OSULA moved on to another location.