Redlands’ BRIDGE Adult Transition Program Wins 2025 Golden Bell for Student-Run Jobs Pipeline for Young Adults with Disabilities

Redlands Unified School District’s BRIDGE Adult Transition Program has been named a recipient of the 2025 Golden Bell Award by the California School Boards Association, earning statewide recognition for its innovative approach to preparing young adults with disabilities for meaningful, independent lives.

Serving students ages 18 to 22, the BRIDGE (Building Resilience, Independence, and Daily living skills for Growth and Empowerment) Program helps young adults with moderate to severe disabilities transition from school into adult life. The program blends classroom instruction with hands-on job training, giving students opportunities to develop practical, social and vocational skills in supportive environments.

“We believe every student deserves pathways that empower them to learn, contribute and thrive as independent, confident members of our community. Our Adult Transition Program is a shining example of that belief at work,” said Superintendent Juan Cabral. “This Golden Bell Award honors not only innovative instruction but also the dignity, pride and real-world success our students experience every day. We are incredibly proud of our students, staff and community partners who make this life-changing work possible.”

The BRIDGE Program operates across both Redlands High School and Citrus Valley High School. The program’s work-based learning component comprises three classes on the RHS campus: Studio 24 Restaurant, Terrier Grrrounds & Coffee Co. and the newly launched Terrier Blooms & Garden Co. Each business is student-operated and designed to simulate real-world job settings where participants build confidence, teamwork and self-sufficiency while contributing to their school and local community.

Studio 24, a student-run restaurant founded nearly two decades ago by retired teacher Judy White, has long served as the blueprint for the district’s work-transition model and now thrives under teacher Sarah Ostash. Throughout the year, the restaurant opens for special events serving district staff, students and community guests. Before each service, students transform their classroom into a working restaurant. They arrange, sanitize and dress tables with linens and place settings to create a polished, professional dining experience. The students then plan menus, prepare meals, serve customers and perform roles from host to cashier – with many earning San Bernardino County food handler cards as part of their training.

When the restaurant isn’t operating for special events, students keep their culinary skills sharp through the Special Kneads Bakery, preparing cookies and other baked goods sold at district events and through Terrier Grrrounds. This year, the class also introduced a Studio 24 bento-box service for RHS staff, offering convenient, healthy lunches while providing students additional opportunities to practice communication, customer service and money-handling.

Through these experiences, students gain more than vocational skills – they build confidence, teamwork and independence that carry into every part of their lives.

“A lot of students are anxious to try new things, but when they learn what they’re capable of, you can see their confidence grow,” Ostash said. “They realize trying, failing and adjusting is part of how you learn, and that gives them courage to try other things.”

Students echoed that same spirit of teamwork and pride in their work. Dylan Davis, a student in Ostash’s class, said the best part of Studio 24 is “when we all work together as a team,” explaining that every role – from cooking and plating to serving guests – contributes to the success of the restaurant.

Just steps away, Terrier Grrrounds operates under the same philosophy. The coffee shop was launched four years ago by teacher Natalie Kling, who worked with White to develop another student business modeled after Studio 24. Supported by COVID-era startup funding, Terrier Grrrounds began with a simple coffee-and-tea menu and has since expanded to include a full range of beverages – from espresso and lemonade to energy drinks and dirty sodas.

Students manage or assist with every part of the operation: budgeting, shopping for supplies, following multi-step recipes, tracking orders and providing daily service to campus staff and visitors. They practice social and communication skills while learning adaptability and problem-solving – what to do when an order spills, a customer changes their mind or supplies run low. These experiences, combined with food-safety training and cleaning procedures, prepare students for both employment and independence.

“When students step into the coffee shop, they’re completely different – they’re in work mode,” Kling said. “They know there’s a customer waiting, and that sense of responsibility changes everything.”

Student barista Ariel Morales said the class has helped her feel more confident and independent as she prepares to exit the adult transition program this December. 

“When I’m not working, I don’t really feel confident – but when I’m making coffee, I do. I feel comfortable and I know what I’m doing,” Morales said. “I like making drinks, and I like making new friends.”

The shop also supports district meetings and events and maintains a steady on-campus customer base of 20 to 50 patrons each day. Terrier Grrrounds continues to grow through support from local businesses including Uncorked on State, Martha Green’s and Smart & Final.

The BRIDGE Program’s newest venture, Terrier Blooms & Garden Co., launched in August 2025 and brings floral design and horticulture into the enterprise model. Created by teacher Samantha Wierenga to expand opportunities for a growing number of students, the class began with efforts to revitalize the campus’s existing garden while building a sustainable floral component. Students learn to clean, trim and arrange flowers while tending the gardens and maintaining the campus’s green spaces. They create floral arrangements for district and community events and prepare custom bouquets for sale to staff and other local customers.

Through a partnership with Trader Joe’s in Yucaipa, the class also receives donated flowers that students repurpose into fresh bouquets, which are then delivered to local hospice and senior care facilities. The experience allows students to build social and communication skills while taking pride in contributing to their community.

“My students want to give back, not just receive,” Wierenga said. “When they deliver bouquets to hospice or senior homes, you can see how proud they are to be the ones giving joy to someone else.”

Student Savannah Rowe said she especially enjoys making floral arrangements for events like Judy White’s PRAISE Day Program ribbon-cutting ceremony and creating arrangements to share with loved ones.

“I feel happy, and the arrangements look really cool. And I got to give an arrangement to my mom, and my mom loved it,” Rowe said.

As the class grows, Terrier Blooms & Garden Co. is working to secure additional resources – from floral refrigerators to gardening equipment – to build capacity and give students more opportunities to learn, create and share their work with the community.

This year, the program introduced “Terrier Carriers” – gift bundles featuring drinks from Terrier Grrrounds, cookies from Studio 24’s Special Kneads Bakery and an arrangement from Terrier Blooms – showcasing collaboration across all three enterprises.

While the classes on the RHS campus anchor much of the program’s visibility, the BRIDGE class at Citrus Valley High School serves students with moderate to severe disabilities who require more individualized, hands-on instruction in daily living, communication, and community skills. Instruction focuses on fostering independence, routine-building, social interaction, and practical life skills – often through classroom and community-based experiences tailored to each student’s level of ability.

In every classroom, teachers are supported by dedicated aides and paraprofessionals who play essential roles – modeling professionalism and patience as they guide students through tasks ranging from food service and customer interaction to gardening, floral design and daily living skills.

The RUSD Board of Education continues to champion programs that create equitable access to real-world learning and employment readiness. Through the continued success of Studio 24, Terrier Grrrounds, Terrier Blooms & Garden Co. and the Citrus Valley class, the BRIDGE Program stands as a model of inclusive education that connects learning to life. 

That commitment will be recognized during the 2025 CSBA Golden Bell Awards ceremony in February 2026, where Redlands Unified will be recognized alongside districts across California for excellence in public education.

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