Program Description	Bridging the Gap (BTG) is designed to provide at-risk youth a foundation for reaching their personal potential and for positive interaction with the community-at-large. BTG employs a nonsectarian 12-week life-skills course as the basis of its program. Our goal is to inspire the participants to make good choices, set positive goals for themselves, and thereby reach a place of personal excellence. Bridging the Gap incorporates a twelve-week life skills curriculum as the basis of its program, consisting of the following subjects: 1) Self-assessment of strengths, talents and interests 2) Communication 3) Legal issues 4) Job-seeking and financial planning 5) Ethics 6) Self-esteem and peer pressure 7) Anger management and decision making 8) Addiction 9) Relationships 10) Sexually-transmitted diseases 11) Violence and gangs 12) Culture and diversity. Group discussion, brainstorming, worksheets, and other creative activities are used to aid the youth in understanding and benefiting from the lesson. Guest speakers from the community have included a Juvenile Court judge, a lawyer, a retired bank vice-president, a recovering addict, a loss-prevention team from Wal-Mart, the director of the YMCA’s Teen Achiever program, detectives from the Lawrence Police Department’s anti-gang unit, a domestic violence specialist, and representatives from the armed forces and Northern Essex Community College. Participants have attended field trips to the Greater Lawrence Community Boating Program, the Scared Straight program at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Middleton, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and a trip which included the New England Aquarium, the North End, Faneuil Hall, and the New England Holocaust Memorial. A typical session includes one hour of instruction on that week’s subject, a half-hour recreational time, and a quarter hour review and journaling time. Snacks or dinner are offered.
Eligibility	Youth ages 12-17
Areas Served	Groveland, MA, Haverhill, MA, Georgetown, MA Service not limited to Essex County
Fees Charged	Free .
Program Schedule	Open year round
Days/Hours	Monday & Wednesday 4:00-6:00 PM
Languages	English
What to Bring	Please call to schedule an appointment
Online Registration	No.
Appointment Necessary	Yes.
Handicapped Accessible	No.
Child Care Provided	No.
Wait List	No.
Other Information
Volunteer Opportunities	Yes.
Resource Library	Not Applicable.
Meeting Space	No.
News Letter	No.
Public Internet Access	No.
Sponsoring Agency	Learn more about Bridging the Gap- The Salvation Army and its other programs (if any).

(Information Last Updated: 03-18-2013)