Our Story
Born from 15 years
of Practice
Refined by Research
How a vision for experiential learning evolved into a research-backed
supportive gap program in the heart of Costa Rica.
We didn't start with a business plan.
We responded to our students' needs.
The Bridge evolved organically out of a need we saw in our students at New Summit Academy. Beginning in 2012, our founding team observed a persistent challenge facing emerging adults: young people were leaving high school intellectually prepared, yet experientially unprepared for the actual demands of adulthood.
They possessed high potential and capability. What they needed was a real-world environment to practice.
Traditional pathways offered rigid, high-stakes environments like college classrooms or full-time jobs where mistakes felt catastrophic. Alternative options were often restricted to passive travel tours or clinical treatment centers that removed young adults from the real world entirely.
The Bridge was created to fill that gap: a supportive, real-world community where young adults could take risks, step into the driver's seat, and figure out who they are.
Supportive Immersion
Coining a Methodology for Modern Adulthood
In 2016, two of our co-founders, Dr. Danny Recio and Dr. Heather Tracy, officially coined
Supportive Immersion to name, refine, and train the exact processes that make learning at
The Bridge so transformative. They recognized that navigating today’s complex,
fast-changing world requires more than traditional instruction. It requires co-created
experiences where facilitators and young adults build real-world capacity together.
Expanding Our Reach
Opening dedicated, separate residential campuses in Atenas for young men and young women, giving each group an intentional space to grow while sharing a unified community.
Deepening Local Roots
Building partnerships with more than 40 local businesses, nonprofit organizations, and community leaders locally and across Costa Rica to provide authentic, real-world internships.
Publishing Our Research
Validating the impact of Supportive Immersion in experience-driven research, demonstrating how guided cross-cultural immersion fosters resilience, adaptability, and self-governance.
Meet the team dedicated to supporting our students!
Ticos (Costa Ricans)
Under the framework of Supportive Immersion, the warmth of Costa Rican culture (Pura Vida), paired with the complexity of navigating a new environment, creates optimal conditions for growth, offering enough challenge to encourage independence and enough community warmth to foster belonging.
A Coming of Age for The Bridge
As we celebrate our 15th anniversary, The Bridge is no longer a best-kept secret.
We know who we are; we know what we do, and we have built the research, expertise,
and local partnerships to give young adults the exact tools they need to build a life of purpose.