Our Theory for Change
We are creating a national student movement to strengthen our democracy. BridgeUSA chapters are driven by a two-pronged approach.
Grassroots Impact
Our chapters create “Bridge communities” where students from across the ideological spectrum can collaborate to constructively engage the causes of our time.
Our grassroots strategy has three components
- We create engaged and informed citizens through discussion and speaker events
- We build a movement with a common purpose through national summits
- We create momentum for our movement through a coordinated social media strategy
Institutional Impact
Every successful social movement requires top-down change. Our chapters amplifying their grassroots impact with university support.
We create institutional change in three ways
- University Partnerships: We partner with civic innovation institutes on campuses and build relationships with university leadership to make our chapters more sustainable and credible
- Improving University Policy: We integrate ideological diversity and a defense of free speech into university policies to create tangible impact
- Integration Into Campus Life: We help our students run for government, create new curriculum, and host student orientations to make BridgeUSA synonymous with the college experience
Chapter Highlights
University of Notre Dame
Our BridgeND chapter, in partnership with Common Ground Committee, hosted Condoleezza Rice and John Kerry to demonstrate that constructive engagement is possible, even at the highest levels of government.
University of California, Berkeley
BridgeUSA at Berkeley was asked by the Chancellor’s office to inform the creation of a new Free Speech Policy after the university received national criticism.
Arizona State University
BridgeASU’s activism helped launch the School of Civility and Economic Thought at ASU (SCETL), which graduated 36 majors last year. SCETL provides an educational experience for the next generation of impactful leaders.
Oregon State University
BridgeOSU conducted a 600 person survey to better understand their university’s political climate.