Our approach

BridgesICT uses the Bridges Out of Poverty model from aha! Process to address poverty and its effects at every level of the community. Rather than invent a new wheel, BridgesICT collaborates within the existing community structure to coordinate and empower individuals, community groups, and city leaders to address poverty and its effects across the city.

Our goals

BridgesICT is comprised of three major areas of focus:

Bridges Out of Poverty workshops, along with sector-specific workshops and certified trainings, educate the entire community on the complexities of poverty and equip people with ways to address and reduce it.
Getting Ahead classes empower under-resourced individuals to investigate and address barriers that keep them from getting ahead.
The Staying Ahead component mobilizes existing nonprofits, educators, and other sectors of the community to walk alongside Getting Ahead graduates while they put into practice what they have discovered about themselves and their community.

To educate stable community members across sectors to promote the long-term health and wellness of all classes in the Wichita community.

To help place a minimum of one Getting Ahead class in EACH of the 10 poorest zip codes in Wichita for at least the next 10 years.

To surround Getting Ahead graduates with Staying Ahead options and resources right in our community for continued movement toward stability.

What is Bridges Out of Poverty?

"When people and communities are ready to address poverty… Bridges Out of Poverty champions alliances of support and helps individuals and communities that are ready to break free of poverty. Rather than create reliance, Bridges communities create new understanding, skills, resources, and motivation. As a result, Bridges is embraced by tens of thousands of people who represent hundreds of communities, six countries, and a diverse range of political, racial, economic, geographic, and other identities."

Getting Ahead

Staying Ahead

Staying Ahead is a set of resources and opportunities designed in Wichita by Wichitans to connect Getting Ahead graduates with resources, classes, navigators, and other means to help them achieve their future story and stabilize their lives. It promotes a continued connection among graduates and the Bridges program or other resources that benefit those who are actively seeking and moving toward stability.

Getting Ahead is a 16-week participant-led course that investigates barriers to stability. Participants receive a meal, free child care, and a stipend for attending. During the 16 weeks:

Investigators explore the hidden rules of class.
They learn about available resources.
They create a future plan for themselves to make a change.