Information for Families

Welcome parents and family members!

We appreciate your interest in Princeton University’s Novogratz Bridge Year Program. Bridge Year offers a truly innovative approach to learning, one that is more experiential and more profoundly transformational than anything most of our entering students will have encountered in their high school years. For participants, the rewards of Bridge Year are wide-ranging. By working collaboratively with and for others in an international context, students acquire language skills, life experience, greater global perspective, and self-awareness, along with a much deeper understanding of how to respond to community concerns, both locally and globally.

We encourage you to explore our website to learn more about Bridge Year. If you have any questions at all, do not hesitate to reach out to our office

Frequently Asked Questions

“Caroline’s year in the Novogratz Bridge Year Program was truly extraordinary. The leaders, the homestays, the service work, and the visits to fascinating sites and organizations – combined with countless day-to-day experiences and interactions – created an environment that made her more mature, confident, and self-aware. It was like no other experience we could imagine.”

– Elizabeth and John Castleman, parents of Caroline Castleman '20 (Bridge Year India)

“After being away from home for nine months immersed in the Senegalese culture, Jackson developed a remarkable worldwide perspective and grew passionate about traveling, exploring other cultures, and the importance of service. We were originally very nervous, but because of Princeton’s amazing approach to the program, we were quickly reassured.”  

-- Jeff and Laurie Salter, parents of Jackson Salter '17 (Bridge Year Senegal)