Summer Bridge, a 2-week, non-credit program of intensive career exploration and personal development offered to eligible freshmen at Alvin Community College, was instituted to enhance retention rates and achievement levels among high-risk students, particularly during their first semester at the college. The rationale for the program lay in the high dropout rate of disadvantaged students and the low grade point averages (GPA's) of persisters who did not receive support services. The program, designed to meet students' needs for early intervention, a positive, program-affiliated identity, and career goal-setting, focuses on specific objectives in the areas of human development, career exploration, and college survival skills. Participants are identified and recruited by admissions and counseling personnel on the basis of academic or economic disadvantage, or long absence from a school environment. Institutional support and credibility are ensured by inviting personnel from virtually every area of the college to participate in some aspect of the program, with an instructor/coordinator provided for every 7 to l5 students. Program outcomes have included successful completion of the first semester by all participants and the achievement of a GPA of at least 2.0 by 80% of the students. Among the benefits to the college have been cost savings due to higher retention rates and improved relations with the community. (HB)