Bridge for Youth

The ACBL School Bridge Lesson Series program is designed to help you bring the joy of bridge to youth. More than 4000 youngsters participate each year in schools throughout North America. The fully funded program is sponsored by the ACBL and includes teacher stipends and free textbooks.

— Attention School Bridge Teachers —

School Bridge Class Guidelines

ACBL will provide Bidding in the 21st Century textbooks, cards, t-shirts, trophies, and certificates for your youth bridge classes. Stipends are also available for qualifying classes.

Guidelines to receive books, cards, t-shirts and trophies for your classes are as follows:

• Students must be under 26 years of age.
• Students who have graduated from high school must be enrolled full-time at a four-year college.
• Teach at least four students (we recommend starting all classes with 12+ students).
• Do not charge the students for your time.
  (Note: If you wish to provide a special field trip, meal, or any other kind of event, you may charge the students a nominal fee for this.)

In order to receive a $350 (US) teaching stipend for your class you must also:

• Register your school bridge classes in advance with the ACBL Education Department. All classes must be registered even if supplies for the class are not needed. Stipends will not be paid for classes that haven't been registered in advance.
• Have at least eight students graduate from your class.
• Have taught at least 16 total hours.
• Total amount of teaching stipend and money received from other sources shall not exceed $500 (US)

Please note that teachers will be paid for a maximum of five classes per session (spring/summer and fall). If you start a class in the fall and it doesn’t finish until spring of the next year, it will be considered a spring/summer class.

To receive the $500 Mahaffey Scholarship for teaching a school bridge class in addition to the above requirements:

• You must be a high school senior or college student (under age 26)
• You must provide the ACBL Education Department with:
  
  • The name of the college where you want your scholarship sent.
  • Proper department at the college where your scholarship should be sent.
  • Mailing address of the college to which you want your scholarship paid.
  • Your student ID number at the college to which you want your scholarship paid.
  
  (Note: This information may be sent at a later date if you do not know where you will be attending college.)

Teaching Bridge to Youth?

If you are currently teaching the game of bridge to youth, or interested in youth bridge efforts, and would like to stay current on the status of the American Contract Bridge League’s efforts to increase the participation of youth and junior players, the ACBL youth website, the ACBL Youth NABC, the ACBL Youth and Junior Divisions – and more –then, complete the Registration form here.

Publicity Release Form for Minors

Click here to print out a Publicity Release Form for minors.

Youth Bridge

So you want to get young people interested in Bridge?

Read "A Whole New Deal" by Patty Tucker, President of Atlanta Junior Bridge.

Bridge Makes You Smarter

The evidence is in from a three-year study of bridge students and test scores in schools. Read the results.

Free School Bridge Packet

Do you want to start a school bridge class but are not sure about how to do it? The ACBL Education Department has a free School Bridge Packet that you may request. It will help you by giving you information about our program for the purpose of introducing it to schools. Request your School Bridge Packet today or call 662-253-3161.

Summer Camps

Summer camp organizers can deal in bridge to their activity schedule with new programs designed by the ACBL. Some teachers also are organizing day camps at local clubs and other locations.
Adventures in Bridge Camp Flyer.
Basic Approach to Finding and Starting Bridge Camps in Your Area.

Teacher Manual

The School Bridge Lesson Series Teacher Manual developed by world champion Kitty Cooper is available online or you may order a hard copy by e-mailing education@acbl.org.

Mini Bridge Practice

Mini Bridge is bridge without the bidding. It’s a great way for your students to practice their play. A free MiniBridge program is available from Blue Chip Bridge in the United Kingdom, where Mini Bridge has been popularized in the school system. Download here.

$5 School Lesson Membership

Students under the age of 19 who are graduates of or enrolled in a School Bridge Lesson Series program course may join the ACBL for just $5 per year. They receive the ACBL’s new member packet. They are eligible for all Junior events and scholarships, and their masterpoints will be recorded. They do not receive the Bridge Bulletin magazine.

Student Comments about Bridge

You might find it interesting to read what Earlye Lee Miller's students had to say about playing bridge. Click here.

'Bridge:  A Path to Math' has been Released!

The 9 week curriculum created for Middle School classrooms is complete and available online.  In a cooperative venture, Atlanta Junior Bridge and Bridge at Schools are working to make bridge the enrichment curriculum of choice for students, teachers and schools in North America. Teaching assistance, supplies and coaches stipends for school teachers who form bridge clubs may be available. Please contact Atlanta Junior Bridge, Patty Tucker at patty@atlantajuniorbridge.org for teaching assistance and supplies.  Please contact Bridge at Schools, Barbara Heller at www.bridgeatschools.org for information concerning the requirements to apply to receive a coaches stipend. Use this link to download the entire book or to download the material a lesson at a time: http://www.btfy.org/lessons.htm