Bridges From School to Work Inc.

Transforming lives through the power of a job.

Established by the Marriott family in 1989. 24,100+ young adults with disabilities placed into real jobs across 12 U.S. cities.

A national workforce partner serving young adults with disabilities, and the schools, employers, families, and funders who make their careers possible.

Every year, young people with disabilities leave high school ready to work and face an economy that too often shuts them out. In 1989, Richard E. Marriott (chairman of Host Hotels and Resorts, and a son of Marriott company founders J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott) helped lead the creation of Bridges from School to Work to answer that. The first placements began the following year.

Mr. Marriott remains closely involved today, visiting Bridges offices and hosting the organization’s annual gala in Washington, DC.

Bridges’ approach hasn’t fundamentally changed in 37+ years. We prepare young adults with disabilities for the workplace. We place them with employers ready to hire. And we stay involved after hire with structured onboarding and retention support. Better outcomes for young adults. A more reliable entry-level pipeline for employers.