At Lower Moreland High School, an exciting new initiative is reshaping how incoming freshmen are welcomed into the school community, and it all started with five students who didn’t even know each other.
Last fall, Dr. Jamie Lincow, department chair for world languages at Lower Moreland and a teacher at the school for 23 years, was approached by school administrators with a unique opportunity: to accompany a small group of students to the Dreaming Forward Program hosted by the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit (MCIU).
“Our administration selected a cross-section of five students, boys and girls from all four grades at Lower Moreland High School, who didn’t previously know each other,” said Dr. Lincow.
Approximately 10 to 15 different school districts from across Montgomery County took part in this Dreaming Forward Program. “The goal of the program was to help students from each school district to build connections, share their personal journeys, and ultimately bring that sense of belonging back to our district,” described Dr. Lincow.
Throughout the year, student participants, known as “Dreamers,”attended four full-day sessions at the MCIU. The program encouraged students to share their stories; where they came from, what shaped them, and how they found their place within their school community.
“They talked about culture, ethnicity, their path to their high school, whether they were transfers, English language learners, or just trying to find a sense of belonging,” Dr. Lincow explained. “By the end, they weren’t just telling their stories, they were listening to each other and making real connections, even exchanging Snapchats and emails with students from other districts.”
The final goal of this program was for students to think about what their school did well and what they would like to see changed, altered, or enhanced.
The program inspired the five Dreamers at Lower Moreland High School to establish what is now called The Bridge Initiative, a student-led mentorship program aimed at supporting freshmen as they transition into their high school.
Charged with bringing their experience back to Lower Moreland, the students identified a need that resonated deeply with all of them: creating a stronger bridge between middle school and high school.
“They wanted freshmen to walk into the high school building on day one and already feel like they belonged, " explained Dr. Lincow. That’s how the Bridge Initiative was born,”
The name itself came from one of the students, inspired by the literal walkway connecting Lower Moreland’s old high school, now the middle school, to the current high school building. But the symbolism went deeper.
“They wanted to bridge the gap, not just physically, but emotionally and socially, between students,” Dr. Lincow said. “The idea was to create small groups where incoming freshmen would be paired with mentors from older grades who could help them navigate everything from extracurricular activities to midterms.”
With the concept in place, Dr. Lincow and the Dreamers met with Principal Bill Miles, who immediately recognized the value of the initiative.
“When the students explained the project, you could see how passionate they were,” said Dr. Lincow, who became the school facilitator of this initiative. “They had a clear vision, and Mr. Miles was incredibly supportive. He sat down with us multiple times to listen and help move the idea forward.”
From there, momentum snowballed. The Dreamers worked with middle school principal Jen Dilks to create a Google form for all eighth graders to fill out, asking about their interests, favorite classes, and extracurricular goals, and rising freshmen enthusiastically completed it.
Meanwhile, the Dreamers designed flyers with QR codes linking to a mentor application form and spread the word across the high school. The response was overwhelming.
“Our original goal was to recruit about 60 mentors,” Dr. Lincow shared. “We ended up with over 120 students signing up. That tells you this idea resonated with our student body. They saw the need because they had felt it themselves as freshmen.”
Recognizing the importance of proper preparation, Dr. Lincow and the Dreamers sought support from MCIU once more. This time, they asked for help in developing mentor training materials. MCIU responded by creating a two-hour asynchronous virtual course complete with videos, reflection questions, and leadership development strategies.
“It’s not just for this initiative,” added Dr. Lincow. “The course can be used to train any student leaders, such as team captains, club officers, anyone in a mentorship or leadership position in our school district.”
With support from the district’s new assistant superintendent, the course went live. The next step is to ensure every mentor completes the training and to begin the careful process of pairing each freshman with mentors who share similar interests.
“It’s like creating little families within the school,” said Dr. Lincow. “If a student is interested in band, they’ll have a mentor in band. If they’re on the cross-country team, they’ll be paired with someone who knows that experience. These connections are meaningful and lasting.”
Beyond the logistics, what stands out most is the leadership and growth shown by the Dreamers themselves.
“They’ve learned how to organize, communicate, and lead,” said Dr. Lincow. “They created the forms, the promotional materials, and they even made a video for the school news to advertise the mentorship opportunity. I’ve been there to support them, but they’ve truly taken ownership of the initiative.”
The impact of Dreaming Forward on Lower Moreland’s students and staff has been transformative. What started as a regional program on community building has become a district-wide initiative rooted in empathy, leadership, and inclusivity.
“It’s amazing to see what can happen when students are given a voice and their voices are heard,” said Dr. Lincow. “We’re not just checking a box. We’re taking their ideas and implementing them in a way that can help hundreds of students feel seen and supported.”
Looking ahead, the Bridge Initiative is poised to make a powerful difference when the new school year begins. Freshmen will have friendly faces waiting for them, ready to help them feel at home.
“That was really the impetus,” Dr. Lincow said. “To create a sense of community from day one because walking into high school can be intimidating, even if it’s just across a walkway.”
Thanks to the Dreamers, the Bridge Initiative is more than a program; it’s a promise. A promise that every student belongs.
