Who We Are

The philosophy of The Bridge is based upon the Word of Gid and rooted in the firm belief that students are unique individuals, created in the image of God, and therefore, capable of self-learning once shown how. Students are not containers into whom we pour knowledge. Instead, they are filled by the Creator with unique abilities and interests that influence how and what they learn.

Parents hold the ultimate authority in directing the education of their children. Considering this, we at The Bridge strongly urge parents to seek God for an understanding of their child’s calling. When families aim to understand a child’s passion and purpose before high school, they can better prepare the child for the great things God has planned. The Word is used for evaluating truth, for determining practices, and as the sole authority of the contents of our curriculum. Our goal is to teach a Biblical Worldview for a lifetime of service to the Lord within a school environment of academic excellence. The Holy Spirit uses the Word through the entire educational process to cultivate the student’s fellowship with God and to develop his/her identity in Christ.

Our mission is to partner with families in achieving their academic goals by providing a high standard of excellence in accountability. Our staff has over 80 years of combined homeschooling experience. We have assisted families in every stage of homeschooling, so no matter where you are in your journey, we are confident that we can assist, support, and encourage you. We provide a Christ-honoring environment where families can look forward to healthy social interaction with teachers and peers. Our classes are designed to support families in those efforts, and to strengthen our families by reflecting Biblical standards in our homes, as established in Ephesians 5:21-33. We are endeavoring to raise-up our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4) through Godly instruction in these four primary areas: spiritual training, character development, academics, and practical life skills. Believing that children are a blessing from the Lord (Psalm 127:3), and that it is both our privilege and responsibility to train our children in the ways of God, we at The Bridge are committed to assisting one another with these responsibilities.

The Bridge Academy is more than just a collection of classes for our children.  While this is an important part of our purpose for gathering, it is not the overarching goal.  The goal is to build relationships with one another and develop authentic community. Through The Bridge Academy, God has given us the gifts of friendships and support as we travel this path of homeschooling. We love seeing both kids and parents/guardians making connections, finding support or bonding in prayer.  In every classroom, teachers share their passions from the arts to sciences, mathematics to literature, while also sharing the love of Jesus to all. Real life occurs in our midst and real answers are given through our Creator.

Our Tri-fold Ministry

Through our tri-fold ministry we are able to assist families in all aspects of homeschooling. Each ministry program operates independently but all three are available for all families.

Private school

Our private school allows families to continue homeschooling with the added assurance and accountability of The Bridge’s covering. We work with parents to create or to fine-tune their homeschool program while providing a private school covering. We strive to give parents peace of mind while encouraging and assisting them in their homeschool endeavors. 

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Academy Classes

Our Academy Classes allow families the opportunities for their students to interact with other homeschoolers in a classroom setting. We are a co-op style program with parent teachers and also bring in inspiring teachers from our community. Our classes range from core academic classes to elective classes. Students can take as many classes as they desire, all in a Christ-honoring environment.

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Support Group

Our support group allows parents and families to come together and encourage one another. Parents can find answers to questions they have, encouragement they need, and assistance from other home educating families. Our support group offers quarterly events for parents and/or families. In the past we have had speakers such as Pam Tebow and Steve Demme. 

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Our Staff

Lynne Hartshorn

Founder & Support Director

Maria White

Private School & Administrative Director

Melinda Brown

Elementary Classes Director

Shelby Shaw

Middle/High School Academy Classes Director

Statement of Faith

Vision Statement
The Bridge Academy Classes purposes to train students, in cooperation with their families and their local church, to know, worship and obey God, love people, equip believers, build leaders, and build authentic community.

Statement of Faith
The Bridge’s statement of faith is based on the Fourteen Historical Beliefs of the Christian Faith; it is a confession of worship that forms us as the people of God and draws us together into the life of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These beliefs are:

  1. We believe the Bible is the Holy Word of God. It is inspired, infallible, and inerrant. (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13)
  2. We believe in the omnipotent, omniscient, and eternal God of creation, existing in three persons. (John 1:1-14, Colossians 2:8-9)
  3. We believe that Jesus Christ is God’s Only Son. (John 3:16; Colossians 1:17; Isaiah 7:14)
  4. We believe in the Holy Spirit. (John 14:16-26; 16 7-11)
  5. We believe that all people are sinners (Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:23; Ephesians 2:1-4)
  6. We believe that salvation is available to all through Jesus Christ alone. It is a gift from God and not a result of any human efforts. (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10)
  7. We believe in the reality of Heaven. (Revelation 21:10-17; Hebrews 12:22-24)
  8. We believe in the reality of Hell. (Revelation 20:11-15; Matthew 25:41; Mark 9:43)
  9. We believe in the reality of Satan. (2 Corinthians 11:14; Isaiah 14:12-17)
  10. We believe that Christians have the Holy Spirit living in them, empowering and enabling them to be what God created them to be. (Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 5:18; Acts 1:8)
  11. We believe in the local Church. (Acts 2:41-47; Matthew 16:18; Hebrews 10:25)
  12. We believe that Baptism and Communion are Church ordinances but are not required for salvation. (Romans 6:1-5; 1 Corinthians 11:23-24)
  13. We believe in giving back to the Lord. (Luke 6:38; Malachi 3:10; Leviticus 27:30)
  14. We believe in local and world evangelism. (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Acts 1:8)

We, at The Bridge Sarasota, are persuaded that faithfulness in our generation means declaring once again the truth of God’s word, what it says about the world and of our place in it—particularly as male and female. It is The Bridge Sarasota’s deeply held religious belief that God has provided boundaries for the expression of human sexuality. We believe that human gender is assigned by God at birth and that birth gender cannot be changed (Gen. 1:27; 5:2; Ps. 100:3; 139:13-14; Matt. 19:4). Further, we believe that marriage is only between one man and one woman. According to the Scriptures, we uphold the principles of sexual abstinence among the unmarried (1 Cor. 6:18) and the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman (Heb. 13:4). Therefore, it is our firmly held belief that Scripture condemns all forms of sexual immorality such as pre-marital sex, adultery, cross-dressing, homosexual behavior, pornography, and all other sexual relations outside the bounds of monogamous marriage between one man and one woman (Deut. 22:5; Matt. 5:27-28; Rom. 1:21-27; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; Gen. 2:24; Eph. 5:31).

We are a 501(c)3 organization.  The Bridge Sarasota admits students of any race, color, and national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.