Every Wednesday during lunch, A206 is packed with smiling students, hosting a thriving new club called Project Bridge. Colorful art decorates the walls, including a “Friendship Bridge” poster and a periodic table labeled with qualities such as “Sp” for “spontaneous” and “Ho” for “honest.” Surrounding a circle of desks in the center of the room, cheerful laughter fills the air as members socialize, and special needs students pair with general education students to collaborate on a diverse set of creative projects. 

Founded by junior and president Yashasvi Sehgal in September 2025, Project Bridge works to bring together students from the General Education and Special Education Departments. Throughout the year, special education students and general education students who volunteer to be mentors work on passion projects, such as website building, 3D printing and more.

Sehgal founded Project Bridge after moving to the United States from Canada this school year, where she previously created a similar club. Upon realizing MVHS had no equivalent, she reached out to Special Education Department Lead and adviser Ruth Seyer to establish the club.

“My little brother has autism,” Sehgal said. “He’s currently in middle school, and so I know that he doesn’t get a chance to participate in a lot of extracurriculars. I thought it’d be pretty neat if I could do something at my school, where I have the resources to build something. That way, once he gets to high school, he’ll have an established club where he can go to make friends and work on a project of his choosing.”

After coordinating with Seyer, Sehgal assembled a team of mentors, seeking out students with skills that aligned with Project Bridge’s members’ interests. Despite only being in its first year, the club has already created a strong community.

“Yash is a force of nature, and she really doesn’t take no for an answer,” Seyer said. “So she had this vision of what she wanted to do, and she had such a great plan. I thought this was a great idea, and I really do think that Project Bridge created a space for special education students that didn’t already exist, where students can learn a wide range of skills.”

Sehgal notes that Project Bridge’s low-pressure environment allows members to connect more easily. Seyer further explains that this helps foster inclusion and a sense of community among its members, while also providing a setting to learn in ways they would not encounter in a typical classroom environment.

“The biggest part is the community, not just the projects themselves,” Sehgal said. “There’s value in that you’re exploring your own interests, but more than what you’re learning academically, you gain confidence if someone’s helping you explore an interest. And the second part is the friends you make along the way: your mentor, or the other people who are doing a project with you.”

Senior and Project Bridge mentor Andrew Zorko remembers one of the originally reserved students opening up slowly over time, until they began laughing and smiling more frequently during meetings. He adds that promoting open communication helps alleviate stress, anxiety and depression, which is key to Project Bridge’s goal. 

“It’s a great thing to connect people in the Special Education Department who typically don’t have the same opportunities in the other clubs that we have at Monta Vista,” Zorko said. “For example, math and science clubs like Science Olympiad have very high expectations, and there’s a lot of rigor involved. So, we just try to make it really easy for these students to be connected and to hopefully have a fun time doing something with others.”

Additionally, Zorko notes that Project Bridge works to address stigmas surrounding the special education program by cultivating bonds between the General Education Department and the Special Education Department. In the past, Zorko has observed MVHS students ignore issues regarding the General Education Department’s attitude toward the Special Education Department, or, worse, perpetuate problems themselves. Seyer believes the bonds Project Bridge develops help counteract these negative perceptions by increasing awareness in the community. 

“The more tolerance, the more understanding the community as a whole can have, the better,” Seyer said. “I think that’s incredibly important, and that only happens when people take the time to get to know each other. We might be aware that there are folks who look different or learn differently from us, but if we actually get to know somebody on a personal basis, work with them and get to know them as a person, all of a sudden, assumptions and boundaries go away, and we see people for who they are and for the gifts that they bring to any relationship.”

Sehgal hopes to grow the club in the future, noting that potential expansion could include other schools in the district and even middle schools to increase both awareness and reach. Seyer adds that this goal aligns with the broader pattern of growth in mental health awareness at MVHS, with discussions about wellness growing more inclusive through clubs such as Project Bridge. 

“The need to continue to nurture mental health and embed that into our work as educators is very important,” Seyer said. “No matter what you teach or what aspect of work you do with students, to take that into account in a very purposeful way is an ongoing discussion that we talk much more about than we did ten years ago.”

Sehgal emphasizes that education in Project Bridge is not one-sided. Beyond mentors guiding students, she believes Project Bridge provides an opportunity for students from general education to learn from those in special education through collaboration. For instance, Sehgal notes Project Bridge has helped her refine her leadership and management skills. 

“I’m amazed by everything that they do,” Sehgal said. “They have so many cool interests. For example, one member can name what weather event is in the Atlantic right now and how many miles away it is. Plus, they built a lot of cool things like AI vibe-coding, stuff that I had no idea my club would be doing. When I first started out, I thought we would probably do some art projects or card games, and now we’re working on a fairly tech-heavy project, which I found is really interesting.”

Zorko adds that he has also found inspiration through witnessing the happiness that Project Bridge brings to its members.

“Seeing the smiles on the faces of all the students who come to Project Bridge is the single greatest motivator that drives my passion for the club,” Zorko said. “Seeing how the students come in on the first day compared to now, and when they just laugh and have fun with their mentors, just gives you a greater level of happiness for having done something good for other people in an impactful way.”