If you visit the Red Apple grocery store in Poulsbo on a Tuesday morning, you might see a group of teens and young adults wearing volunteer shirts stocking the shelves and working with the employees around the store. These young men and women are a part of North Kitsap High School’s Bridge Program for soon-to-be and recent high school graduates with special needs. The program teaches them life skills and how to live on their own.

In the classroom, they learn things about how to take care of themselves and their home, but they also go out into the community several times a week to different work placements. One of these work placements is the Red Apple Market, where they help stock shelves, clean, or put their food handlers’ cards to work by working in the deli.

The students’ time at Red Apple often starts with them taking the bus to the market as a group, helping them learn how to navigate the local bus systems and get around independently. Then they check in with store employee Kristan Stenman to find out what they will be working on that day, which they do with the help of a supervisor and their instructor. “It’s great,” said Marie Moore, who is in charge of the program, “because Red Apple is letting them work in a natural environment. Which is something we’re trying to grow.”

One of the things that makes the work placement at Red Apple unique is the students are allowed to make decisions about how to restock the shelves and how they think things ought to be arranged, an arrangement that seemingly everyone is pleased with. Stenman said, “We love having them, it’s very good for them and for us.”

In 2024, the job site portion of the bridge program changed slightly, breaking students into small groups to attend job sites based on personal interests and skills. “This system felt better for individuals in the program, businesses and customers,” Moore explained.

However, work placements aren’t the only thing the Bridge Program does for either the students or the community. Moore explained that they also work with a job coaching agency, “to make sure we are working with them the right way.” A parent and employee of Red Apple, Tasha Layton, explained that the program also helps the students get resources and whatever they need for their lives. “Our goal,” said Moore, “is to get everyone connected and teach them different skills.”

They do this by helping students make their day as meaningful as possible and helping them become and stay engaged with the community. One of the main emphases of the program is to gain independence, so each student receives an Orca card and is taught necessary skills like reading bus schedules, looking up routes, and utilizing apps to plan their trips in order to eliminate any barrier to living an independent life. That is why when the students are faced with a problem, they are often asked, “How can you fix it?” to encourage them to find ways to live and work independently after completing their secondary education. “My students are amazing and often find ways to do things I would never have imagined,” Moore said.

Red Apple has been involved with the program for two years, ever since Layton, whose son is part of the program, approached them about becoming a job site, but there are other sites located around the community that offer various experiences for the students. Town and Country in Poulsbo is their longest-running job site. They also work with Napa, Coast to Coast, Old Navy, Horse Harbor, Native Horsemanship, Fishline, Second Season, the Indianola Store, Suquamish Tribe, Valley Nursery, and First Lutheran Church.

“This program would not be possible without the support of these businesses. Them allowing us the opportunities to practice entry-level position employment skills is vital to this program,” said Moore. “If anyone would like to support our program by allowing us to take a tour of their business, school or program, or would like to partner in some way, we are open to the support! The more we can get out and experience the community around us, the more likely we are to spend time in that community after this program!”