Founders and Administration of Bridges Community Academy

Founders and Administration of
Bridges Community Academy

Dona Kaufman and Judy Back are the co-founders of Bridges Community Academy established in 2004.   They have been administrators of this “gifted/individualized” charter school for the past 6 ½ years.

Dona has been in education for the past 32 years. She taught junior high students for over half of her career in teaching. After 16 years of teaching Dona worked as a Graduate Assistant for Dr. Tom Southern at BGSU and received her master’s degree in Gifted Education. She was then a Gifted Education Coordinator for North Central Ohio Educational Service Center for 5 years. She also earned her administrative licensure at Findlay University in 2002. In 2004 she became the Director of BCA.

Judy has been in education for the past 18 years. She was a Gifted Intervention Specialist for twelve years for the North Central Ohio Educational Service Center. She attended Bowling Green State University to receive her masters in Gifted Education.  Judy later became a Gifted Coordinator and attended Findlay University to work on an administrative licensure. In 2004 she became the Director of Academics at BCA.
Judy has been involved with Ohio Association of Gifted Children as a regional representative, then President-elect and President over the past 10 years. She has assisted OAGC with their involvement in the NAGC convention and was instrumental in defining OAGC’s restructuring.
Dona has served on the Executive Committee and Governing Board as 2nd Vice-President of OAGC.  She is also the author of a book about meeting the needs of gifted children, My Child is Very Special.

Together, Dona and Judy have worked together to present their knowledge to parents and educators at OAGC, COCG, NWOCCG, OCQE and OAPCS  conferences, and have also provided many district staff in-services.

Dona and Judy’s passion has always been to educate others about the needs of gifted children and to help provide appropriate educational opportunities for every individual child.   If you are reading this webpage then they hope you have learned what BCA is all about.  They are compassionate, yet strong leaders and they have had the ability to promote teamwork that has turned brainpower and a few dreams into reality. The evidence of their assets and their passions are in the accomplishments of the staff, students and families of Bridges Community Academy.