The Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program is supported by an grant from the National Institutes of Health. The program focuses on the transition of underrepresented STEM students from Baltimore City Community College and Community College of Baltimore County (Catonsville) to Towson University after the completion of their A.S. degree and provides support of these students to ensure their retention and completion of the baccalaureate program in a STEM related field. In addition to providing students with research opportunities, this program includes several ancillary components that we consider key to meeting the project goals. These include: 1) Group Meetings to foster cooperative learning and to encourage group problem solving and communication; 2) Research Seminars by a multiculturally diverse group of invited speakers to broaden the participant’s exposure to the biomedical sciences; and, 3) Classes in ethics, scientific writing and scientific presentations.