The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) proposes a Bridges to the Future partnership with El Paso Community College to increase the number of minority students, primarily Mexican American students, successfully making the transition to university programs in the biomedical sciences, specifically biology and chemistry. The proposed project will provide additional support for and expansion of an EPCC-to-UTEP,community college summer bridge program in science and engineering offered since 1990 and funded through UTEP's National Science Foundation supported Comprehensive Regional Center for Minorities (CRCM) and a Department of Energy grant. The new Bridges to the Future program will expand the current summer bridge by: providing mentoring and support to minority students from the time of their enrollment at EPCC through their first year at UTEP; enhancing opportunities for EPCC students and faculty to participate in ongoing research programs in UTEP's biology and chemistry departments; providing support for EPCC students to take classes at UTEP; and encouraging EPCC students and faculty to participate in University-sponsored seminars and colloquia.