For most high schools, the solution to setting students up for success has been to focus on heavy academic support right from the beginning. At South Bronx Community Charter High School, a start-up school entering its fourth year, we chose a different type of support based on research in higher education institutions revealing the link between long-term academic achievement and a students’ sense of belonging. We redesigned our one week Summer Bridge Orientation to focus solely on social and emotional support, building community through activities and a final project that would promote shared vulnerability and self-expression with a trauma-informed lens.