TEACHERS’ LOUNGE CSS

Teachers’ Lounge

Are you a bridge teacher? This is your spot for resources, certification workshops, advertising support, recruiting incentives and more!

Teaching Profiles
If you have not created your Teacher Profile (or updated recently) make sure you do that so prospective students can find you.
Note: If you don’t yet have a recognized teaching certification, please complete the Teaching Experience Verification form so we can activate your Teacher Profile once submitted.


Teaching Programs

The ACBL School Bridge Program

The ACBL School Bridge Program is designed to help you bring the joy of bridge to youth. More than 4000 youngsters participate each year in schools throughout North America. The program is sponsored by the ACBL and includes teacher stipends and free textbooks.

Teacher Guidelines Teacher GuidelinesAvailable Materials Available MaterialsOrder School Bridge Supplies Order School Bridge SuppliesTeacher Stipend Request Form Teacher Stipend Request Form

ACBL Lifelong Learning Program

The ACBL’s Lifelong Learning Program is designed to introduce the game of bridge to adults age 50 or older through continuing education programs offered through colleges or universities. Sponsored by the ACBL, this program includes teacher stipends, textbooks and other materials for your classes.

Teacher Guidelines Teacher GuidelinesAvailable Materials Available MaterialsOrder Lifelong Learning Supplies Order Lifelong Learning SuppliesTeacher Stipend Request Form Teacher Stipend Request Form

Collegiate Initiative

Want to coach a college team? We’ll fund you!

Teachers'_lounge_CIThe ACBL Educational Foundation and the American Contract Bridge League are partnering to grow bridge on college campuses. We want to bring the joy and benefits of bridge to more schools and students. We’ll help with bridge supplies, coaching stipends and free ACBL first year Junior Memberships.

Work with a team of faculty, students and administrators interested in hosting a college bridge club or team. The coach may also be a local volunteer.

Questions or suggestions? Contact us at college@acbl.org.

Coaching Program

ACBL can provide a bridge kit with cards, bidding boxes, boards, instructor materials, etc., as the program starts.

Receive a stipend of $350 at the end of each semester (annual total = $700), after a brief progress report is approved.

Aim at recruiting 10 students in the first three months. All participants should be ACBL members (we’ll refund the membership fee for new members age 25 and under).

Identify student leaders to assist with club formation, recruitment and scheduling.

Sponsors

ACBL district and unit members, alumni, teachers and all other bridge enthusiasts can help by recruiting a coach or faculty advisor, or supporting the college team/club with:

  • Mentoring
  • Bridge workshops
  • Hosting games (bring pizza!)
  • Fundraising
Available Materials Available Materials
Order College Bridge Supplies Order College Bridge Supplies

teacher_materials
ACBL Teaching Materials

NEW The ACBL Intro to Bridge Series

Using a discovery-based learning approach in line with best practices for in-person classes, the ACBL Intro to Bridge Series consists of 2 class series designed to equip students with a simple, starting framework for bidding and play .

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Classes are 2 hours with 35-40 minutes of teacher-led instruction and 80-85 minutes of student-centered activities including 30 minutes of play at the end. Series 1 has 10 classes and Series 2, coming Fall 2023, has 10 classes.

For each Series, there is a student manual including all concepts, charts, examples and activities. The manual can be downloaded and printed one class at a time or purchased as a complete Series 1 or Series 2 manual on Amazon. It is also a curriculum option through our school bridge, college, and lifelong learning programs.

For the teacher, each class has downloadable, digital files for a Teacher Outline and PowerPoint slides. Most of the classes also include topical hands which are included in the appendix of the Teacher Outline and provided as a PBN file. In addition, there are shareable links to class videos for teacher prep, classroom use, as well as for student review and/or makeup.

ABTA Master Teachers and ACBL Best Practices Teachers have earned the right to use the program automatically with their certification. Experienced bridge teachers, who are ACBL members, can also request complimentary usage rights.

Request Access Access Materials*

*To download the materials everyone must first request access. Teachers who do not have Best Practices or ABTA Master Teacher certification will also be required to provide information on their teaching credentials and/or experience.

If you need assistance please contact education@acbl.org

The ACBL Bridge Series

Using a “hands-on” approach, the ACBL Bridge Series consists of a progression of five courses, each focusing on a different aspect of the game and bringing the students from absolute beginners through to the point where they can confidently play in any bridge game.

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Each course is designed for eight two-hour lessons. Depending on circumstances, the teacher can choose to shorten or lengthen both the number of lessons and the time per session (although it is never recommended to go beyond two hours in a single session). Each lesson is designed to be approximately 50% discussion and 50% play. In the later series, the emphasis swings even more toward play.

For each series, there is a student text that covers all of the concepts discussed in the lesson and provides additional examples. It also covers all of the activities (exercises and sample hands) discussed during the class so that the students can review them later.

For the teacher, there is a Teacher’s Manual for each series showing in detail how to present all of the material and what points should be emphasised during each activity. There is also a set of E-Z Deal cards for each series, which make it easy for the teacher, or the students, to deal out each of the lesson hands.

Click the course links below to download corresponding PDF textbooks for free. You can also purchase any of these materials at Baron Barclay Bridge Supply.

The Play Courses

Since the basic approach to the learning process is to provide students with an opportunity to play and practice whenever possible, a series of supervised play sessions were created. The Play Courses will also provide a break between lesson series. Teachers may consider scheduling three or four lesson series per year, starting at the classic times: in the fall, after the kids go back to school; in January, after the holiday season; in the spring, just in time for summer; during the summer holidays. In the interim, supervised play sessions keep the level of interest up.

Play Course Lessons Play Course Lessons


Teacher Certifications
Upon completion of any of the programs below, teachers will be recognized as certified by the ACBL* and receive these benefits:

*We also recognize ABTA Members including Master Teachers, and teachers accredited through the former ACBL TAP program.
ACBL Best Practices ACBL Best Practices ACBL Online Teacher Certification ACBL Online Teacher Certification Better Bridge Better Bridge Learn Bridge in a Day! Learn Bridge in a Day! EasyBridge! EasyBridge!

Resources

Convention Cards

CONVENTION CARDS

ACBL Convention Card: Download a PDF file and print a blank card. You may also save the file to your computer and edit this card for your personal use.
ACBL “Fat Free” Convention Card: Download a completed card with a basic system for you.
Basic 2 over 1 Convention Card: From Larry Cohen’s Conventional Wisdom Lite series featured in the ACBL Bridge Bulletin. Download the completed card. To view the Conventional Wisdom Lite series, click here.
Bridge Bulletin Standard Bridge Bulletin Standard
Standard American Yellow Card (SAYC): Download a PDF of the card as well as full instructions for using this popular convention card in single-page format or paginated format. A Spanish version of the instructions is available at Bridgear.com.

Articles, Lessons & Posters

Templates

Table Cards Table CardsTable Cards with Hands Table Cards with HandsBusiness Card Templates Business Card Templates
Boost Face-to-Face Bridge Initiative
Offering an in-person, beginning bridge course? We help expand your advertising. You contact the leads.
Boost is a joint initiative of ACBL and the ACBL Educational Foundation designed to support a return to face-to-face bridge by running social media ad campaigns for eligible teachers to generate leads and ‘boost’ their enrollment. There is no cost to participate but Boost participants must commit to contact all leads provided, complete tracking reports on outcomes, sign up students as ACBL Guest Members and coordinate with a local in-person club to offer level-appropriate play opportunities. Note: Teachers cannot take advantage of both Boost and CAP for the same course.
Boost Program Details

Boost Program Details

This program generates prospective student leads for already scheduled courses. The leads are generated through Facebook and Instagram ads, based on each teacher’s specific course start date and location. Teachers are required to follow-up with all leads and report their progress, as well as promote ACBL Guest Membership and make every effort to sign up all students; and coordinate with their local, in-person club to offer newcomer play opportunities to connect students to their local bridge community.

Boost will not fill a class. It is designed to augment your current marketing approaches and “boost” your enrollment.

Considerations for Participation

  • Prospective Audience – 1 campaign per market; fair representation of all districts (Note: some markets are too small)
  • Teacher Experience – years teaching, number of beginner classes taught, recommendations, certifications, etc.
  • Club Connection – partnered with a local club to offer MP-earning opportunities at the right level for beginning students
  • Membership Recruitment – willingness to signup all students as Guest Members

 
Criteria for Eligible Courses

  • Level is newcomer or beginner
  • 6+ classes with 9+ hours instruction; 2 courses can be linked to meet requirement (e.g., LBIAD + follow-on course) – cannot be supervised play
  • Course is not FREE (students must pay for the course)
  • Course is already on the calendar with a confirmed location, dates and times

Applications must be submitted a minimum of 6 weeks before the course start date to be considered.

Boost Teacher Application

Cooperative Advertising Program

CAP/Facebook Ads

You do the advertising. We’ll help pay!

The Cooperative Advertising Program (CAP) partially reimburses bridge teachers, club, units and districts for advertising expenses so long as they promote programs and lessons designed for bridge newcomers and/or to recruit ACBL members. CAP will refund 50% of eligible advertising costs with a maximum amount of $500. Qualifying advertisements must be date-specific and use approved ACBL logos. Note: Teachers cannot take advantage of both Boost and CAP for the same course.
Cooperative Advertising Program Details
Cooperative Advertising Program
ACBL reserves the right to refuse reimbursement for any reason for CAP submissions. Submissions by a person who has any ownership, management or conflict of interest in the media outlet in which they are advertising (e.g. personal websites, online and print publications) will not be approved for CAP reimbursement.
CAP Reimbursement Form
CAP Guidelines & Requirements
Eligible Media
Pre-Approval & Submission
CAP Request Checklist
Ad Templates Ad TemplatesLogos LogosClip Art Clip Art

Facebook Ads Webinar

Recruiter Incentives

ACBL Recruiter

Up to $30 for each new member

ACBL recruiters keep bridge thriving, and we want to show our appreciation. With our new Recruitment Incentives, we’ll award up to US$30 for each new member a registered recruiter brings to the ACBL!

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Bigger bonuses paid more quickly

Under this new reward initiative, recruiters receive a US$10 bonus for each new ACBL member*, plus US$10 more when the member renews after the first year, and another US$10 if the member renews a second time. (Accordingly, a new three-year membership pays a one-time US$30 bonus.)At least twice a year, we’ll issue a check for the recruitment incentives balance.

* Incentives are not available for recruiting junior (under 26).

Who are our recruiters?

Teachers, Club Managers and active Club Directors are automatically registered as recruiters. In order to have the monetary incentives credited to their account, recruiters need to ensure that their member number is entered in the New Member Application form (either online or printed forms).

We depend on our recruiters to promote bridge at the local level as we work to serve all members. Together we can ensure a bright future for the game. —Joseph Jones, ACBL Executive Director

ACBL’s previous incentives will be gradually phased out (check the FAQ, question 4), so ACBL recruiters will be eligible to receive both incentive rewards for a certain period! Note that the upgraded club championship game awarded to recruiting clubs for every 10 new members is still available.

Questions or suggestions? Please contact us at recruiter@acbl.org.

Recruiter FAQ