The students built a bridge, literally, spanning a ravine between the school’s nature trail and the school bus parking lot. In the process they built a spiritual bridge, from suspicion to trust, and an intellectual bridge from ignorance to knowledge.

The project started soon after the day Explorer Club students grumbled about having to walk over a wide ditch to get to the nature trail. ‘‘We need a bridge,’’ someone said.

‘‘My dad builds bridges,’’ sixth-grader Dustin Moore said.