Breakthrough Collaborative (formerly Summerbridge National) is the umbrella organization of a collaborative of programs across the United States that aim to effect positive change in

urban Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of people ...

schools.

About

Breakthrough offers high-potential, under-served

middle school Middle school, also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school, is an educational stage between primary school and secondary school. Afghanistan In Afghanistan, middle school includes g ...

students the opportunity to participate in rigorous academic enrichment programs throughout the summer and school year. Students make a commitment to participate in the program through middle school and high school and in turn, Breakthrough provides many services to students and their families, ranging from academic enrichment to one-on-one tutoring to

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

and

college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') may be a tertiary educational institution (sometimes awarding degrees), part of a collegiate university, an institution offering vocational education, a further education institution, or a secondary sc ...

preparation. Additionally, all Breakthrough classes are taught by talented, high-achieving high school and college students from around the country who are interested in the field of education. Through the teacher development program offered by Breakthrough, these young educators become potential candidates for professional teaching and educational leadership positions after college. Teaching at Breakthrough has been named a Top Ten Internship in America by the

Princeton Review The Princeton Review is an education services company providing tutoring, test preparation and admission resources for students. It was founded in 1981, and since that time has worked with over 400 million students. Services are delivered by 4,0 ...

, as well as other prestigious national organizations, and a 1999

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

report stated that "72% f Breakthrough teacherswent on to work in other educationally related careers or internships after teaching at a Breakthrough site."

History

Breakthrough was founded in 1978 by Lois Loofbourrow at

San Francisco University High School San Francisco University High School is a private college preparatory high school located in San Francisco, California. The school was opened in 1975. Facilities and campus The school is made up of four buildings, commonly referred to as Upper ...

. Since then, numerous sites have opened, all in various sized urban areas. The sites are joined together under the umbrella organization, Breakthrough Collaborative, based in San Francisco. Sites function either through public-private partnerships with an independent educational institution or maintain their own 501(c)3 status. Since its inception in 1978, Breakthrough programs around the world have generated thousands of student and teacher alums. In 2003, the Summerbridge/Breakthrough Alumni Network or SBAN was formed through the efforts of alumni. In March 2006, the 22 host schools of Breakthrough programs were awarded the Klingenstein Leadership Award by the Klingenstein Center at

Teachers College, Columbia University Teachers College, Columbia University (TC) is the graduate school of education affiliated with Columbia University, a private research university in New York City. Founded in 1887, Teachers College has been a part of Columbia University since ...

. Breaking from the tradition of giving this prestigious award to an individual, 26 independent schools received the 2006 award. Past recipients include William Durden,

Diane Ravitch Diane Silvers Ravitch (born July 1, 1938) is a historian of education, an educational policy analyst, and a research professor at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Previously, she was a U.S. ...

, Robert Coles, and

Howard Gardner Howard Earl Gardner (born July 11, 1943) is an American developmental psychologist and the John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Research Professor of Cognition and Education at Harvard University. He was a founding member of Harvard Project Zero in 1967 ...

. In 2007, the Johns Hopkins University Center for Summer Learning awarded Breakthrough Collaborative and its affiliate site in Pittsburgh, with the Excellence in Summer Learning Award for exemplary mission, performance, and infrastructure in out-of-school academic support.

List of Breakthrough programs

Breakthrough programs are offered in the following locations: * Breakthrough Atlanta,

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

(at

The Lovett School The Lovett School is a coeducational kindergarten through twelfth grade independent school located in north Atlanta, Georgia, United States. History In September 1926, Eva Edwards Lovett, an educator who emphasized the development of the whole ...

) * Breakthrough Central Texas,

Austin Austin refers to: Common meanings * Austin, Texas, United States, a city * Austin (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin (surname), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin Motor Company, a British car manufac ...

( Austin ISD students at

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public university, public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 stud ...

and at St Andrews Episcopal School, Manor Independent School District students at a Manor ISD campus) * Breakthrough Birmingham,

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

(at Hayes K-8 School) * Breakthrough Greater Boston,

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

and

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

(at

Cambridge Rindge and Latin School The Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, also known as "CRLS" or "Rindge", is a public high school in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. It is a part of the Cambridge Public School District. In 1977, two separate schools, Rindge Technical Sc ...

) * Breakthrough Cincinnati,

Cincinnati, OH Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of whic ...

(at

Cincinnati Country Day School Cincinnati Country Day School (abbreviated CCDS) is a private, coeducational, independent school located in Indian Hill, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati. History Cincinnati Country Day School was founded in 1926 and was inspired by the Country Da ...

and

University of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati, informally Cincy) is a public university, public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1819 and had an enrollment of over 53,000 students in 2024, making it the ...

) * Breakthrough Kent Denver,

Denver, CO Denver ( ) is a consolidated city and county, the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. It is located in the Western United States, in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains east of ...

(at Kent Denver School) * Breakthrough Fort Worth,

Fort Worth Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...

(at

Fort Worth Country Day School Fort Worth Country Day (FWCD) is a JK-12 private, independent, coeducational, nondenominational college-preparatory school located on approximately 100 acres in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. It is accredited by the Independent Schools Associ ...

) * Breakthrough Houston,

Houston, TX Houston ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the seat of Harris County, as well as the principal city of ...

(at Episcopal High School and St. John's School) * Summerbridge Louisville,

Louisville, KY Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...

(at Louisville Collegiate (Louisville, KY)) * Breakthrough Manchester,

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

(at

The Derryfield School The Derryfield School is an independent college preparatory high school and middle school located in Manchester, New Hampshire, United States. It is a day school serving grades 6–12. History In the early 1960s, a group of 39 Manchester fami ...

) * Breakthrough Miami,

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

(at

Ransom Everglades School Ransom Everglades School is an independent school, independent, non-profit, co-educational, university-preparatory school, college-preparatory day school serving grades six to twelve in Coconut Grove, Miami, Florida, Coconut Grove in Miami, F ...

Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart is a Catholic college preparatory day school for girls, founded in 1961 in Coconut Grove, Miami, Florida. Description Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart was founded in 1961. Its oldest building, El Jar ...

Miami Country Day School Miami Country Day School (MCDS) is a private, non-denominational, co-ed preschool-12 college preparatory school in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, near Miami Shores, just north of the city of Miami, Florida, United States. The school has been ...

Palmer Trinity School Palmer Trinity School is an independent, college-preparatory, coeducational Episcopal day school located on 60 acres in Palmetto Bay, Florida (a Miami suburb). The school currently enrolls 800 students in grades 6–12. Palmer Trinity is the ...

, Gulliver prep.) * Breakthrough Minneapolis at The Blake School,

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

(at The Blake School) * Breakthrough New Orleans,

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

(at

Isidore Newman School Isidore Newman School is a private, nondenominational, coeducational college preparatory school located on an campus in the uptown section of New Orleans, Louisiana. History Isidore Newman School was founded in 1903 by Isidore Newman, a New ...

) * Breakthrough New York,

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

and

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

(at The Town School and

Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School is a private, Roman Catholic, co-educational, college-preparatory high school located at 357 Clermont Avenue in the Ft. Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City. The school serves students in grades 9 ...

) * Breakthrough Norfolk,

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

(at

Norfolk Academy Norfolk Academy (NA) is an independent co-educational day school in Norfolk, Virginia. Chartered in 1728, it is the oldest private school in Virginia and the eighth oldest school in the United States. In 1966, Norfolk Academy merged with Country ...

) * Breakthrough of Greater Philadelphia,

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

(at Germantown Friends School) * Breakthrough Pittsburgh,

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

(at

Sewickley Academy Sewickley Academy is a private, independent, coeducation, college-preparatory academy located in Sewickley, Pennsylvania in the United States. The Academy educates 594 students, from pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade. It is a member of the Nation ...

) * Breakthrough Providence, Providence (at Wheeler School) * Breakthrough Sacramento,

Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...

(at Sacramento Country Day School) * Breakthrough Twin Cities,

and

St. Paul Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...

(at Mounds Park Academy and St. Paul Central) * Breakthrough San Francisco,

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

(at San Francisco Day School) * Breakthrough Summerbridge,

(at

) * Breakthrough San Juan Capistrano,

San Juan Capistrano San Juan Capistrano (also known colloquially as San Juan or SJC) is a city in southern Orange County, California, United States. The population was 35,253 at the 2020 Census. Named for Saint John of Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano was founded ...

(at St. Margaret's Episcopal School) * Breakthrough Santa Fe, Sante Fe (at

Santa Fe Preparatory School Santa Fe Preparatory School is a private school located in Santa Fe, New Mexico The school provides grades 7–12 with an enrollment of 340 students. It was founded in February 1961. History The school was founded in February 1961. The schoo ...

) * Breakthrough Silicon Valley, San Jose (at Herbert Hoover Middle School)

References

External links

{{official website, 1=http://www.breakthroughcollaborative.org Gifted education Personal development Student financial aid Student financial aid in the United States