Why Breakthrough?

Everything we do at Breakthrough Miami is designed to help our scholars “break through” the social, cultural and economic barriers to high achievement.

Why? Because …

• Nationwide, only 65% of Black and Hispanic students in low-income communities earn high school diplomas.
• Even those students who are high achievers in elementary school are less likely to maintain that status and twice as likely to drop out or graduate late as their higher income peers.
• Middle school – a time of huge change academically, developmentally and socially – is a critical period during which students in low-income environments are either launched on the path to high-school graduation or knocked off-track.

Breakthrough Miami’s award-winning, tuition-free eight-year program gives motivated students from disadvantaged communities in 5^th to 12^th grade the tools  – and peer relationships – needed to achieve their most ambitious life goals.  Our “students-teaching-students” model engages outstanding college and high school interns as teachers and mentors, to facilitate our students’ entrance into and success throughout college-prep high school programs and college.  The current Breakthrough program model is based on research that demonstrates:

• Increased attendance in out-of-school programs improves student academic achievement and the longer students are involved, the greater their achievements;
• Students from low socio-economic backgrounds lose an estimated four to five months in reading skills each summer and the loss is cumulative;
• High-quality summer, after-school and weekend programs help children improve social and physical skills that impact their overall health and well-being, as well as their academics.

The University of Miami Education Evaluation Team (UMEET) completed an assessment of the Breakthrough Miami program in October 2012. Breakthrough Miami scholars, UMEET reported, have shown continuous improvement in academics across the past three years. Highlights for the school year of 2011-2012:

• 87% of 8^th graders were taking Algebra I or Geometry;
• 67% of 10^th graders had a GPA of 3.0 or above;
• 67% of 11^th graders took two or more AP classes;
• 98% of seniors completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA);
• 94% of the Class of 2012 took the SAT/ACT; and
• 80% of seniors graduated with four or five years of high school mathematics.

Our proudest accomplishment:

• 100% of seniors graduated on time from high school and 98% of graduates enrolled in 2- or 4-year colleges and universities;

  Among the schools Breakthrough Miami graduates  are attending:  Middlebury College, Williams College, Coast Guard Academy, University of Richmond, University of Miami, University of Florida, Cooper Union, Hamilton College, University of Louisville, Tuskegee University, Florida International University.