OUR HISTORY
Breakthrough honors its 29-year history and looks forward to building upon this solid foundation for many years to come.
1995
The Philadelphia chapter of Breakthrough Collaborative (formerly known as Summerbridge) is launched by Julie Friedberg (GFS ‘89), Carolyn Friedman, Peggy Greenawalt, Cheryl Wade, and Dick Wade, former head of Germantown Friends School
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Germantown Friends School, one of the region’s leading independent schools, is the home to the summer and year-round enrichment programs
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1998 - 1999
The first class of 30 students enter high school after attending Breakthrough for three years
2000
Breakthrough opens a second site at Saint Joseph’s University, nearly doubling the number of middle school students served
2003
Teaching Fellow Residency is ranked as top ten internships for college students in the US by Princeton Review, along with the White House, the Supreme Court, and MTV
2011
Drexel University becomes an institutional sponsor, joining St. Joseph’s University and Germantown Friends School
2020
2013
Breakthrough adds a program to include classes and services for high-school students as an extension of their middle school experiences
Enters into a new partnership with Germantown Friends School.
GFS helps power Breakthrough's program with its passion for intellectual exploration, curriculum enhancements, experienced faculty to coach Teaching Fellows, facilities to house offices and program, and operations support
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Continues to operate programs virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing an
essential support for Philadelphia students whose schools
were closed for two months
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Returns to in-person learning
during the Fall semester
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2022
Breakthrough increases Scholar enrollment by 56% for its Summer 2022 class (140 Scholars) and aims to serve more students in Philadelphia year after year!
2024
Breakthrough surpasses 200 Scholars and Teaching Fellows enrolled in the Summer program. College Bound pilot program launches and welcomes 18 Breakthrough students to learn about different careers, visit offices, create resumes, plan for college, and tour college campuses.
