Fall is a time of excitement, reflection, and thoughtful planning here at Breakthrough! Now in my fourth year as Executive Director, I would like to take this season as an opportunity to celebrate the academic and personal growth of Breakthrough’s Scholars and Teaching Fellows. I’d also like to wish our Alumni well as they embark on their exciting next chapters.

 

When Breakthrough students departed from GFS’ campus last month, our staff and advisory board humbly reflected on the program and the impact it had on students and education in Philadelphia. We transformed these reflections into what we hope will result in stronger programming and operating plans to meet the evolving needs of the students and families we serve. We remain steadfast in our dual-mission to help Breakthrough Scholars reach top-choice high schools and build a diverse, talented teacher workforce. Inspired by our vision to reach educational equity and diversity, I am grateful to say that we are continuing to advance our dual-mission heading into our 30th anniversary year of programming in 2025.

 

This year, over 200 students participated in Breakthrough’s tuition-free program, which has continually flourished since the pandemic. Building upon the high school admissions and preparation curriculum initiated in 2023, a joint Staff-Advisory Board committee launched another new initiative – College Bound. Nearly 20 Breakthrough Scholars enrolled and participated in four workshops, where they explored various careers, created resumes, practiced interviews, toured local colleges, and learned about financial planning and postsecondary options. Special thanks to our dedicated Advisory Board, Staff, and volunteers from Boston Consulting Group, RSM, Sanofi, Equitable Karr Barth Advisors, PHLY, Empower Construction, PA Youth Vote, The Defender Association of Philadelphia, Church & Dwight, and Montage Diversity Consultants, all of whom served as the backbone of this critical program.

 

With the launch of College Bound, Breakthrough now meets the needs of students beyond their middle school years and officially extends our program from a three-year to a seven-year academic accelerator serving highly motivated, high-need students in 6th through 12th grades – all at no cost to students and families.

 

Career Conversations, Community Connections, and local/international field trips remain pillars of Breakthrough’s program. I am eager for Scholars and Teaching Fellows to dive into these enrichment opportunities, and I encourage you to engage in their experiences on Breakthrough’s website and social media channels. If you would like to volunteer with Breakthrough, please take a moment to complete this two-minute survey. We’re eager to hear from you, and we certainly need your help!

 

The Teaching Fellow (TF) portion of our program has also made good progress this year. In an effort to build the ranks of educators, the University of Pennsylvania’s GSE recently announced that they will provide an annual $20,000 scholarship for each Breakthrough of Greater Philadelphia TF Alum who enrolls in Penn GSE’s Urban Teaching Program. We are thrilled about this partnership and vote of confidence in our TF Alumni. Our Summer 2024 program saw a record-level of returning TFs, with one-third of the TF cohort returning from 2023. 75% of Summer 2024’s TFs were fellows of color, surpassing last year’s record high. At the national level, Breakthrough recently reported that 75% of Teaching Fellows pursue careers in education, with over two-thirds of current teachers stating that they plan to teach for 5 or more years. I am hopeful when seeing this data, which demonstrates Breakthrough TFs’ long-term commitment to the teaching profession.

 

Breakthrough of Greater Philadelphia was incredibly fortunate to receive summer coverage from 6 different media outlets, including Ukee Washington (CBS News) and Nydia Han (6abc), who inspired our Teaching Fellows and Scholars with their personal experiences and words of wisdom. Visit our website to see Breakthrough’s summer media coverage.

 

As we step into our 30th Anniversary year in 2025, my focus turns to the following goals:

• Improve Scholar outcomes through comprehensive, end-to-end support from 6th through 12th grades. Per a recent survey, 83% of 8th grade Breakthrough Scholars attend a top three choice high school, with 100% attending non-neighborhood Philadelphia high schools. This upcoming fiscal year, we will extend our middle school program and build upon last year’s College Bound pilot program to deliver a unique curriculum that meets the demands and rigor of high school, develops 21st century tech/digital skills, helps identify budding career interests, and provides practical guidance for Scholars and their families as they prepare for postsecondary education (e.g., mock interviews, resume preparation, saving for education).

• Ensure Teaching Fellows are prepared – professionally, personally, emotionally, and mentally – to enter the profession and consider placement for teaching jobs, especially in Philadelphia. We had a number of Teaching Fellows in the Summer 2024 cohort who were interested in the School District of Philadelphia, including one Breakthrough Teaching Fellow who recently shared with Chalkbeat about his experience growing up in Philadelphia public schools, and his goal to return as a teacher after he graduates from UPenn.

• Find additional diversified funding sources to support Breakthrough’s long-term sustainability heading into our 30th anniversary year. We are grateful for our Advisory Board, and the countless individuals, foundations, corporations who have supported Breakthrough as we continue to expand our program, reach, and impact.

• As we plug into the city, neighborhoods, and schools more intentionally, I will focus on strengthening community relationships and recruiting new members to our Advisory Board who can help us establish partnerships, identify sustainable funding, and enhance Breakthrough’s programming in a meaningful way.

 

For the third consecutive year, we ended the ‘23/24 fiscal year in a solid financial position, with approximately $1.4 million in revenue received to cover our expenses of $1.2 million. BCG continues to generously lend their social impact, management and strategy expertise to help shape and implement our strategic plans and roadmap, in which Advisory Board, Committees and Staff have all taken active leadership roles.

 

Thank you for your continued confidence in Breakthrough’s students, and for supporting our mission. As always, I invite you to visit the program, get involved, and provide your valuable support and ideas. I look forward to seeing you at the Breakfast of Champions on October 24th at 8:15am. Until then, enjoy reading this year’s Impact Report and please join me in launching Breakthrough into a successful future.

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With deep gratitude,

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Michelle Palmer

Executive Director