Summer is approaching quickly and we are preparing for our biggest group of students ever! As a part of their commitment to Breakthrough, all rising 7th, 8th, and 9th grade students attend our six-week summer school sessions. Our students’ first day of school is on Monday, June 26th and their last day is Friday, August 4th. Our primary goals with students are to develop academic skills and create a college-going culture. Students take classes in English, math, science, social studies, electives (such as music and art); join a small-group Advisory; enjoy end-of-day Explorations (such as ultimate Frisbee and dancing); complete homework nightly; and have a lot of fun!

During the summer, we run a two-month teaching fellowship. College students from around the country serve as teachers who will lead our students. They receive professional development in the field of education and get hands-on classroom experience. Our teaching fellows’ first day is Wednesday, June 14th and their final day with us is Wednesday, August 9th. This year, we are grateful to be hosted in the Middle School at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School.

Here is more exciting information about our students, teaching fellows, instructional coaches, and staff for the 2017 summer session:

  • We are serving 95 total students
  • We will have 20 teaching fellows from all over the country
  • Six are returning teaching fellows
  • Three teaching fellows were former Breakthrough students
  • Teaching fellows attend colleges such as UC Berkeley, Arizona State University, Brown University, Northwestern University, UCLA, and more!
  • All five instructional coaches work for Capistrano Unified School District.
  • Our Dean of Students, Lidia Lopez, was a Breakthrough student from the Class of 2015 and a teaching fellow in 2014 and 2016.
  • We have over 80 high school Student Leaders who are volunteering to help our program run smoothly.

If you would like to see our summer program in action, please attend Visitors’ Day on Tuesday, July 18th from 8:15 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. We will be holding our event in Sillers Hall at St. Margaret’s. Guests will hear teaching fellows and students share their Breakthrough experience, and guests will have the opportunity to see our classrooms in action from 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Contact Jessica Dinh jessica.dinh@smes.org or (714) 467-5560 to learn more or RSVP. Spread the word!

BREAKTHROUGH  HELPS  UNDERREPRESENTED  STUDENTS  IN  HIGHER  EDUCATION

Translations / Traducciónes