We had the pleasure of hosting Breakthrough Collaborative Executive Director Vincent Marigna here at programming, it was an exciting time for the students who got to talk, question and learn from his wealth of knowledge. It was inspiring to see the students reactions and watch their interests get piqued about education, Breakthroughs throughout the country and what success takes, looks and feels like! Thank you again for sharing your knowledge and love of Breakthrough with our students! We look forward to the next visit!!
As I mark my two-year anniversary with Breakthrough Collaborative, I’m happy to share a major milestone: I’ve visited all 25 Breakthrough affiliates, concluding with Breakthrough Providence this week. Witnessing the passion and dedication of our students, Teaching Fellows, and staff served as an inspiring and incredible bookend. Special thanks to BT Providence’s Executive Director, Eddy Davis, and The Wheeler School for their 30+ years of support. Each affiliate in the Breakthrough network represents their dynamic communities – from Boston to Miami, St. Paul to San Juan Capistrano. Each is uniquely positioned to respond to the needs of their students, teachers, and families. At the same time, Breakthrough’s program standards and time-tested model ensure high-impact and consistent results across the network. Today, Breakthrough serves nearly 9,000 middle and high school students and more than 1,000 college-aged Teaching Fellows, with our students graduating from college at a rate that is 27% higher than their peers. Our Teaching Fellow alumni continue to impact education, with three-quarters working in the sector, and half having taught or currently teaching in the classroom. Our three-year strategic plan has already shown substantial progress across four core priorities: Empowering Future Teachers & Leaders, Equipping Students for College Success, Building Capacity & Strengthening Supports, and Scaling & Driving Impact. We’ve also expanded, welcoming Louisville as our newest and 25th affiliate. Last month, I had the chance to share with students at the Louisville launch that they are part of a strong national network of students just like them, with big dreams and aspirations. We are diligently working to support the affiliates setting them up for life-long success. Our focus remains on creating the strongest possible organization to support as many young leaders as we can. Thank you for your support these last two years. I look forward to what’s to come.