Breakthrough Cincinnati

BTC’s core program is its annual six-week Academic Summer Session during which our middle school students develop the academic, organizational, critical thinking, and communications skills needed to succeed in college preparatory high school environments. Students complete a rigorous application during fifth grade and are admitted to the program based on academic merit, educational goals, and five need-based indicators. BTC students begin the program during the summer before sixth grade and are expected to continue their participation in BTC through the summer before they enter ninth grade. Each year, we select high school and college students to serve as teachers, mentors, and role models for our middle school students. Our Teaching Fellows attend a number of excellent high schools in the Cincinnati area and top-notch colleges/universities throughout the country. The relationships between BTC Teaching Fellows and students form the foundation of our unique “students-teaching-students” approach to education. Teaching Fellows participate in BTC for nine weeks during the summer. Their experiences begin with two weeks of training and professional development, continue with six weeks of teaching, and conclude with a week of debriefing and wrap-up sessions with their peers. The Princeton Review, the White House, and MTV have all ranked a Teaching Fellowship with the Breakthrough Collaborative as a “Top 10 Internship” for high school and college students. During the course of a typical day, students engage in numerous academic and social activities. In the morning, they attend classes in BTC’s four core subjects – writing, literature, math, and science. In the afternoon, students participate in two elective classes and a mini-course. Some of BTC’s elective and mini-course offerings for the Academic Summer Session may include Spanish, French, Latin, Japanese, Film Studies, Indian Dance, Music and Culture, History of Cincinnati, Model United Nations, Discussion for Change, Sports and Statistics, Space Science, Soccer, Basketball, Juggling, Acting and Improvisation, Drawing and Painting, Nature Walks, Chess, Meditation, and Yoga. Throughout the summer, students assume responsibility for their education by preparing for end-of-term exams and leading their own parent-teacher conferences. To complement the rigor of its academic programming, BTC fosters a high-energy, caring, and enjoyable environment for its students and Teaching Fellows. Students consistently receive individual attention and affirmation. Collectively, students and Teaching Fellows rally around a shared Breakthrough culture, which is demonstrated on a daily basis through All School Meetings, the Breakthrough Handshake, and the creation of grade-specific Families. Through this shared culture, students and Teaching Fellows celebrate the idea that it is “cool to be smart”! In keeping with our goal of serving the whole child, BTC provides students with yellow bus transportation to and from the Academic Summer Session sites, two healthy meals a day, and all classroom supplies at no cost to their families. Throughout the school year, BTC provides students with ongoing educational opportunities. We are proud to partner with local partners to offer students academic enrichment through our School Year Program and Super Saturday Workshops.