FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

We are in the thick of recruiting season for the 2023 Summer Program and the offices of Breakthrough of Greater Philadelphia are abuzz.

We have our eyes – and hearts – set on expanding the Summer 2023 program by nearly one-third, to 180 from 140 Scholars in 2022. That expansion calls for a rise in the number of Teaching Fellows, and we are casting our net wider to recruit 28 college students who aspire to be teachers, yielding 10 more Fellows compared to last summer. Our growth plan includes not only an increase in enrollment numbers, but also enhancements to the curriculum.

Breakthrough made great strides in the last year, and we are determined to build on this momentum and continue to provide stellar programming to highly-motivated and educationally underserved middle schoolers in Philadelphia. As we pursue our goal of education equity, we want to make sure Scholars are well-rounded and confident, fully prepared for a seamless transition to top choice high schools. To that end, we will bolster content in Science and Math, Literature and Writing and incorporate more offerings that focus on character building and resilience. On March 4, we will welcome Breakthrough families to campus for our High School Fair and Information Session about applying to various types of high schools in Greater Philadelphia.

Many of you who attended our Breakfast of Champions event in October got a taste of the impact Breakthrough has on our Scholars and Teaching Fellows through the candid and bubbly speeches of alumni Eric Stern Jr. and Iliana Correa (more details in newsletter).

Breakthrough’s impact is lasting, unique and transformative, and we rejoice with all the stories of inspiring trajectories taken by the students who attended our program. We want to hear more stories that highlight the impact of our work, and in the process, strengthen our alumni community. Visit our newly revamped website at breakthroughphilly.org to read more about out program, Scholars and Fellows. Special thanks to Emanuel Pirvulescu, GFS Network Systems Manager, and Christina Hungspruke for supporting this effort.

Some of these stories will also be told during our Annual Spring Soirée on April 27 – RSVP here! This is a great opportunity to meet Scholars and Teaching Fellows, besides having some fun with trivia and like-minded neighbors who embrace our mission to achieve equity and diversity in education. Join us and our emcee for the evening, Nydia Han – Anchor and Consumer Investigative Reporter at 6abc.

There is no need to wait until spring, though. If you are curious about Breakthrough’s work and would like to share ideas, volunteer, or RSVP to tour our program during Visiting Day on March 4, please reach out to us at any time. We fullheartedly welcome the chance to connect with our community.

With appreciation,

Michelle Palmer

p.s. Special thanks to our newsletter contributors, Mara Lemos-Stein (BTGP volunteer) and Michelle Reyes Aleti (Communications & Development Manager, BTGP) for writing and editing our Winter 2023 newsletter.

2022 FALL SCHOOL YEAR PROGRAM: HIGHLIGHTS

By Sakina Parks, Program Manager at BTGP

Breakthrough welcomed over 75 students from middle schools across the Philadelphia School District to our School Year Program (SYP). Our SYP kicked off on October 1, 2022 and takes place on Saturdays from 10:00-2:00 pm. Students in grades 6-8 brought their enthusiasm and curiosity to the campus of Germantown Friends School to embark on their learning journey under the guidance and instruction of their Teaching Fellows.

Eleven Teaching Fellows taught the fall curriculum, which included math, writing and literature, public speaking, standardized test preparation, and the classics. Our Scholars were engaged in hands-on, interactive lessons based on national standards each weekend. In addition to the core curriculum, they received strategies and practice on how to successfully take standardized tests, how to speak with confidence in public, and the basics of the classic languages. On top of that, our Scholars got the opportunity to engage with their peers and form lifelong friendships every Saturday.

Learning was not limited just to the classroom. With the pandemic releasing its hold, our scholars were able to go on field trips, including visits to the Philadelphia High School Fair and a cancer research laboratory in Center City (see article in this newsletter). We also welcomed professionals from a plethora of fields to our campus for Career Conversations. Scholars interacted with judges, attorneys, engineers, nurses and consultants, to name a few. These individuals spent a half hour with our Scholars, sharing details of their professions and the steps they took to succeed in their fields. As usual, our Scholars had plenty of engaging questions and gained valuable insights from each session.

We are excited to have our dedicated and committed Scholars back on campus in January to continue on their learning journey, and to have fun along the way!

8TH GRADE FIELD TRIP: BIOTECHNOLOGY DAY AT CURTIS CENTER

By Katie Cusick, BTGP Teaching Fellow – 8th Grade Literature and Writing Teacher

Breakthrough’s 8th grade class took their first field trip of the semester in early November. The Scholars went to the Curtis Building in downtown Philadelphia, an office building that houses multiple labs and law firms, among others. They had the opportunity to visit two of those labs: Imvax and BioLabs.

From Imvax, they learned about the development of an innovative cancer treatment for glioblastomas and how it helps patients battle this especially brutal form of cancer. Scholars were also able to walk through some of the labs and offices to learn more about their equipment and lab maintenance.

From BioLabs, the Scholars learned more about all the different things that make up a lab, from technology, to funding, to design, to maintenance and research. Here, the Scholars also got an opportunity to see the lab construction process first-hand. We got our hard hats on and walked through a lab construction zone, as our guide explained where certain areas of the lab would be built and why.

After the tours, we were invited downstairs for a wonderful lunch with our guides, where everyone was able to relax and ask follow-up questions. Some of the Scholars seemed to have a genuine interest in how labs go from a research interest to a startup to an established company. They learned a lot about the education and fundraising that go into the process, so I’m sure we have some budding laboratory scientists in our midst! Special thanks to Amelia Zellander, PhD and Laboratory Lead from Imvax, for creating this unique and inspiring opportunity for Breakthrough’s 8th grade Scholars.

Recruitment Corner

By Sue Chen, Recruitment Manager at BTGP

It has been a very exciting time for recruitment at Breakthrough, and we are starting to see the fruits of the hard work and dedication of our small but mighty staff. Over the past few months, we significantly improved the application process and targeted our outreach to local communities. Both developments are crucial to support Breakthrough’s mission.

Application Process

One of the drawbacks of the former application process was the collection of inaccurate or incomplete data from applicants, which meant that we were unable to convert many of the interested students into actual applications. The former process also involved a lot of manual work, relying heavily on staff to track application statuses. Now, the entirety of the application process has been moved to an online database. All of the application and inquiry materials are web-based and any information we receive lives within that database. Families upload all documents online, and recommendations from educators can also be submitted online. Thanks to this shift to an electronic process, Breakthrough is now paperless starting January 2023!

We also created a nomination process for educators, parents, alumni and friends of Breakthrough that is another avenue for collecting correct contact information about any potential students. The information is collected through an online form available on our website, as well as a QR code that is featured on our new nomination pamphlet. If you’d like to nominate a student today, fill out a nomination form online!

Breakthrough in the Community

Throughout last Fall, Breakthrough made a push to be more involved in schools in our local community. We’ve been doing school visits to talk to students and educators about Breakthrough and the improved application process. We also participated in a number of community events, such as the Philly High School Fair and the JS Jenks Fall Festival. Our next priority is to build relationships by engaging with our local schools in a more meaningful and sustainable way. We have had the opportunity to be long term volunteers at JB Kelly and Logan Elementary Schools. Through these initiatives, we are positioning ourselves as a part of the community around us and reintroducing Breakthrough to educators and community leaders.