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Summer Academic Enrichment Eligible Programs


Program Info
Program: Breakthrough Twin Cities
Sponsoring Organization: Breakthrough Twin Cities

Main Contact
Name: Josh Reimnitz
Title: Executive Director
Address: 2051 LARPENTEUR AVE E
ST. PAUL, MN 55109
Phone: (651) 748-5504
Email: admin@breakthroughtwincities.org
Web Site:
https://www.breakthroughtwincities.org
Curricular area: Science
Grades Served: 6 , 7 , 8

Goals

Breakthrough’s summer program strives toward the following goals and objectives: 1. Prepare under-resourced students in grades 7-9 for college success. - Provide middle school students with 250+ hours of academic instruction in STEM, literature, writing, and electives—together with increased social-emotional skill-building, community building, and 1x1 support—in a six-week summer program and monthly Saturday sessions during the school year 2. Ensure the entire family support structure has the tools for success. - Hold conferences with families to monitor socio-emotional and academic progress and to develop goals and growth plans - Offer guidance and support to parents on advocating for their children and navigating issues like high school choice and course selection as well as financial literacy and college financial aid applications - Host events where BTC families, youth, and staff come together to celebrate milestones. 3. Inspire and train the next generation of diverse, effective teachers. - Recruit and hire college students and a select number of mature high school students, all aspiring teachers, to teach middle-school student summer sessions - Provide 80 hours of training with 210 hours of hands-on classroom experience under the guidance of Instructional Coaches who are licensed teachers. Our ultimate goal is to close the opportunity gap. We envision a future populated by transformational learning communities, where equitable access to excellent opportunities propels students on their paths to college and aspiring teachers on their paths to the classroom. Our unique students-teaching-students model creates a rigorous, vibrant learning community that supports students and fills gaps in our current inequitable education system while also building a cadre of future educators who can change the system from the ground up.


Activities

Our summer program provides rigorous academic instruction, together with social-emotional skill-building, and hands-on experiences with STEM, the arts, college, and careers. Summer 2021 programming will be conducted mostly virtually due to the pandemic, similar to last summer. New in 2021, we are planning some options for safe in-person gatherings each week for community building. During virtual programming, we have reduced academic time and stepped up one-on-one support, social-emotional skill development, and community-building. Students start each day with a small advisory group “Morning Meeting,” before heading into virtual academic classes, one per day. They participate in 1:1 virtual meetings with their advisor twice weekly, and get help on assignments through virtual office hours. Special events are held each Friday via Google Meets, or socially distanced activities in person, including games, competitions, and other community-building activities. Studies show that schools with majority BIPOC students have fewer opportunities for enrichment and advanced placement classes. Our summer program closes this gap, offering academic and enrichment opportunities with high expectations for students. Our curriculum re-envisions the classroom, with high-energy, hands-on teaching; small class sizes that foster stronger relationships; and a curriculum that is culturally relevant and accessible. We also stress community building, helping students navigate barriers and feel buoyed by collective values like persistence, excellence, spirit, and collaboration. Our program recognizes that systemic barriers affect students in different ways, so we stress individualized support, seeing each student as unique and building a trusting bond over three summers to support students’ growth to success. In addition to cultivating a community of support and belonging, we provide one-on-one support to students through mentoring, academic monitoring, and resource referrals.


Program Dates

June 29, 2022 - August 5, 2022 Breakthrough offers an intensive, five-and-a-half-week summer enrichment program.



Can students reside on campus? No

Can students commute to campus? Yes

Can students take online classes? No


Estimated commuter cost per student
Tuition: $1,490
Fees: $0
Books: $0
Supplies: $140
Transportation: $120