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| Students and teachers explore Boston in small groups on a full-day field trip, including a visit to at least one college campus. Challenging academics in a supportive, high energy community prepare students to succeed in high school and college. |
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| Tell me who you hang with......and I'll tell you who you'll become |
Back to Summer Breakfast a Big Hit
Our first annual "Back to Summer" Breakfast last May was a great success, limited only by the size of the room and the tight quarters for our overflow crowd. One hundred and forty guests attended to hear current and former students and teachers in the program recount their experiences. Together our guests raised just over $13,000 to support student participation in this tuition-free, academic opportunity for bright students with limited opportunities. A key goal of Breakthrough is to instill confidence in Manchester middle school students to engage an audience and to speak clearly and concisely in public forums. The speakers at the Breakfast hit a home run in this regard on May 19!
Bringing these students together with successful and caring college undergraduates as teachers and mentors assures that they "hang" with a like-minded group of people all intent on beating the odds and attending college.
Many thanks to our lead sponsors
- Cityside Property Management, Inc.
- Southern New Hampshire University
- The Derryfield School
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| Summer Session Posts Striking Gains |
At Breakthrough we believe that if you set the bar high and challenge students to succeed in a supportive community, amazing things will happen. Our students and teachers worked hard over the course of a phenomenal summer, and the outcomes are proof that Breakthrough reverses summer learning loss.
- 17% overall gain in Literature (Development of theme, characters and symbolism; annotation)
- 34% overall gain in Writing (Document-Based Question Essays)
- 54% overall gain in Science (Biology)
- 69% overall gain in Math (Pre-Algebra, Algebra or Geometry)
Click here for a two-page easy-to-skim summary of Breakthrough and our summer results.
Or, for a more in-depth look and analysis, click here.
And thank you, as always, for your support for our dual mission and this amazing community of determined young people.
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Breakthrough Manchester is a critical link in the PATHWAY for bright, limited opportunity students, and a PIPELINE for the development of the next generation of excellent teachers.
Connect with us, so that we can better connect these pathways and pipelines for students!
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Hannaford Helps - In a Big Way!
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$15,000 Donation
On September 29, Hannaford presented Breakthrough Manchester with a donation of $15,000 as part of its renewed and expanded commitment to help kids, particularly during the summer months when hunger, summer learning loss and lack of opportunities work against children with fewer resources. Thank you, Hannaford, for your investment in our New Hampshire communities!
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Breakthrough Wins Facebook Challenge!
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We "Like" Bank of New Hampshire!
Last April, the Bank of New Hampshire issued a Facebook challenge to see which of three non-profit organizations could win the most "likes." Breakthrough Manchester won -
with 77% of the vote! Here,
Ellen Soucy presents Becky Berk, Breakthrough's Executive Director, with a check for $1,000 for program support.
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Derryfield's Breakthrough Featured in NH Business Review
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Brad Cook Authors Article on Breakthrough
Brad Cook, a well-known attorney with Sheehan, Phinney, Bass and Green and a long-time advocate for education, attended the Back to Summer breakfast and penned an article in NH Business Review about the program's role in closing the opportunity gap.
Read the article here.
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Breakthrough and Jayme's Fund - A Partnership for Social Justice
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An Inspiration
Jayme's Fund for Social Justice was established in memory of a compassionate and energetic high school student who touched the lives of many. Jayme was both inspired and inspiring as a Breakthrough teacher, and Jayme's Fund has since endowed a scholarship enabling a caring and deserving student to attend Breakthrough. Recipients Carl Desir and Kim Pham attended the Jayme's Fund dinner with director Caren Rifkin this week.
Jayme also sewed many bears for children in need of comfort.
Some of the bears that Breakthrough students helped to assemble this summer line the mantle in the background. They will be distributed to programs such as Children's Hospital at Dartmouth and Families in Transition.
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Our Vision
All young people, regardless of circumstance, can achieve their full potential as students, teachers and leaders.
Our Mission
The dual missions of Breakthrough Manchester are to launch promising Manchester middle school students, particularly those with limited opportunities, on the path to college while inspiring high school and college students to pursue careers in education.
We do this by:
* Recruiting and selectively admitting high-potential sixth graders with limited opportunities from Manchester middle schools for a tuition-free, three-year program
* Providing three rigorous, joyful academic summers and school year supports to admitted students
* Recruiting, training, mentoring and supporting college students, and some local high-achieving high school students, as excellent teachers
* Connecting with similar programs serving Manchester high schools to create a pipeline of opportunity for Breakthrough students as they enter ninth grade
* Engaging a broad array of stakeholders in understanding, promoting, funding and championing both missions of Breakthrough.
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With thanks,
Becky Berk
Executive Director
Breakthrough Manchester
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