Breakthrough Twin Cities

BREAKTHOUGH TWIN CITIES PREPARES UNDER-RESOURCED STUDENTS FOR COLLEGE SUCCESS AND CULTIVATES THE NEXT GENERATION OF EDUCATORS.

SUMMER PROGRAM: IN SUMMER 2021, WE PROVIDED ACADEMIC INSTRUCTION AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL SUPPORT TO 221 MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS. TO INCREASE TEACHING FELLOW TRAINING IN A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT, THE PROGRAM WAS REDUCED FROM OUR TRADITIONAL SIX WEEKS TO FIVE WEEKS TOTAL. IN THE SECOND YEAR OF THE PANDEMIC, WE DEVELOPED A HYBRID FORMAT WITH MORE IN PERSON ACTIVITIES FOR SUMMER 2021. THESE REVISIONS AND ENHANCEMENTS WERE BROUGHT FROM LEARNINGS FROM OUR VIRTUAL SUMMER 2020. ONE CHANGE WAS HAVING THE MAJORITY OF OUR TEACHING FELLOWS IN PERSON AT MOUNDS PARK ACADEMY, TEACHING IN A CLASSROOM SETTING, AND PROVIDING GOOD CONSISTENCY FOR THE TEACHING FELLOW EXPERIENCE. WE ALSO ADDED TWO OPTIONAL IN-PERSON DAYS PER WEEK TO SUMMER 2021, FOR SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES, AND FIELD TRIPS. OUR SUMMER 2021 STUDENT OUTCOMES WERE STRONG: 91% FEEL THAT THEY HAVE A POSTIVE COLLEGE-GOING ROLE MODEL; 76% FELT BETTER PREPARED FOR THE SUBSEQUENT SCHOOL YEAR BECAUSE OF BTC; AND 88% FELT THAT BTC PROVIDES THEM WITH A SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY. SCHOOL YEAR PROGRAM: DURING THE 2021?22 SCHOOL YEAR, WE SERVED 523 MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. OUR STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO MEET AT LEAST TWO OF THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA TO BE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE: 97% IDENTIFY AS A RACE UNDER-REPRESENTED IN COLLEGE; 86% ELIGIBLE FOR FREE OR REDUCED LUNCH; 77% FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS; 68% SPEAK A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH AT HOME; AND 29% LIVE IN A SINGLE PARENT HOUSEHOLD. OUR TRADITIONAL SCHOOL YEAR SATURDAY SESSIONS RETURNED TO IN-PERSON. ACTIVITIES FEATURED OUR CORE COLLEGE PREP ACTIVITIES WHILE INCORPORATING MORE COMMUNITY BUILDING AND CULTURALLY RELEVANT ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS CONVERSATIONS AROUND RACE AND STRUCTURAL INEQUITIES IN EDUCATION. THIS IS IN ADDITION TO OUR HALLMARK COLLEGE PREPARATION SUPPORT, FINANCIAL LITERACY DEVELOPMENT, AND FUN. AS IS THE CASE IN A TYPICAL YEAR, ALL STUDENTS RECEIVED MONTHLY MENTORING AND COACHING PROVIDED BY COLLEGE STUDENTS IN THE FORM OF CHECK-INS, GOAL SETTING, PROBLEM-SOLVING, AND CONNECTING STUDENTS AND FAMILIES TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES. DURING THE 2021/22 SCHOOL YEAR, WE MOVED AWAY FROM SCHOOL YEAR COACHES TO FULL-TIME ADVISORS TO PROVIDE INDIVIDUALIZED SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS. THIS ALLOWED FOR INCREASED CONTINUITY AND EXPERTISE FOR ENGAGING WITH STUDENTS. WE ARE ALSO EXPLORING INCREASED CONTENT AND ENGAGEMENT FOR 9TH AND 10TH GRADERS AS WELL, TO INCREASE SUPPORT FOR THOSE CRITICAL YEARS OF EARLY HIGH SCHOOL. TEACHING FELLOWS: IN ADDITION TO STRIVING FOR COLLEGE MATRICULATION FOR OUR STUDENTS, BREAKTHROUGH PREPARES THE NEXT GENERATION OF CULTURALLY COMPETENT EDUCATORS. FROM A POOL OF 171 APPLICANTS, WE HIRED AND TRAINED 47 TEACHING FELLOWS TO TEACH MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS IN SUMMER 2021. OUR TEACHING FELLOWS HAD STELLAR EXPERIENCES. ACCORDING TO SURVEYS: 97% GREW AS A TEACHER AS A RESULT OF THEIR TEACHING FELLOWSHIP; 86% REPORTED THAT THE TEACHING FELLOWSHIP INCREASED/REINFROCED THEIR INTEREST IN TEACHING; AND 100% REPORTED THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THE RIGORS OF TEACHING AS A RESULT OF THE TEACHING FELLOWSHIP. NINE OF OUR TEACHING FELLOWS HAD PAST EXPERIENCE AS A BREAKTHROUGH TWIN CITIES STUDENT, AND SIX CAME BACK TO TEACH FOR A SECOND YEAR. COMPARED TO THE 7.3% OF TEACHERS OF COLOR IN MN, 55% OF OUR TEACHING FELLOWS ARE PERSONS OF COLOR, PROVIDING VITAL ROLE MODELS FOR OUR STUDENTS. SAME AS SUMMER 2020, WE EXTENDED THE TRAINING FROM 80 TO 120 HOURS, ADDING A THIRD WEEK, TO PROVIDE TIME FOR ADEQUATE TESTING AND PRACTICE ON VIRTUAL PLATFORMS. IN 2021 WE INCREASED BASE TEACHING FELLOW STIPEND BY ABOUT 20%, FROM $2500 TO $3000, TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE CHALLENGING AND VITAL WORK THAT FELLOWS DO TO DELIVER THE CORE PROGRAMMING OF BREAKTHROUGH, AND ALSO TO INCREASE THE EQUITY OF COMPENSATION AT THE ORGANIZATION, MAKING THE FELLOWSHIP A VIABLE OPTION FOR MORE BIPOC CANDIDATES. THIS PAY IS HIGHEST AMONG THE BREAKTHROUGH COLLABORATIVE?WE WANT TO BE LEADERS IN THE FIELD FOR EQUITABLE PAY FOR ASPIRING EDUCATORS. WHILE THE MAJORITY OF TEACHING FELLOWS TAUGHT IN PERSON AT MOUNDS PARK ACADEMY THIS PAST SUMMER, ABOUT ONE-THIRD WERE VIRTUAL FOR THE ENTIRE EXPERIENCE, WHILE SOME ONLY CAME TO MOUNDS PARK ACADEMY FOR IN-PERSON ACTIVITIES ON WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS. THE VARYING NEEDS OF TEACHING FELLOWS HAS REQUIRED A LOT OF ADAPTATION AND CREATIVITY TO SUPPORT THE DIFFERENT HYBRID STATUSES AND VARIABLES. THE AVERAGE ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARDED TO A BTC GRADUATE WAS $47,608. THE AVERAGE STUDENT HAD 89% OF COSTS COVERED BY SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS. 3.10 IS THE AVERAGE GPA FOR THE BTC CLASS OF 2022. 100% WERE ACCEPTED TO COLLEGE!