On Tuesday Ms. Erbe will speak to our 4th grade class about Summerbridge. Please read below for information about Summerbridge so that you can decide if you would like to apply.
THE PROGRAM
Summer Students begin their Breakthrough experience immediately after fourth grade with our intensive six-week summer program. They attend classes in math, literature, writing, science, and social studies, reading great literature, solving challenging word problems, and tackling enticing subjects like Immigrant History and Environmental Science. Students also take part in extracurricular activities such as debate and dance, build community, and meet with their advisors. Our 4:1 student to teacher ratio guarantees individual support and enables students to develop the academic skills, self-confidence, and social capital to enroll and succeed in rigorous, college-preparatory middle and high schools, and, ultimately, four-year colleges. Their teachers are outstanding high school and college students, recruited from across the country. We select young people who demonstrate academic excellence, a strong commitment to service, an unfailingly positive attitude, and the ability to lead others. They participate in an intensive week-long orientation prior to the start of the summer, and, with the support of professional Mentor Teachers, take on an authentic teaching experience. Breakthrough’s success as a teacher training program – in particular, its ability to draw students of color into the field of teaching – has earned national acclaim.
SCHOOL YEAR
Breakthrough’s school-year program continues the investment in students’ educational success. One to three afternoons per week, students travel to the Day School for tutoring, enrichment classes, and community building, all characterized by inspired instruction, small class sizes, and supportive peers. Students also gather one Saturday per month for college visits, community service, and museum trips, and attend workshops on the middle school application process, time management, and other crucial topics. Seventh and eighth graders from the Day School join other local students in tutoring and mentoring their younger counterparts.
OUR STUDENTS
Our students know how to dream. They plan be surgeons, veterinarians, teachers, athletes, and lawyers. They can use support, however, in making those dreams a reality. While they are exceptionally talented and motivated, they come from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in higher education. Over 90% of our students are of color; 87% are low-income; 60% speak a language other than English at home; and 74% will be first generation college students. Each year, members of Breakthrough’s program team visit the fourth grade classrooms of public schools throughout San Francisco. They discuss the engaging classes, supportive community, and long-term impact, and emphasize the serious nature of the commitment. Each year, over 100 fourth graders apply for 40 spots. They are selected based on academic potential, motivation, and personal need, as gauged by their application essays, parent statements, teacher feedback, report cards, and interviews.
ABOUT US
Breakthrough San Francisco at SF Day School fosters educational equity through an innovative, two-pronged approach. We provide intensive academic enrichment and ongoing support to motivated students with limited educational opportunity, ensuring they are academically successful and on the path to college. Simultaneously, we train outstanding high school and college students from across the country for work as tomorrow’s teachers and urban educational leaders.
OUR HISTORY
Breakthrough began as Summerbridge, a diversity access program founded in 1978 at San Francisco’s University High School. As part of a nationwide expansion, a second San Francisco site was opened in 1991 and was subsequently adopted by the San Francisco Day School, where it has remained since. Known for our first 15 years as Day School Summerbridge, we recently changed our name to Breakthrough in the summer of 2008 to reflect the year-round nature of our program; to better align with our national office, Breakthrough Collaborative; and to symbolize the personal and societal transformation that our organization generates.
FAMILY INFORMATION NIGHT (OPTIONAL)
Thursday January 21, 6-7 pm, San Francisco Day School 350 Masonic Avenue, San Francisco, California 94118 Phone: (415) 931-2422
Prospective applicants and their families are invited to speak with current students and families and to learn more about Breakthrough.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
SFDS is conveniently located near multiple MUNI lines; the 43 Masonic, 31 Turk, and 5 Fulton all have stops within a block or two of the School. For more information on public transportation from your location, visit www.sfmuni.com
