Programs

Breakthrough Cincinnati offers both summer and school year programs for underserved Cincinnati public middle school students. A four year tuition free program, Breakthrough students apply in the fifth grade and attend through the summer preceding their 9th grade year. 

School Year Program

Starting in the fall of 2009, Breakthrough Cincinnati will be offering twice a week tutoring, homework help and academic enrichment lessons for all students who participated in the Summer Academic Session.  Breakthrough Cincinnati is actively recruiting talented high school and college students to serve as teachers in this program.  Please click on the link on the left-hand side of this page for more information on the school year program, including teacher application forms.

In addition, Breakthrough Cincinnati will be hosting a High School information Night and a Reunion Party in the fall.  Information on these events will be mailed home and posted on the News and Events section of this web-site as it becomes available.

Summer Program   --   Admission closed for 2008 (2009 application will be on-line in December, 2008)

The heart of Breakthrough, the summer academic session runs for six weeks over the summer (8 weeks for teachers) during which middle school students take core academic classes (math, science, English and history) as well as foreign languages, elective courses, and study skills from a faculty comprised of talented high school and college students interested in pursuing a career in education. Class sizes are kept small to ensure one on one attention from the teacher. In addition to completing two hours of homework per night, students take final exams, lead their own parent-teacher conference, and have the option of serving on student council. Students also participate in experiential and cultural field trips and service projects. BtC’s core academic curriculum, based off of State of Ohio content standards and academic benchmarks, is designed to review what students learned the preceding school year and to foreshadow topics in the upcoming school year.  The high school and college students who serve as teachers in the program attend an 8-day training program in which they cover the basics of pedagogy including lesson planning, educational theory and classroom management. Throughout the summer, the student teachers receive regular feedback by professional teachers who observed them 3-5 times.

What are students saying about their Breakthrough experience?