"BT in a Box" Special Delivery Kicks Off Virtual Summer Learning
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Our Middle School Summer Academy has always been the cornerstone of our program, bringing hundreds of Central Texas students together every summer to combat summer learning loss and build community with fellow first-generation college aspirants.
As we charter through new virtual territory, Breakthrough staff sought a new way to bring that sense of community to our students. More than 1,200 "BT in a Box" care packages were mailed to the homes of every single middle school student in our program, staff member and AmeriCorps Teaching Fellow. Each box contained two community novels (The Poet X & Blended), a t-shirt designed by BT student Yadira Ramos, pens, pencils, a notebook, a letter from Breakthrough, and of course, snacks!
Nearly 230 middle school students have participated in our Virtual Summer Academy each day. The program has been a blend of zoom classes, independent projects, virtual office hours and fun Breakthrough classics such as Community Novel, Slam Jam, All-School Meetings and Breakthrough Gets Fit — our version of recess. As part of their core independent project, students are engaging in multi-disciplinary activities that explore the effects of COVID-19 on themselves, their communities and the world around them with a lens of social justice and how they could make a difference.
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Standing With DACA Recipients: Breakthrough partners with Catholic Charities to offer free immigration legal services to Breakthrough families
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Last month, the Supreme Court held that termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program by the presidential administration was unlawful, temporarily allowing for the continuation of DACA. Breakthrough Central Texas emphatically supports and applauds this decision, particularly for its positive impact on DACA recipients, our communities, and our nation. The decision is proof of the courage and leadership that generations of undocumented youth and their advocates have shown in initiating and defending immigrant communities. We continue to affirm the humanity and dignity of all our community members, DACA recipients and not, who have a right not only to safety from deportation and detention, but to access opportunities in education and beyond that allow them to thrive in our society. To further support our community, we’ve partnered with Catholic Charities Central Texas to offer free immigration legal aid to our students and families, as do a growing number of institutions of higher education and community-based organizations locally and across the nation. Read more on our stance on DACA.
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Breakthrough Donors Step Up to Fill in Technology Gap Caused by Pandemic
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School and library closures completely eliminated access to free computers and internet many students relied on, bringing to light digital inequities that have always existed. Even when rural and low-income communities do have access to internet, cost is the most cited factor for why they don’t have a fixed broadband plan in their household.
With schools online since the spring and into the fall, students must have access to adequate technology. With your support of the Student & Family Support Fund, we’ve been able to deliver nearly 130 (and counting!) technology devices, including laptops, ipads and hotspots to Breakthrough households.
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You can still make a gift to help Breakthrough students and families impacted by the COVID-19 global pandemic.
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Resilience Shines Through: Graduating high school and transitioning to college during COVID-19
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"Planning for college is a big deal, especially when no one around you has ever done it before. Without Breakthrough, I’m not sure where I would be going to school or how I would be planning to afford it without those senior decision meetings."
- Jeremiah Thompson | UT McCombs School of Business rising freshman, Fall 2020
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Our high school graduates are determined to move forward though they have many added uncertainties brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Their resilience shines and is just an indication of what the future holds. Jeremiah Thompson is a recent Breakthrough graduate of Manor ISD and has been part of the Breakthrough program since he was in 6th grade. This coming fall, Jeremiah will begin his journey at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin.
He is one of thousands of first-generation college aspirants in Central Texas navigating the transition from high school to college in the age of Coronavirus. Read his story.
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Leadership Discusses Some of the Most Pressing Items Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
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Earlier this month, we hosted an interactive Town Hall to address some of the most pressing questions our investors are asking. Our leadership panel engaged in discussions around Breakthrough's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, what's happening with summer programming, the impact the pandemic has on college transitions, an update on our strategic plan, and our continued commitment to anti-racism. Here's what we learned:
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The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted many longstanding inequities.
"Our role has always been to get kids to and through college - to help them navigate the multitude of barriers to get there. The pandemic has layered on inequities around health, access to technology, and more that has helped us see the bigger picture of our role in combating institutional racism."
Zakiyyah Kareem | Chief Student Support Officer
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| Our relationships with our students and families have deepened.
"Many families have been impacted economically by the pandemic, which for some has meant more time at home, providing increased opportunities to talk to caregivers and for them to see programming in action. Knowing that Breakthrough can still exist in families’ lives despite the fact that we can’t be in the same space together means we’ve started to figure out what’s essential to make the virtual format still feel like Breakthrough."
Joe Anthony Cruz | Breakthrough Alum & AmeriCorps Member
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Existing barriers in the college decision process have been amplified.
"Because first-generation students don’t have a legacy of college attainment, college can feel like a big risk. Now you pile on the economic uncertainty of the pandemic, delayed admissions and financial aid decisions, students taking on increased caregiving roles for parents who are essential workers, colleges still figuring out how classes will look in the fall. It all just adds to the risk."
Eva Garza-Nyer | Board Chair
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| Today's new challenges have only affirmed our commitment to launch a policy advocacy practice.
"We have been raising our voice, along with others, to advocate for relief funding and policies that will help to alleviate the inequities our communities face. There are some critical policy conversations happening right now. Ultimately, it’s all about ensuring that every student has the opportunity to build the life of their choosing."
Michael Griffith | Executive Director
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