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Summer 2020 Digital Time Capsule Goes LIVE
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This summer, Breakthrough Middle School students explored the effects of recent protests and COVID-19 through a lens of social justice. This powerful collection of student works culminated in a digital time capsule that our community will be able to reflect back on for years to come. View the video above for a virtual tour!
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#GetOutTheVote: Breakthrough Launches Bipartisan Voting Info Website for BT Students and Families
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Breakthrough Voter Info Website
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| Here's what we've done so far to #GetOutTheVote:
- Created a Staff Civic Engagement Working Group to address short- and long-term civic engagement goals in advising, programming, and advocacy
- Launched a Bilingual Breakthrough Community Voter Information Website with the support and work of two student volunteers and teaching alum
- Hosted Staff as well as Student and Family Voter Information Sessions with partner Mi Familia Vota
- Integrated voter information into advising and follow up for eligible students
- Collaborated with Civic Engagement-focused organizations such as Texas Rising, Generation Citizen, and Mi Familia Vota, to support a diverse coalition of voters to register and enact their power at the ballot box
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This Year is Different: COVID-19 is Changing the College Application Process
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Senior Seminar, Virtual College Tour
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| COVID-19 has changed almost every aspect of the education landscape, resulting in a variety of questions about how the college application process will shape up for the Class of 2021. In spring, the pandemic forced the cancellation of test dates for Advanced Placement, ACT and SAT with the hopes to be back in June. Then, testing dates were pushed back further. In August, high demand caused ACT's registration page to shut down and, of the 402,000 who were registered to take their SAT in August, nearly half were blocked from taking the test due to continued closures and limited capacity. Read more.
In response, many Texas universities are becoming “test-optional” through 2021, waiving the traditional requirement for test scores to gain admission. Admissions officials say applicants will be judged more holistically, with added emphasis on factors like high school grades and curriculum, letters of recommendation and extended resumes. Some colleges are even offering virtual opportunities from information sessions to Zoom "chats" with admissions officers, in place of college tours, to help students make informed decisions on the right college fit.
The road map to admissions is changing but the goal remains the same for our students. This summer, we hosted 14 seminars to kick-start the application season by completing essays, Apply Texas applications and getting a head start on their financial aid applications before the start of their senior year. This fall, staff and volunteer College Application Coaches will help more than 170 high school seniors navigate the path forward to complete applications, choose the best college fit and make a decision for Fall 2021.
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Breakthrough Welcomes New Cohort of 21 AmeriCorps Members
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Every year, nearly 80,000 individuals across the country join AmeriCorps, tackling different problems in different ways in diverse communities. We’re proud to be an AmeriCorps Central Texas program welcoming 21 individuals into our Breakthrough community. This month, new members joined our team virtually, committed to dedicating their time and skills to help get things done for the students of Central Texas. Members will provide year-round essential support to students through mentoring, coaching, program planning and implementation, and other activities that contribute to the success of our students on their path to college graduation.
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FUN FACT: With the addition of our newest AmeriCorps members, Breakthrough Central Texas now has a team of 65!
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Breakthrough Presents: What now? Race, Class & Educational Equity: A Community Conversation with Wes MooreNovember 17 at 5:30 PM
Join us for a free virtual community conversation with Wes Moore on educational equity in Central Texas. This forum will focus on collaborative next steps we all can take to dismantle systemic barriers to educational opportunity in our communities.
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We're Hiring: Join the Breakthrough Team!
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Join us if you are a builder and a nurturer, equally committed to making college-going and degree attainment accessible for the youth in our communities, while also fostering an inclusive team culture that supports us all to do our best work.
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| Breakthrough is proud to be an AmeriCorps program.
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