Why We Do It

You have to stay in school. You have to. You have to go to college. You have to get your degree. Because that's the one thing people can't take away from you is your education. And it is worth the investment. — Michelle Obama

The Need

Approximately half of the students from high-income communities in the United States will graduate from college, but only one in ten students from under-resourced communities will do so. This achievement gap, in part a product of under-resourced educational institutions, leaves behind too many students who would otherwise succeed. Breakthrough identifies these talented students and assists them in the pursuit of a college education.

Breakthrough starts with middle school students because middle school is a critical period of academic, developmental, and social change, during which students either move forward on the path to high school graduation and college success or get knocked off track. Breakthrough continues supporting these students through their high school career, assisting them in meeting their goal of getting to college.