Member Spotlight: Breakthrough Central Texas
All children should have the opportunity to benefit from the life-changing power of a college degree, as educational opportunities beyond high school afford a greater ability to achieve economic mobility and build a life of one’s own choosing. However, too often, a student’s circumstances of birth – race, ethnicity, family’s income level or immigration status – control their educational opportunities.
Central Texas has one of the lowest college completion rates for students of color and for underserved communities. Only 1 in 4 Central Texas high school graduates go on to earn a college degree or certificate. For students from low-income communities, that number drops to just 1 in 8.
To combat this inequity, Breakthrough Central Texas makes a 12-year commitment to students and their families to guide them through the process of preparing for, enrolling in and completing college. The long-term model ensures the success of students and families from middle school to high school graduation to college diploma and beyond.
Breakthrough Central Texas is part of the Breakthrough Collaborative, which consists of 24 affiliates operating dependently and delivering direct services to middle and high school students from under-resourced communities, college undergraduates serving as teaching fellows, and professional teachers serving as instructional coaches in their localities. Breakthrough Central Texas is one of the largest in Texas, with Breakthrough Houston and Breakthrough Fort Worth also supporting Texas youth.
Community Impact
In 2022, Breakthrough Central Texas will serve nearly 3,000 students across its 12-year experience and school-based model. To date, Breakthrough Central Texas has helped produce nearly 300 college graduates.
At every grade level, Breakthrough students outpace their peers on critical milestones, including school attendance, grades, and college entrance exams.
An independent study confirmed that Breakthrough students, even when compared to students with similar demographics and academic standing, are twice as likely to graduate from college as their peers.
96% of Breakthrough students graduate from high school on time, compared to 86% of their peers from low-income communities.
91% of Breakthrough students enroll directly in college, compared to 42% of their peers from low-income communities.
Amplify Impact: How Mission Capital Supports this Organization
Mission Capital is such an incredible asset to the Austin nonprofit community. At Breakthrough, we rely on Mission Capital to help build the organization’s capacity to realize our mission. We are an education nonprofit, committed to supporting students to attain postsecondary success.
Mission Capital supports us in our ability to develop staff, set and execute our vision, and build our tools as community-centric fundraisers and collaborators. As a nonprofit, we are constantly evolving, sometimes to external factors like the pandemic, and always to improve our services for our students and families.
Breakthrough has benefitted from the professional development and consulting services Mission Capital provides in countless ways over the years. Recently, the organization participated in a strategic planning session, alongside 13 other nonprofits and colleges and universities that make up the Austin College Attainment Network, to envision our path forward as a collective. It was yet another instance of the value we’ve found in having a skilled facilitator who knows the local context and so many of the players involved.
Breakthrough has seen staff benefit from learning through the professional development series Mission Capital offers. Whether it’s in developing succession and bench plans, or improving conflict management skills, or growing supervision competencies, or developing equitable practices, we’ve learned as a staff alongside other nonprofit professionals across Austin.
Get Involved
At Breakthrough, we are interested in collaborating with anyone dedicated to the well-being of young people and their families in Central Texas. Our goal is to partner with not only education and postsecondary access and success organizations but organizations that have expertise in providing mental health services and in housing access, employment, and legal services. For more information on partnerships, contact Executive Director, Michael Griffith at michael@breakthroughctx.org
Other ways to get involved:
Volunteer
Volunteer with Breakthrough to help students craft college essays or prepare scholarships applications, tutor one-on-one after school, or help our staff with events and communications. Breakthrough offers a variety of summer and year-round volunteer opportunities. Learn more at BreakthroughCTX.org/volunteer
Donate
Annual Giving: Your unrestricted, annual gift at any level makes a difference. Visit BreakthroughCTX.org/Donate.
Breakthrough Honor Roll: Join this growing community of individuals and families who, aside from their financial support, have pledged their time and personal expertise to connect with fellow members, learn and volunteer together. Membership starts at $50/month. Learn more at BreakthroughCTX.org/Honor-Roll.
Advocate
Breakthrough Central Texas champions federal, state and local policies that promote equity in college attainment and that support students to succeed on their path to college graduation. Reflecting the perspective of nearly 3,000 students and college graduates, their families and staff members and partners, Breakthrough speaks out for students who aspire to be the first in their families to graduate from college, students from low-income backgrounds, students of color and students from immigrant families.
Sign up for the newsletter at BreakthroughCTX.org to learn how you can support upcoming initiatives. Together we can promote policies that lead to more college breakthroughs across our region and beyond.
You’re Invited - Upcoming Events
Come Observe Breakthrough’s Programs at Summer Visitors Days: During Visitors Days, community members are invited to observe our Summer Academy, take a tour, and meet Breakthrough students and AmeriCorps Teaching Fellows.
Thurs, June 30, 8:30-10:00 AM @ UT
Tues, July 12, 8:30-10:00 AM @ Manor
Tues, July 19, 8:30-10:00 AM @ St. Andrew’s
Wed, July 20, 8:30-10:00 AM @ Del Valle
For more information on Visitors Days, contact Karen Arredondo at karen@breakthroughctx.org.
A special thank you to Michael Griffith, Executive Director and Issa Galvan, Director of Communications at Breakthrough Central Texas for spending time with us to bring you this spotlight. For more information about Breakthrough Central Texas, check out their website.