the need
Research shows:
• Low-income students, even those who are highachievers in elementary school, are more likely to
drop out of high school than their more affluent
peers.
• Students from low-income backgrounds lose 4
to 5 months in reading skills each summer, and the
loss is cumulative.
• Nationally, just 26% of low-income students with
above-average scores in 8th grade graduate from
college, lower than affluent students with poorer
scores.
• Across the U.S., overall college enrollment has
grown tremendously in the past 30 years, but the
gap between the share of low-income students and
more affluent students entering college – and those
earning degrees – has dramatically widened.
“I never imagined being where I am today…
and it’s all because of Breakthrough.”
Our program is based on national studies that demonstrate:
Forty Breakthrough Scholars took a college tour
to campuses all over Florida.
• Increased attendance in out-of-school
programs improves academic achievement, and
the longer students are involved, the greater the
benefit.
• High quality enrichment programs help students
improve social and other skills in addition to academics, skills that are key to health and well-being.
• Cross-age peer mentoring provides significant
benefits, both academically and socially, for both
mentors and mentees.
An independent evaluation of our program by the
University of Miami Education Evaluation Team
(UMEET) in 2012 showed steadily increasing
academic metrics for students in all grades who
participate in Breakthrough Miami.