Breakthrough Silicon Valley

Breakthrough’s innovative Students Teaching Students model partners middle-school students with college and high school students who serve as teachers, role models and mentors, providing real-life examples that it’s 'cool to be smart’. Breakthrough boasts a proven ripple effect of positive results: 93% of Breakthrough student alumni are accepted to college preparatory programs and 72% of Breakthrough teachers, many of whom were Breakthrough students, go on to pursue professional careers in education.

Students commit to a minimum of two years of tuition-free intensive six-week summer sessions and after-school programs in which they take classes in core academic subjects, and participate in elective courses ranging from astronomy to African-American literature. Breakthrough's classes are rigorous and small (a maximum 4:1 student to teacher ratio) and full participation and attendance is expected of every student.