“For eleven years many Lovett students, faculty, and
parents have had the privilege of working with Breakthrough's
students, student teachers, and staff. This privilege is one
we cherish and makes our school community stronger, more vital,
and more dynamic than it would otherwise be!”
-- Billy Peebles, Head of School, The Lovett School, Atlanta,
GA, host school, Breakthrough Atlanta
Now that you have learned more about Breakthrough, and the
incredible impact our programs has on young people, you will
want to begin the exploration process to evaluate if a Breakthrough
site is appropriate for your community.
Starting a Breakthrough site is no easy task. After the Inquiry
phase, there are three additional phases to successfully launching
a breakthrough site and becoming formally affiliated with
the collaborative. A typical start-up timeframe varies from
18 to 24 months, and often requires the equivalent of a full-time
position as well as acquiring significant financial support
and other resources from local supporters.
Before moving forward please be sure to really familiarize
yourself with the Breakthrough program model, as it will assist
you greatly during the future phases of the new site development
process. A roster of your Start-Up Committee, with appropriate
contact information, will be required from Breakthrough National
before initiating the exploratory phase so that the growth
team is clear about their primary contacts and local supports.
Phase 2: Exploration
The exploratory phase is designed to investigate in more detail
what other community programs already exist, as well as developing
a better understanding of the responsibilities and benefits
of hosting a Breakthrough site. This process should result
in a feasibility study that becomes the foundation for building
support for starting a Breakthrough site in your community.
The first big step in evaluating whether a Breakthrough site
is the best choice for your community is to fully understanding
the Breakthrough model. Once this is complete, your evaluation
of other programs in your community will provide valuable
insight in deciding if Breakthrough will duplicate other services,
or provide an unmet need. Below are links to documents that
provide further detail on the Breakthrough model, sample start-up
resources, and a tool to assist your evaluation of other community
programs.
A feasibility report required National approval
before moving forward into the application phase. The National
office can provide additional support to help you evaluate
other programs in your community and potential partnerships
for hosting a Breakthrough site. Please do not hesitate to
contact us with questions or additional information.
If you have any questions or need additional
information about the above, contact startups@breakthroughcollaborative.org
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