Breakthrough supports motivated students with limited educational opportunity and trains outstanding high school and college students to become tomorrow’s teachers and urban educational leaders.
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Breakthrough students discover that it's “cool to be smart” and that learning is fun. Our classes utilize a hands-on approach and are supplemented by arts, museum trips, and public speaking opportunities.
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Our teachers agree: interning at Breakthrough is a unique and life-changing experience. Learn why our internship consistently ranks in The Princeton Review's Top Ten.
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Our work depends on the generosity of our partners, donors, and volunteers. Learn how you can make a difference.
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Name Email Address Are you a: Privacy Policy

Breakthrough San Francisco is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected.

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In order to supply you with your Breakthrough e-mail, we need your e-mail address. Breakthrough San Francisco does not collect any other personal information that you do not expressly provide. Breakthrough San Francisco will never sell, rent, or share your personal information, including your e-mail address, with any third parties for marketing purposes without your express permission. Breakthrough San Francisco may share your personal information for the purpose of delivering e-mail to you or as required by law.

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Breakthrough San Francisco may also request non-personally identifiable information, such as annual income, buying preferences, or age, also known as demographic and profile data. Though this information is optional, we may use it to improve our site and/or tailor your experience on our site and email programs, showing you content that we think you might be interested in and displaying content according to your preferences. We may also share this information with others, such as advertisers interested in advertising in the Breakthrough San Francisco e-mail or on the site, in aggregate, anonymous form, which means that the information will not contain any personally identifiable information about you or any other person.

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In addition to collecting personal and non-personal information, Breakthrough San Francisco may also collect non-personal, aggregated information about subscribers' use of Breakthrough San Francisco e-mails and the website. This information is not personally identifiable and will be used only to find out how subscribers use our service and site. For example, this information will tell us how much time users spend on the Breakthrough San Francisco site, from which sites subscribers came, and to what sites subscribers go. The collection of this information allows us to, among other things, prepare for traffic load demands and to efficiently deliver you content.

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If you ever decide to stop receiving email communications from us, simply click on the unsubscribe link in the footer at the bottom of our newsletters or email us at info@breakthroughsanfrancisco.org to unsubscribe.

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As part of the service, Breakthrough San Francisco may create links allowing you to access third-party sites. Breakthrough San Francisco is not responsible for the content that appears on these sites and does not endorse these sites. Please consult the sites' individual privacy policies in order to determine how they treat user information.

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All information described above is stored on restricted database servers.

Breakthrough San Francisco may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes.

This policy is effective from Jan. 1, 2010.

Breakthrough San Francisco

Featured Student: Anderson

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Anderson lives with his parents and younger sister in the Outer Sunset. He was nine when he came to the U.S. from Guatemala. Though the adjustment was immense, his will to learn was strong. Admitted to Breakthrough in 2008, Anderson quickly stood out for his work ethic, kindness, and irresistible smile.

Featured Teacher: Mika

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In the summer of 2009, Mika, then a rising junior at Mt. Holyoke College, put aside her role as a student to lead a class of her own. For six weeks, she taught at Breakthrough San Francisco. "It made me realize that I want to teach in some capacity," says Mika about her experience. "I know that education and educational equity will be part of my future in some way."

Latest News

Apply Now for Fall Tutor Positions

September 2, 2010

Applications are now available for fall Volunteer Tutor positions. The backbone of our school-year program, tutors work one-on-one or in small groups with our motivated fifth and sixth graders, helping students successfully complete homework and exposing them to new academic challenges. Tutors volunteer one afternoon per week, for two hours, on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, and make a semester-long commitment - from October to December. Applications are due September 10 (Round 1) and September 24 (Round 2). Click here to learn more.

Celebrating the End of Summer

August 2, 2010

Breakthrough students, family members, and friends came together last Thursday to celebrate the hard work done by students and teachers over the course of our six-week summer program. The evening included a potluck dinner, exhibitions of student work, and performances including debate, poetry, and capoeira. The night ended, in typical Breakthrough fashion, with songs by our students and teachers. After a few days of wrap-up work by teachers and staff, Breakthrough's programming will take a hiatus until September.

Lessons from the Backcountry

July 20, 2010

Our sixth graders recently returned from 24 hours in the backcountry. After learning about low-impact camping techniques and how to pack for the wilderness, they applied their knowledge at Tennessee Valley and the Point Reyes National Seashore. The students played group games, learned about the native wildlife, hiked to the ocean, and slept under the stars – obscured though they were by clouds and fog. While outdoor education is labor-intensive, we think it's worth it; research suggests it can boost young peoples’ confidence, attention span, and intellectual curiosity. Special thanks to Bay Area Wilderness Training for backpacks and other needed equipment.