Current News

Come see Breakthrough Houston in action!

[Click HERE to see the invite]

Experience Breakthrough Houston

May 11, 2011
11:30 AM — 1 PM
The Briar Club
2603 Timmons Lane, Houston Texas 77027

Join Luncheon Co-Chairs Brittney and Max Tribble for the annual Breakthrough Luncheon, honoring all student and teacher alums from the past 15 years.   Our guest speaker is Lois Loofburrow, the founder of the Breakthrough Collaborative.

Tickets are available at several levels.  Take a look at the invitation, and send in your RSVP today!

• $100 HALL PASS SUPPORTER: Individual Ticket

Supports the BTH alumni network

• $500 EXTRACURRICULAR  SUPPORTER: Seating for 4

Supports one high school student during the school year

• $1,000 FIELD TRIP TABLE: Seating for 8

Supports a summer teacher’s stipend.

• $2,500 GOLD STAR TABLE: Seating for 8

Supports one middle school student for an entire calendar year

• $5,000 A+ TABLE: Priority seating for 8

Supports one middle school student for all three summers of the BTH middle school program

Corporate underwriting opportunities are also available.

For more information on tickets, underwriting opportunities, or the event, please contact Darcy Douglas at ddouglas@sjs,org or 713-850-4031.

Breakthrough Houston announces recent

Advisory Council changes and additions

Houston, Texas, January 31, 2011 – Breakthrough Houston (BTH), part of the national Breakthrough Collaborative, is proud to announce its new Advisory Council Chair, as well as the addition of two new members to its Advisory Council.

Molly Voorhees stepped into the position of Advisory Council Chair last fall. In her new role, Molly is helping direct the Advisory Council towards the goals and objectives laid out in BTH’s recently published five year Strategic Plan. Molly holds a degree in economics from Middlebury College in Vermont and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She is in charge of marketing and expansion for Beck’s Prime, and uses her business experience and education to help BTH make wise decisions both with programming and with funding.

“Molly has been an integral part of the BTH Advisory Council, and I am so pleased to have her step into the role of Chair. She is extremely committed to the mission of BTH, and her dedication to the students and teachers is very apparent. Her vision for the future of the Advisory Council is very exciting, and we can’t wait to see what the next three years bring for the organization,” said Kathy Heinzerling, Executive Director of BTH.

A. Katrise Perera is a School Improvement Officer with the Houston Independent School District. In this role, Katrise is responsible for helping principals to create high-quality instructional teams and programs focused on student academic growth, to establish and achieve bold and measurable goals, and to work with their school communities. Prior to HISD, she was both an administrator and educator in Virginia. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Louisiana, a master’s degree from Mary Baldwin College, and expects to complete a doctorate in education at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Katrise is helping BTH increase its visibility within the HISD community.

Douglas E. Stewart is the Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Stallion Oilfield Holdings, Inc. in Houston, Texas. He has also worked in the international business development group for Occidental Development Company, a subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum Corporation and as a Corporate Finance attorney at Vinson & Elkins LLP. He has an undergraduate degree from Trinity University and a law degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Douglas is drawing upon his experience in the corporate world to raise awareness of BTH’s mission with area businesses.

“I am so pleased to have both Douglas and Katrise join the BTH Advisory Council. They bring much needed experience and leadership to the table, and they both fill voids in our leadership. The BTH Advisory Council is proud to have them on board,” said Heinzerling.

These additions increase the number of BTH Advisory Council members to 15. In addition to Molly, Katrise, and Douglas, the members of BTH’s Advisory Council are Mark Desjardins, Headmaster of St. John’s School; Mark Dini, the Director of Advancement at St. John’s School; Nancy Eisenberg, Assistant Head of School at Episcopal High School; Ben Erwin, Partner, One Greenwich; Dawn Hanson, member of the St. John’s Board of Trustees; Carter Higley, Co-owner of School House Partners; Frank Hogan (most recent Advisory Council Chair), Director, Private Banking USA, Credit Suisse Securities LLC; Rachel Moody, University of Houston graduate student; Josh Schaffer, The Schaffer Law Firm; Brittney Tribble, Owner of MaxBowl; and Dick Williams, President of Shell WindEnergy.

About Breakthrough Houston

BTH, part of the national Breakthrough Collaborative, was established in Houston in 1996. We have grown from an initial enrollment of 30 middle-school students in 1996 to over 200 students in 2011. Our summer program is generously housed by St. John’s School, while our School Year and College Readiness programs operate at Episcopal High School.

BTH aims to prepare students who possess high academic potential, but limited educational resources, for competitive high-school programs and college admission. We serve approximately 200 underserved Houston area students through our Summer, School Year, and College Readiness programs. Our students have been admitted to some of the highest ranked high schools in Houston, such as St. John’s School, Episcopal High School, Debakey High School for Health Professions, Carnegie Vanguard, YES! Prep, KIPP, and Bellaire High School, and have gone on to attend universities like Princeton, Vanderbilt, and the University of Virginia.

Additionally, we encourage the next generation of future educators. Our classes are taught by talented high-school and college students who are interested in education, and we provide them with a hands-on, autonomous classroom experience to encourage them to pursue those interests after college graduation.

For more information on BTH, please contact Darcy Douglas at ddouglas@sjs.org or 713-850-4031, or visit our website at www.breakthroughhouston.org.

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Are you currently a high school senior or a college student? Are you thinking about pursuing a career in education after college graduation? Are you ready for eight weeks that will change your life forever? Look no further.

Breakthrough Houston is looking for talented individuals who are interested in working with academically gifted middle school students from underserved families in the Greater Houston area to teach this summer. As a Breakthrough Houston teacher, you will teach classes of approximately eight to ten students. You will go through an intense orientation week to learn the ropes of the classroom, work with an experienced Mentor Teacher as you create six weeks of lesson plans, and spend a week evaluating the amazing progress you made as a teacher.

The Princeton Review has ranked Breakthrough as a Top Ten summer internship, along with working at the White House and for MTV. Teach for America has noted that former Breakthrough teachers are accepted to TFA at a much higher rate than regular applicants. Plus, you will make friendships that will last a lifetime.

Click HERE to apply to teach at Breakthrough Houston this summer. The deadline to apply is MARCH 7, 2011. Get ready for the best eight weeks of your life!

Our College Readiness program extends our services to high school students.

Our high school students are paired up with a “mentor” who is currently enrolled in college.

CLICK HERE FOR APPLICATION

Please return completed application by October 8, 2010 to the address below or by fax to 713-512-3601 (please email to confirm receipt).

Christine Cepeda

Breakthrough Houston

Episcopal High School

4650 Bissonnet

Bellaire, TX 77401

Want more information?

http://www.breakthroughhouston.org/

Please email ccepeda@ehshouston.org or call 713-512-3430

Who: ALL alumni teachers and students

What: An Ice Cream Social

When: Wednesday, July 14, 2010 from 2:30 to 3:30

Where: St. John’s School cafeteria
2401 Claremont Lane Houston, TX 77019

Why: To celebrate Breakthrough Houston!

Come and get a “sneak peek” of what our program is all about.

Hear amazing stories from highly motivated students, get a first-hand look of classes, see how you can get involved!

Come any of the following 4 mornings (8:30 -10:00):
Meet at St. John’s School cafeteria

June 24
July 1
July 8
July 15 (this Visitor’s Day will witness our Alt Energy Fair!)

RSVP to Darcy Douglas at 713-850-4031 or ddouglas@sjs.org

CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR ANNUAL REPORT

CLICK HERE FOR “FRIENDS OF” BREAKTHROUGH

CLICK HERE FOR THE UNDERWRITER FORM

Please join us as a Corporate Sponsor (Underwriter) for Breakthrough Houston’s annual luncheon on Friday, May 7, 2010 at the Briar Club. This year’s keynote speaker is Houston’s former First Lady, Andrea White. Andrea’s daughter, Elena, is a former student teacher in our program. The entire White family understands the need to provide the underserved communities of Houston with an opportunity such as Breakthrough Houston. This year we are pleased to honor H.I.S.D. for their many years of providing Breakthrough with food and transportation for our students in the summer program.

Since 1996, Breakthrough has been educating low-income students through our intense summer and school-year programs and providing aspiring student teachers with a meaningful and inspiring teaching experience. Recognized by the Princeton Review as one of the top ten teaching internships in the country, Breakthrough continues to reach hundreds of middle school and high school students and create a new generation of gifted teachers. We are proud that this fall, 95% of our 9th graders entered top-tier college preparatory high schools and 85% of our alumni are attending college.

For your contribution, your company will be listed in the event invitation, program, our Annual Report and on Breakthrough Houston’s website. Your gift will enable us to continue to provide a tuition-free and rigorous academic program for our students while encouraging talented high school and college students to pursue careers in education. Please join us in supporting this important two-fold mission.

Sincerely,

Kathy Heinzerling

“Breakthrough has given me faith in my abilities as a teacher, the abilities of my fellow student teachers, and the abilities of my students – as bright, motivated professionals, as well as compassionate human beings who want to affect positive change in the world.”
Meredith Zern, 2009 Breakthrough summer Spanish teacher