Adult-Volunteers
Get ready to make an impact on the future.
Volunteers are vital to the success of our program. Apply to become a volunteer by clicking on your preferred site below and completing the application. Following your application submission, a member of our team will contact you with next steps. Please be advised, if you are 18 and over, you will be required to complete a background check. In addition, all volunteers must complete orientation and training before starting.
Thank you for your interest in serving with Breakthrough Miami – It takes a village!
Adult Volunteers
At Breakthrough Miami we are bridging communities, developing as changemakers, learning and leading together – students and adults alike! Our program is shaped by the energy, passion, intentions, and expertise of a broad and diverse Village. We invite you to get involved and make breakthroughs happen! Existing opportunities are highlighted below, but we also encourage and invite new ideas and programs!
Volunteer Networks:
Advisory: Each year, the Breakthrough Advisory galvanizes the creativity, ideas, networks, and efforts of over fifty committed volunteer leaders, dedicated to propelling the Breakthrough program to new levels. Our Breakthrough Advisory comprises dedicated volunteers across our host site schools and the broader community who support organization-wide initiatives. The Advisory was established to engage adult volunteers in supporting and advancing the Breakthrough mission and program. The Advisory is organized with various sub-committees, which provide leadership over particular programs and initiatives to enhance the Scholar, Volunteer, Teaching Fellow, and Alumni experience, raise funds and expand the Breakthrough Village of engaged supporters. The Advisory also serves as an umbrella to our dedicated Parent Liaisons, who serve as key ambassadors at each of our host site schools. Annual organizational-wide activities and initiatives led by the Advisory include supply drives; community events such as the Race to Breakthrough, STEPS 5K, and Support A Scholar Celebration; Teaching Fellow welcoming efforts; Gratitude Week, Volunteer Celebration; corporate partner engagements such as Career Day and Mock Interview Day.
Parent Liaisons: Serving as volunteer leaders on the ground at each of our host site schools, Liaisons are generally current parents of students at the host site schools and are charged with nurturing and growing the embedded service-learning partnership across the campus. Liaisons represent Breakthrough Miami across campus, participating and promoting Breakthrough at school events such as Parent Association meetings, back-to-school nights, and sporting and community events. Their efforts help raise awareness and engage parents, students, faculty, administration, and alumni to become meaningfully engaged with Breakthrough Miami. Liaisons take a leadership role in supporting Site Directors to plan and deliver activities and programming on-site such as Healthy Lunches, guest speakers, 8th-grade celebrations, and on-site gratitude week activities.
Selected engagement opportunities include:
Supply Drives: Mobilize your family and friends, or a club or office, to collect program supplies to take our project-based learning curriculum to life. Host a drive or donate directly to our Amazon charity list, sort + package supplies, and/or sign up for distributing.
College Coaching: Get matched with a Junior or Senior Scholar and support their journey to identifying, applying, and transitioning to college.
Annual Celebrations: Make our Scholar graduations and progression ceremonies, Volunteer recognitions, and Teaching Fellow celebration an unforgettable experience. Support event planning, identify or sponsor gifts, identify speakers or experiences and support public relations. Annual events include our Senior Celebration, 8th-grade Progression Ceremonies, and Volunteer Celebrations.
Fashion & Philanthropy: Our annual collaboration with local retailers serves as an engaging opportunity to support local businesses while raising funds through a percentage of sales to support Breakthrough Miami. Opportunity to serve on the host committee, recruit and engage participating designers and retailers, promote, shop and host.
Race Days: Move your body and mobilize others to support Breakthrough Miami! In August, get engaged with our virtual Race To Breakthrough, raising over $100K in annual funding for Breakthrough Miami. In February, participate in the St. Thomas Episcopal Parish School Alumni Fun Run, a community 5k, with half the proceeds benefit Breakthrough Miami. Students, families, community members, and corporations are invited to sign up & create a team, spread the word in your school, Athletics departments, clubs, etc.
Teaching Fellow Welcome Committee / Distributions: Help us welcome and support our group of out-of-state Teaching Fellows by donating summer pantry bags or helping sponsor dinners and weekend breakfasts for approximately 25 of our Teaching Fellows residing in the dorms for the summer.
Expertise & Experience: Be a part of bridging the opportunity gap by lending your expertise and mentorship. Join us as a guest speaker, lead a workshop or activity or train our student volunteers. Opportunity to align with grade-based curriculum [5th Grade: Environmental Sciences; 6th Grade: Arts & Culture; 7th Grade: Engineering & Technology; 8th Grade: Business & Entrepreneurship. Other topics of interest include financial education, leadership, identity, personal branding, career readiness.
Breakthrough Miami is proud to be an official certifying organization for the Presidential Service Volunteer Award.