Twelve months ago our team set our word of intention for 2024: CULTIVATE.

Leadership is on the rise. We’ve doubled down on our leadership model, ramping up recognition, support, and advancement of volunteers into paid work experience – introducing first-ever stipends for Teaching Assistants – adding to our summer impact of more than 200 young people in unmatched early workforce experiences. 

Partnership pillars are growing. We were competitively selected for an unprecedented new grant award from AmeriCorps to support 188 Teaching Fellows and Success Coaches annually, and positioning Breakthrough Miami to serve more Members of any agency in the State. 

Fifty more for 5 years. An incredible 50% percent more folks (830+!) made moves for Breakthrough this year over last as part of our 5th Annual Race To Breakthrough. The student-led virtual race has made a serious impact – raising more than $686k since its inception. 

Breakthroughs are in fashion. We took our mission center stage this year with global design maverick Missoni for the 2nd annual Wine Women & Shoes, generously hosted by the Rubell Museum. Welcoming more than 300 fashionistas and philanthropists, we raised more than $680K, paving the way for 136 Scholars. 

Top of Class. After an intensive 2-year review, Breakthrough Miami achieved prestigious national accreditation for volunteer service engagement by AL!VE, joining the top 11 percent of nonprofits nationwide in volunteer management and organizational performance. 

Changemaking isn’t just for students. Our Advisory and Parent Liaisons are the backbones for the growth and engagement of our robust adult volunteer networks. A unique asset, and critical to our success, our Advisory grew by 25% to nearly 100 active volunteer leaders this year with numerous subcommittees! 

No longer ‘Breakthrough Who.’ The word is out on Breakthrough Miami’s transformative impact. We have already received 55% more early Scholar applications than the prior year, well in advance of our January 15th deadline for admittance to our incoming Class of 2033. 

Paying it forward. Breakthrough Miami Alumni are growing their presence and impact. This year they hosted an enlightening summer movie screening with BYKIDS, and on Give Miami Day surpassed their fundraising goal to support book awards for Class of 2025 graduating seniors. 

Youth leading with vision. We celebrated the inaugural success of the creative vision of Guiliana Reynolds, 9th grader at Palmer Trinity School, and generous sponsorship from The Collab at the THesis Hotel, to create meaningful student experiences in the hospitality industry. Engaging more than 30 students from various schools, including a musical collaboration with Amparo Torres Platt, 11th grader at Gulliver Preparatory, this novel idea welcomed 110 guests and raised $60K. 

New reels were cast. With further program expansion ahead in 2025, we were thrilled to be newly designated the 2024 beneficiary of the Miami Physician’s Fishing Tournament at Ocean Reef, introducing Breakthrough’s mission to new families and networks, and making 5 more Scholar journeys possible this year.

SkillBuilding. We have gathered a whole lot of experience, knowledge, and proven best practices on our 34-year old journey and we’re ideally positioned to share with others! This year we developed a whole new slate of training and courses to support peer Youth Development organizations as a Trust Academy training partner. Check out SkillBuild powered by Breakthrough Miami!

Proven. We experience and celebrate the transformational impact of Breakthrough each day through the inspiring stories of growth and achievement of our Scholars, Volunteers, and Teaching Fellows. Notably this year our rigorous external comparative evaluation gave renewed evidence of the positive impact of participation in Breakthrough Miami on student academic achievement, attendance, and enrollment in advanced courses. 

Growth Mindset in Action. Yes! We’re making more breakthroughs happen! We served an unprecedented 1,600 5-12th grade Scholars, boosted by the continued growth of our Saint Andrews School site serving students from Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Our Scholars hail from more than 320 schools across three counties and half the zip codes in South Florida. With growth on the horizon, this year we laid the foundational groundwork for a new site opening at Belen Jesuit Preparatory School this summer, unlocking the Western parts of Miami Dade County. 

We salute you and our entire Village for making historic breakthroughs happen –  the energy and focus of our students, commitment from families, investment of volunteers, partners and donors – every action contributes to our collective progress. This is grassroots, youth-driven, community-based, infectiously inspiring work – it’s a gift for us to all to be a part of.

Now ahead to 2025 – let’s set another intention together. Let’s choose to be guided by positivity, purpose, and breakalicious spirit. Let’s choose once again to be a part of collective good. Let’s choose to breakthrough together. ♦