Breakthrough Manchester

News Archives

Issues of Breakthrough's Newsletter, "The Bridge"

News Index:

Breakthrough Scholars Featured in Jayme's Fund Video - April, 2009

 

A Cool Evening of Jazz with John Pizzarelli - March, 2009

Jayme's Fund for Social Justice has been a long-time supporter or Breakthrough Manchester. Breakthrough students and teachers interested in attending the John Pizzarelli benefit concert on April 11 should contact the Breakthrough office.

John Pizzarelli is making a very special appearance on Saturday, April 11 at 8:00pm at The Stockbridge Theatre in Derry, NH. This is the 7th annual concert to benefit Jayme’s Fund for Social Justice. Also appearing is the hilarious comedian Jimmy Dunn. The evening is hosted by Mike Morin of WZID.

After last years stunning performance, the John Pizzarelli quartet is warmly welcomed back to the Stockbridge Theatre. With an all new show, featuring songs from his just released With a Song in My Heart, Pizzarelli is sure to deliver another evening of truly outstanding entertainment. Warm, funny and masterful on the guitar and vocals, Pizzarelli is internationally known for his cool jazz style and sublime and inventive guitar playing. Hailed by critics as one of the most accomplished interpreters of the Great American Songbook, John Pizzarelli is known for his brilliant guitar work and smooth vocals. In a career that has produced twenty one recordings and gained international recognition, Pizzarelli has brought classic standards and ballads to a new generation ready to swing and swoon. From Carnegie Hall to Melrose Place, John has gained a wide following from his numerous stage, screen and television appearances and is setting the standard for stylish, modern jazz. You may also recognize him from the Foxwoods Casino spot featuring The Wonder of it All.

Comedian Jimmy Dunn is a Boston favorite and a national headliner who has appeared numerous times on Comedy Central. Sports fans may recognize him as the host of Fan Attic on NESN and the show Sox Appeal He wrote and produced the Olympia Sports commercials that he stars in.

The concert is generously sponsored by the Merrimack Valley Magazine, Tupelo Music Hall, The Hilton Garden Inn, Dr. Montanarello and Associates, Shanelaris and Schirch, Manchester Acupuncture Studio, Gary Rondeau Automotive, Law Offices of Amy G. Wolfson, Nestle and Frasca and Frasca, PA.

Tickets on sale now at 603-437-5210 or online at www.stockbridgetheatre.com.
All seats reserved -Adults $30 - Students $20 (phone/ box office sales only).
Doors and Silent Auction open at 7pm

Students thank Kiwanis Club for contributions to Breakthrough - November, 2008

The Kiwanis Club of Manchester invited Breakthrough to speak at their meeting on November 26. The Kiwanis Club has supported Breakthrough for many years through both an endowed Bud Smith Scholarship and unrestricted gifts to the program's Annual Fund. After brief comments from Kate Erskine, Director, two Breakthrough students and Bud Smith Scholars Aseeb (tenth grader at The Derryfield School) and Isadora (seventh grader at Hillside Middle School) shared with Kiwanians their experiences in the program. Watch the video below to hear their remarks.

 

Bank of America Invests $10,000 in 10-Year Olds with Dreams of College Diplomas - November, 2008

Forty-six Manchester 10-year olds competed to complete homework during their summer vacations. Undaunted by 11-page applications and individual interviews, they connected their dreams of college with their plans for the summer, committing to a six-week summer session at Breakthrough Manchester, in exchange for rigorous classes and seven years of ongoing support to prepare them to succeed in school and attend college.

For the second year in a row, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation donated $10,000 to make Breakthrough Manchester possible. Targeting its support to low-income students, who compose 53% of Breakthrough students, Bank of America demonstrated its commitment to build “strong, healthy neighborhoods where all of us can live, work and dream by investing in innovative programs designed to serve local community needs.”

"Bank of America continues to be a consistent partner in the success of our students on the road to college. We are grateful for their leadership in supporting educational opportunities for Manchester's youth," said Kate Erskine, Director.

Breakthrough Manchester serves rising sixth graders from all fourteen of Manchester’s public elementary schools through a seven-year support system, tailored to meet the academic, social, and personal needs of students who have intellectual potential but face significant obstacles to college enrollment. 29% of Breakthrough Manchester’s students speak English as a second language, and 43% are Students of Color. 74% of Breakthrough Manchester’s students attend one of the city’s eight Title I-serviced schools, which serve children living in poverty, and 53% of Breakthrough Manchester students qualify for free or reduced lunch. These students face multiple barriers on the road to academic and personal success, and Breakthrough Manchester offers them the only year-round, long-term non-school-based academic program in the city.

Breakthrough Manchester was founded in 1991 as “Summerbridge Manchester” to help promising middle school students, particularly those with limited opportunities, build the skills and confidence to enter and succeed in college-preparatory high school programs while inspiring talented high school and college students to pursue careers in education. In its eighteenth year with a new name which reflects the year-round nature of the program, Breakthrough Manchester is a tuition-free, college-preparatory program for middle and high-school students and a teacher-training program for high-achieving high school and college students. Breakthrough Manchester has supported the academic success of over 790 Manchester students and recruited, trained, and challenged over 660 college and high-school students from across the city and country to pursue careers in education.

Breakthrough Manchester is a member of the Breakthrough Collaborative, a national network of 34 programs in 27 cities. The Breakthrough Collaborative, along with the White House and MTV, is repeatedly chosen as a Top Ten Internship by The Princeton Review. Most recently, the Breakthrough Collaborative was selected for the 2007 Johns Hopkins University Excellence in Summer Learning Award.


Donna Anne Poulack Foundation - November, 2008

The Donna Anne Poulack Foundation granted $25,000 to Breakthrough Manchester in support of student program tuition, especially for students from low-income backgrounds. Over the past several years, the Donna Anne Poulack Foundation has given $145,000 to the Breakthrough Manchester program, serving as a lead donor and partner in our work. The Foundation supports organizations that work to improve the lives of children in our region, and Breakthrough is grateful for the Foundation's continued support in helping students on their path to college.

 

Breakthrough Manchester featured on NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson's Helmet of Hope - July 2008

Breakthrough Manchester was one of the first of 12 charities that will be featured on Jimmie Johnson’s race helmet for the Sprint Cup event at Auto Club Speedway in August.

Jimmie and Chandra Johnson announced in New Hampshire that in conjunction with the Jimmie Johnson Foundation’s Second Annual Golf Tournament in San Diego, Calif., race fans and media members would have the chance to participate in the Helmet of Hope initiative, allowing them the opportunity to nominate charities which they feel should be featured on the helmet.

Johnson drew the first two winners during last weekend’s Daytona International Speedway race weekend.

Kevin Provencher, staff sports writer for the New Hampshire Union Leader, nominated Breakthrough Manchester (Manchester, N.H.), formerly known as Summerbridge, an “academic enrichment program helping youth reach their lofty goals.” He calls the organization “a priceless asset to the city of Manchester.” For more information, visit www.breakthroughmanchester.org.

Pamela Johnson, of Polkton, N.C., nominated Monarch (Albemarle, N.C.), an organization “committed to supporting, educating and empowering people with disabilities to choose and achieve what is important to them.” In nominating Monarch, Ms. Johnson says, “My son Jim is just one of the people Monarch has and continues to support every day.” For more information, visit www.monarchnc.org.

Fans can nominate their charity by visiting www.jimmiejohnsonfoundation.org and explaining why their organization should be chosen.

Johnson will draw two charities each race weekend through the Michigan event in August.

Johnson will be in the Chicagoland Speedway media center for his media availability on Friday, at which time he will draw two more winning charities, one submitted by a fan and the other by a member of the media.

 

Summerbridge becomes Breakthrough Manchester - October, 2007
This coming spring, Summerbridge Manchester, a Breakthrough Program, will officially change its name to Breakthrough Manchester. Students, teachers, alumni, and community members can expect the same excellent academic services and opportunities that have been offered for the past seventeen years. The mission of the program will remain the same as will the longstanding relationships with The Derryfield School, the Manchester School District, and the Breakthrough Collaborative. Join us in celebrating this momentous event for the future of the program.

Why Change Our Name?

  • Breakthrough better reflects the year-round nature of the program; we are not just a summer program.
  • Breakthrough will be a household name similar to Boys & Girls Club, Salvation Army, and YMCA.
  • Breakthrough is inspired by the A-ha! Moments of discovery and learning that our students and teachers experience.
  • Breakthrough will make our program recognized nationally as part of a bold movement to improve education in America.
  • Breakthrough will preserve our essence and improve community understanding of our mission.

 

DEKA Design visit to Summerbridge featured in Union Leader - February, 2007
Mike Wilt, an engineer at DEKA Research & Development, visited School After School on January 30th to talk about his experiences as an inventor. Mike has worked on various projects at DEKA, including the iBOT, a mobility device able to climb stairs and raise a wheelchair-bound individual to eye-level with a standing person. Students had the opportunity to see the iBOT in action as Mike brought a model to Beech Street Elementary, where Summerbridge holds its School After School program. DEKA is most famously known for producing the Segway.

 

Hinckley, Allen & Snyder LLP Celebrates Centennial by Donating $100,000 to Charities in Three States - December, 2006

PROVIDENCE, R.I., Dec. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Hinckley, Allen & Snyder LLP will cap off the year-long celebration of its centennial in December with the partners donating $100,000 to charity. The firm will award centennial grants to 12 charities at a series of receptions at their offices in Providence, Boston, MA, and Concord, NH.

"These centennial grants are our way of giving back to the communities we serve and showing how grateful we are to have reached such a significant milestone in our firm's history," said Michael P. DeFanti, Managing Partner of Hinckley, Allen & Snyder. "For 100 years, we've had the privilege of serving clients from throughout New England, and we felt that donating to charity was the most appropriate way to celebrate."

Hinckley, Allen & Snyder has chosen to focus their donations on community-based organizations that are committed to addressing critical issues related to children. Because all of the charities the firm chose are small organizations with big goals, they felt that their grants were likely to make a significant impact for the children these charities serve.

The Rhode Island charities receiving centennial grants from Hinckley, Allen & Snyder are:

  • Institute for the Study and Practice of Non-Violence, whose mission addresses potentially violent situations through a streetworker program that helps gang members and school dropouts mediate disputes.
  • Kid's Cafe Program of the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, an organization that serves wholesome evening meals to children at risk of hunger.
  • Louie's Place, an academic and social support program for youth ages 6 to 16 through its after school and summer day camp programs.
  • A Wish Come True, Inc., an organization that grants wishes to children ages 3 to 18 who have life-threatening illnesses and live in Rhode Island and areas of Southeastern Massachusetts.

In Massachusetts, centennial grants will be presented to:

  • CASPAR Youth Services, whose mission provides comprehensive substance abuse prevention and intervention services in the Cambridge and Somerville public schools.
  • The Children's Law Center of Massachusetts, an advocacy for indigent children who are abused, neglected, runaways, delinquent, or have special education or mental health needs.
  • Christmas in the City, an organization that supports and mentors Boston's homeless families, including work to help families make a successful transition from homelessness to independent living.
  • Cornerstones Residential Program, a program that provides 24-hour mental health treatment, behavior modification, crisis intervention, family stabilization and group-based milieu treatment for children ages 6 to 13.

    In New Hampshire, centennial grants will go to:

  • CASA of New Hampshire (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children), an advocacy for the interests of abused and neglected children in the New Hampshire court system.
  • Children's Hospital at Dartmouth, a program that will use the grant to provide 100 pre-paid room nights at David's House so that indigent parents with children in the neo-natal intensive care unit can stay nearby.
  • The Rolfe and Rumford Home, whose mission provides safe and protective shelter for girls 6 to 18.
  • Summerbridge Manchester, a Breakthrough Program at The Derryfield School that provides a year-round, tuition-free academic program for promising students with limited economic means and opportunities from the Manchester, NH, school district.

Hinckley, Allen & Snyder started out in Providence as Green, Hinckley & Allen on January 1, 1906. Numerous mergers and name changes later, the full-service law firm has over 120 attorneys serving businesses and individuals throughout New England. Many well-known Rhode Island names have graced the firm's roster of lawyers, including two who later served as governor and U.S. Senator from Rhode Island, Theodore F. Greene and John H. Chafee. Several of the firm's attorneys have moved on to serve as judges in the Rhode Island court system. In 1984, the firm expanded into Boston and in 2001 an office was opened in Concord, NH.

Hinckley, Allen & Snyder LLP provides a full range of legal services to individuals and businesses in a wide range of industries throughout the Northeast and beyond. Their team of over 120 lawyers provides expert legal counsel and in-depth industry knowledge in such specialties as real estate, venture capital, intellectual property (including patent prosecution and licensing), state and federal taxation, securities law, health care law, construction law, corporate law, labor and employment law, estate planning and administration and commercial litigation. Hinckley, Allen & Snyder has been providing clients with world-class service and pragmatic business advice for over a century.

Source: Hinckley, Allen & Snyder LLP

 

Summer kick-off announced in Union Leader - July 3, 2006

The following article was reprinted with permission from the July 3, 2006 issue of the Union Leader.

AT SUMMERBRIDGE, STUDENTS LEARN WHAT'S IN STORE FOR THEM
by John Whitson - Union Leader Staff

MANCHESTER – Jose Maldonado spent last week in intensive training to become a summer school teacher.

In his down time, he helped transform the Derryfield School by creating and hanging artwork throughout classrooms and hallways.

He didn't do it for the money.

Maldonado is one of 32 young people on campus preparing for today's opening of Summerbridge Manchester, an award-winning, seven-week academic program designed to prepare children for middle school.

A Trinity College junior, Maldonado gets all of $750 for his summer job.

He figures it's the least he can do.

"Summerbridge got me on track and gave me the opportunity to come here," he said, glancing around the hallways of his old high school. "I realize how much Summerbridge shaped me, not just as a student, but as a person."

The Hooksett man would seem to be a case study for Summerbridge's success.

Maldonado said he moved to New Hampshire from Puerto Rico when he was 5 years old. He went to Weston Elementary School, but said he felt few ties to the community until being accepted as a Summerbridge student in 1996.

After graduating from the program two years later, Maldonado got into Derryfield and is now majoring in philosophy at college with an eye on law school.

Today, 88 students who will be in sixth and seventh grade this fall will voluntarily crack the books and take home two hours of homework each night in the hopes that they, too, will get on track for their futures.

Summerbridge administrators visit city elementary schools each February, giving fifth-graders a presentation on the program. Interested students fill out a 10-page application, write essays and submit recommendations from parents and teachers.

"It's pretty rigorous, so it's showing they're dedicated to their education," said Kate Erskine, Summerbridge Manchester director.

The program, in its 16th year locally, targets youngsters from low-income families who show a strong aptitude for school. The children don't have to be the best and brightest, but they do have to be motivated.

"We have kids who are B-C students and do want that extra challenge," said assistant director Trevor Munhall, who spent three years teaching in the program.

Summerbridge students are required to attend two summer sessions, but the program doesn't end when regular school begins. Tutoring, after-school and Saturday sessions are available throughout the year.

The teachers-in-training at Derryfield are mostly from the Manchester area, but about 10 come from across the country and are staying with host families.

Trevor Hancey will be a junior at New York University this fall. A graduate of the Summerbridge Portland (Oregon) program, he is in Manchester for a second summer.

"I used to be a political science major," said Hancey, putting the final touches on some rain forest posters, "but it was after last summer that I decided education is my passion."

That's a major byproduct of the 26 Summerbridge programs nationwide: inspiring young people to consider teaching as a career.

Hancey is now an education major who wants to teach high school social studies, history and, yes, political science.

He knows Summerbridge's 3-to-1 teacher-student ratio won't hold up in the real world, but hopes the fervor for learning that the program inspires will.

"I love the idealism of this," he said. "There's such a focus on students. That's the kind of thing I hope to take away as a teacher.

 

Randy Richardson to receive Klingenstein Award on behalf of The Derryfield School & Summerbridge Manchester - February 1, 2006

Randy Richardson, Derryfield's Head of School, has been asked to represent the independent schools that host Summerbridge/Breakthrough sites across the nation at the Klingenstein Award ceremony.  The presentation will take place at the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) conference in Boston on March 3.  The following is his statement to the community acknowledging this honor for Derryfield and Summerbridge:

I always love speaking about Derryfield because I believe so passionately in our philosophy, and I know that we are always striving to live up to our ideals. Those ideals are written in our statement of philosophy, but they come alive when they are related through stories. I always think about the people that brought me to Derryfield and the teachers that are doing so much for my children every day. The people and the relationships are the foundation on which we build the four pillars of our school mission. These pillars are the small classes and individual attention; the outstanding academic program balancing challenge and support; the myriad academic, artistic, athletic, and leadership opportunities, and our commitment to community service and the higher calling of education.

It is much more powerful when students talk about their transition to Derryfield and the excitement of greater intellectual opportunities and challenges, about teachers and coaches who have given them so much, and about all that they are doing as scholars, musicians, artists, actors, athletes, volunteers, and leaders. The content is great, but the delivery is equally impressive because it is always, honest, articulate, and thoughtful.

I have frequently heard experiences in which Summerbridge plays an important role in these Derryfield student stories. This makes sense given that we are blessed with many Summerbridge graduates at Derryfield, and that approximately one third of all Derryfield students will teach in the program before they graduate. It also is a reflection of Summerbridge as a mission complimentary program that is focused on providing college preparation and an outstanding academic program through strong connections between students and teachers.

In this context, I am very pleased to announce that the Klingenstein Center at Columbia Teachers College has named The Derryfield School, among other Summerbridge/Breakthrough Collaborative Schools, the recipient of the Klingenstein Leadership Award for 2006.

This is a prestigious award for Derryfield and Summerbridge. Consider the fact that over the past decade, the Klingenstein Leadership Award has always honored a single educator who “has influenced the field of education and touched the lives of private school educators, students and parents in enduring ways.” Previous recipients include William Durden (the founder and former director of the Center for talented Youth at Johns Hopkins), Diane Ravitch (professor at New York University and senior fellow at the Brookings Institute), Robert Coles (professor of Psychiatry and Medical Humanities at Harvard University), and Howard Gardner (Professor of Cognition and Education at Harvard University).

This year, however, the Klingenstein Award Committee departed from its usual practice of honoring one individual and chose instead to recognize the contributions of the 22 independent schools that sponsor Summerbridge/Breakthrough Collaborative programs. Presentation of the award will take place at the National Association of Independent Schools Conference in Boston in March. I am especially proud that Klingenstein has asked me to be one of the few speakers during this event.

This is a tremendous honor, and we are especially excited because it is so symbolic of our philosophy and strengths as a school. My thanks extend back to former Derryfield Heads, Marcus Hurlbut and Nancy Boettiger and to a host of Trustees and donors who show the vision, leadership, and generosity to make this program a reality. Strong program leadership has also been key to our success. Summerbridge Manchester has had the strongest and most consistent leadership in the collaborative, currently symbolized by Kate Erskine who is supported by an outstanding leadership team of Trevor Munhall, Bernadette Robinson, and Tina Govatos. Please visit the Summerbridge Manchester website if you would like to know more about this influential program that is clearly one of the most important educational resources in Manchester.

Thank you again for all you do to support our good work. As we move into February, let's all hope snow free school days so that we can spend more time together.

Randy Richardson
Head of School

 

Summerbridge Students Named "Young Heroes" - January 25, 2006

Ten Summerbridge students have been selected to participate in the City Year Young Heroes program in Manchester.  As part of this program, they will be performing community service and gaining leadership skills on Saturdays for the next five months along with middle school students from across the city.  Summerbridge students on Manchester teams are: Hana Cha, Luis Raymundo, Beyanka Francis, Elena Moore, Maria Cervantes, Melissa Cabrera, Jelena Novcic, Desiree Chase, Ngan Hoang and Marcos Raymundo.

City Year Young Heroes Middle School Leadership Corps serves over 1,000 youth nationally.  The Young Heroes Program seeks to enhance participants' awareness of and sensitivity to community issues and to increase their motivation, capacity and sense of responsibility to take action with others to address those issues.  The program combines five critical elements: analysis of social issues, teamwork, diversity, high impact community service, and a special emphasis on leadership skill training.

 

Summerbridge/Breakthrough Wins Prestigious Klingenstein Leadership Award - November 19, 2005

At the annual National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) conference on March 3, 2006, the Klingenstein Center will present Heads of schools that host Summerbridge/Breakthrough programs with the prestigious Klingenstein award.  This award goes to deserving educators whose leadership has touched the lives of private school educators, students and parents in enduring ways.  Previous award recipients include Ted and Nancy Seizer, Robert Coles, Howard Gardner and Maxine Greene.

The award will be granted on Friday, March 3rd at 10 AM at the NAIS conference in Boston. Immediately following the presentation of the award, there will be a lunch at Top of the Hub Restaurant honoring Breakthrough.  The award was announced by Pearl Rock Kane, Klingenstein Family Chair Professor and Director of the Klingenstein Center.  The following are excerpts from her letter to Breakthrough/Summerbridge sites and their host institutions:

Each year at the annual conference of the National Association of Independent Schools, the Klingenstein Center presents an award to a deserving educator whose leadership has influenced the field of education and touched the lives of private school educators, students and parents in enduring ways.  At the NAIS Conference in 2006, we are departing from our traditional practice of recognizing one individual. Instead, we want to recognize the contribution of the 22 independent schools that sponsor Summerbridge/Breakthrough Collaborative programs.  The members of the Klingenstein Award Committee were unanimous in their support of designating the Summerbridge/Breakthough Collaborative schools the 2006 Klingenstein Leadership Award recipients.

Specifically, we want to acknowledge the head of each school that sponsors a Summerbridge/Breakthrough Collaborative program because we appreciate the advocacy role you play and the sacrifices that must be made to support Summerbridge/Breakthrough Collaborative programs. It is with great pleasure that we invite you to accept the 2006 Klingenstein Leadership Award to be presented in Boston on Friday, March 3, 2006.

Through your efforts, you have influenced the larger school community, fostered increased understanding and respect for diversity and encouraged capable young people to enter teaching as a career. You and your school governance team have demonstrated the kind of leadership that the Klingenstein Leadership Award was meant to acknowledge.

The Klingenstein Leadership Award is intended to acknowledge the enormous contributions you have made through your school’s sponsorship of a Summerbridge/Breakthrough Collaborative program, so it is with great delight that we recognize your leadership in this public forum.

 

Summerbridge Manchester credited for national honor: America's Promise - September 27, 2005

Manchester, New Hampshire was recently named one of the best communities for children in America by America's Promise: The Alliance for Youth. America's Promise was formed in 1997 by General Colin Powell in response to the Presidents' Summit for America's Future.

Summerbridge Manchester was recognized as an essential part of bringing this honor to the city. Kate Erskine, Summerbridge Director, spoke on behalf of the program at a press conference on Monday, September 26 organized by the Office of Youth Services. Other featured speakers were New Hampshire Governor John Lynch, Mayor of the City of Manchester Robert Baines, Tym Rourke, Director of Makin' It Happen, and Marty Boldin, Director of the Office of Youth Services.

The story was featured in The Union Leader on Tuesday, September 27. Click here to read the article. 

The complete press release from the Office of Youth Services follows:

America’s Promise Alliance Names Manchester One of 100 Best Communities for Young People; Winners Recognized for Efforts to Help Young People Succeed

America’s Promise – The Alliance for Youth today announced that Manchester, NH is a winner of a first-ever national competition to identify 100 Best Communities for Young People. The winning communities – ranging from small towns to urban neighborhoods across America – are being celebrated for their commitment to provide healthy, safe and caring environments for young people.

Manchester is receiving the 100 Best honor, in part, because of the Summerbridge Manchester program, which works to start preparing 5th and 6th grade students for college. Manchester student teachers work over the summer and on weekends during the school year with children from city schools to offer educational opportunities that would not regularly be available. More importantly, these 5th and 6th grade students develop bonds with their high school-aged teachers (who in many cases were Summerbridge students themselves). They get to see their teachers go to college and, in turn, the young teachers inspire the youth by showing them what college is really like.

A complete list of winners can be found at www.americaspromise.org. Members of America’s Promise Alliance — including United Way of America, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Junior Achievement and the YMCA and many others — took leading roles in the 100 Best competition. 100 Best Communities for Young People was launched in partnership with Capital One Financial Corporation.

America's Promise Founding Chairman General Colin Powell launched the competition in May and The City of Manchester Office of Youth Services applied for a place on the prestigious list. Manchester and the other winners were chosen by a distinguished selection panel of civic, business and nonprofit leaders, including United Way of America President Brian Gallagher, U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue, former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala, baseball great Cal Ripken Jr. and former Denver mayor Wellington Webb.

The selection panel evaluated 100 Best entries that required detailed information about each community’s efforts to fulfill five essential promises critical to the well-being of young people: caring adults who are actively involved in their lives; safe places in which to learn and grow; a healthy start toward adulthood; an effective education that builds marketable skills; and opportunities to help others.

“We have had an amazing response from hundreds of communities, large and small, from Alaska to Florida,” said Marguerite W. Sallee, President and CEO of America’s Promise – The Alliance for Youth. “Our purpose for launching this competition is to appeal to America’s competitive spirit to encourage communities to become great places to grow up. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, we have seen some inspiring examples of what can happen when communities across the country pull together to help people in times of urgent need. In the 100 Best communities, we have witnessed that same spirit at work in making the well-being of their children an urgent priority. Their outstanding efforts – to measure how well their children and youth are doing, to put more resources in place, and to form cross-sector partnerships – provide shining examples of what it means to keep America’s Promise for our young people.”

“This is a great honor for the work that has been done in Manchester among and between youth and those who serve young peoples. It is important to use this recognition as a message to people in Manchester that we are on the right path. When working with and for young people, many times adults want to find a magic bullet to prevent or alleviate the challenges facing our next generation. It is more valuable I think to see this work as a marathon and not a sprint. I am hopeful that this award will energize us on the next phase of our journey.” - Marty Boldin, LICSW, LADC, Director of the City of Manchester Office of Youth Services.

“It is wonderful to learn first-hand how outstanding communities are making a difference in people’s lives – especially their young people,” said [Alliance member in community OR Brian Gallagher, President and Chief Executive Officer of United Way of America in the absence of a local Alliance member]. “We are committed to helping communities across America follow the examples provided by winning communities and adopt similar programs that will help our nation’s young people succeed in life.”

“We are proud to be a part of this important effort to highlight the innovative efforts taking place in communities throughout the United States to create healthy and supportive environments for our children,” said Capital One’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel John Finneran. “Like America’s Promise, Capital One recognizes that helping to build strong and healthy communities – good places to do business and good places to raise families – benefits us all.”

To honor the 100 Best communities selected, the America’s Promise Alliance will hold a special event November 2nd in Washington, D.C. This celebration will be dedicated to the children affected by Hurricane Katrina, highlighting outstanding community initiatives across the country that are providing displaced children with the services and support that they need to thrive no matter where they are. All proceeds from this event will go toward helping the children impacted by Katrina.

The Alliance will also sponsor a yearlong celebration including a special day in each of the winning communities and a series of regional forums across the country that will enable communities to share their success stories and learn effective strategies from one another that will further enrich the lives of their young people.

“The applications revealed communities that care about their kids and are working together to make their futures better. We saw leaders and people genuinely engaged and full of pride in their towns. Together, they have strengthened my faith in our great country.”

For more details about the 100 Best competition and the winners, please visit www.americaspromise.org.

America’s Promise is a broad-based alliance whose members work together to ensure the well-being of children and youth. Alliance partners focus attention and resources to help every child receive the Five Promises essential to success: caring adults who are actively involved in their lives; safe places in which to learn and grow; a healthy start toward adulthood; an effective education that builds marketable skills; and opportunities to help others.

Founded by retired General Colin L. Powell, following the Presidents’ Summit for America’s Future in 1997, the America’s Promise Alliance includes nonprofit, corporate and community groups as well as individuals across the nation. Alma J. Powell currently serves as chair.

America's Promise grew out of the Presidents’ Summit for America’s Future in 1997, where Presidents Bush, Carter, Clinton and Ford, with Nancy Reagan representing President Reagan, challenged the country to make children and youth a national priority. President George W. Bush affirmed his commitment in 2001.

 

Hurricane Katrina and Summerbridge New Orleans - September 3, 2005

A message from Laura Pochop, Executive Director of the Breakthrough Collaborative:

Dear Breakthrough friends and family,

As we read about the devastating impact Hurricane Katrina has had on New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, one of many concerns has been how our Summerbridge New Orleans families have been and will be affected. We are writing to reintroduce the Erin Anderson Fund, a fund established in memory of Lois Loofbourrow’s daughter, which covers extraordinary expenses of Breakthrough students and their families, and to ask you to consider making a gift to the fund at this time of critical need. Summerbridge New Orleans was the second expansion site in the Breakthrough family, and has a fifteen year history of effectively serving families who desperately want to see their children on a path to college. We cannot allow Hurricane Katrina to deter them from that path.

Given the fact that most of our Summerbridge New Orleans families are from lower income brackets, it is safe to assume that some of them did not have the resources to leave the city. Even those who were able to leave have undoubtedly incurred great loss and face on-going financial hardship. Residents were not required to carry flood insurance, and may have lost everything.

While it may be some time before we know the specific needs, we need to be prepared to provide immediate assistance when the time comes. As the program director, Ana Zorrilla, is able to make contact with families, she will filter requests to the national office. We anticipate that the requests will range from support for basic human needs such as shelter, food and clothing to funeral expenses to educational expenses such as books or school uniforms.

We encourage you to give what you can. Checks should be made payable to The Breakthrough Collaborative and sent to:

The Erin Anderson Fund
The Breakthrough Collaborative
40 First Street, 5th floor
San Francisco, CA 94105

We will share additional information with you as we have it. Should you have any questions in the interim, please contact Tara Phillips at 415-442-0600 or tphillips@breakthroughcollaborative.org.

Thank you for thinking of our New Orleans families.

Sincerely,

Laura Pochop
Executive Director
The Breakthrough Collaborative

 

Students discuss Summerbridge on MCTV - May 17, 2005

Four representatives from Summerbridge Manchester will appear on the Manchester Community Television show, For Young People, which begins airing on Thursday, May 19 (4:30pm, 5:30pm, and 11:30pm) on channel 22. The 30 minute clip will also be available online at ManchesterAccess.com. Check the web site for future air dates as well.

Students appearing on the show are: Nick Oberlies, Kadina Mazic, Khiet Nguyen, and Jose Maldonado.

 

Summerbridge graduate awarded $25,000 scholarship - May 3, 2005

When Khiet Nguyen called the Summerbridge office to report that she was the recipient of a $25,000 AXA scholarship, she was still in shock. "I got a letter from them and I was about to throw it away because I thought it was junk mail," she said. "It wasn't until someone from AXA called my house that I really believed I had won this award." Khiet is a Summerbridge graduate, class of 1999, and a current teacher in the Summerbridge Saturday program.

Read the Union Leader article about Khiet.

Read Khiet's bio on the AXA web site.

Maria helps Malik look for a book to read in The Derryfield School library.