Summer Teaching Internship

Breakthrough is one of the foremost opportunities for high school and college students to learn the foundational skills of teaching. As a Breakthrough teacher intern, you learn by doing; we teach you how to lead powerful lesson plans that activate learning and use effective teaching strategies to engage and motivate your students.

While it’s a pretty special community, there’s nothing “magical” about Breakthrough. Having high expectations means a lot of hard work, long days, and always looking for ways to be more effective. It is the most challenging eight weeks of your life. Which is exactly why the most hard working and talented high school and college students love this opportunity.

“I do not think I will ever forget how special it was to be a part of a supportive community of people who want to learn and who are determined to make positive changes in their own lives and in the lives of others.”  —Kelsey

Who We Select
Breakthrough Manchester will select approximately 27 teacher interns this summer. Our competitive admission process is designed to select the most highly qualified candidates to participate in our teacher intern corps. In a typical summer, our corps is made up of:

• 40% people of color
• 50% male
• 30% out-of-town teachers for whom we provide free homestays
• 30% also participated in Breakthrough as students

Additionally, Breakthrough Manchester has one of the highest rates of multi-year returning teachers; up to 50% of our interns return to teach for at least a second summer, a testament to the quality of training and experiential learning our community provides.

All applicants must be between 15 and 22 years old and currently enrolled in an accredited high school or undergraduate college program.

How We Train and Support You
The eight-day pre-summer training is especially designed for pre-professional teachers. We use the best research and educational practices to give you the strategies and resources you will need to be successful in your classroom. Beyond your pre-summer training, a professional instructional coach works with you all summer observing your classes, providing you with feedback, and helping you coordinate your curriculum. You do not need to have any prior experience teaching or taking classes in education. In fact, we encourage students who are pursuing non-teaching careers to apply.

What You Will Teach
You will teach two sections of one core academic class in literature, math, science, or writing, using a professionally developed curriculum designed to help you produce significant gains in the six weeks you have your students. In your classes, you have no more than seven students. Your responsibilities extend beyond this one class, however. Teacher interns are also advisors for three students, co-teach an extracurricular arts, language, or sports class, serve on a faculty committee, and take on numerous other formal and informal roles throughout the summer. Breakthrough Manchester serves students entering grades six through nine; if you have particular interest in any of these grade levels, be sure to indicate that in your interview.

“I will definitely remember the perseverance that I needed (and had) this summer. This summer has been the hardest I have worked in my life, and Breakthrough completely consumed my life, spending upwards of 50 hours a week either at BT or preparing for it, but I will always remember the rewarding feeling I got at the end of class each day, and at the end of the summer.”   —Adam

Time Commitment

• Orientation and Training: June 19 – 28, 2013
• Six-Week Student Session: July 1 – August 9, 2013
• Faculty Wrap-Up: August 12 – 15, 2013

Most weeks run Monday through Friday, plus a few Saturday commitments.

Officially, the faculty day runs from 7:30 a.m. to about 5:00 p.m. However, you will find working hours to be much longer and commitments outside the program very difficult to maintain. Past faculty members say that you must eat, breathe, and even sleep Breakthrough to be an effective faculty member. We do not recommend that you try to maintain a weekend or evening job during the eight weeks of Breakthrough.

Homestays
Out-of-town teachers are a vital part of the Breakthrough Manchester community. Each summer they make up 25-30% of our teaching corps. Housing is provided for these teachers by local community members who open a room in their home. Each homestay situation varies slightly based on the host family’s summer schedule and living arrangement, however we work hard to match teachers and homestay families to create a positive experience for all. In past years, out-of-town teachers have had overwhelmingly positive experiences in their homestays and often stay in touch with their homestay families long after the summer ends.

If you are an out-of-town teacher and are able to bring a car with you for the summer, this can be enormously helpful, though it is in no way required. Your local colleagues will help by providing carpools to and from Breakthrough and to social activities on weekends.

“The most rewarding part of the summer was hearing feedback from my students after they took their College Essays to be edited by the counselors at the New Hampshire Higher Education Assistance Foundation. They came away from that experience more confident in their writing, excited for college, and seeing the value in objectives they had mastered in class.”  —Holly

Living Allowance Stipend & Supplemental Income
You will receive a base living allowance stipend of $1,000. Returning teachers earn an additional $100 for each year they return, and some leadership positions come with additional stipend enhancements.

All teachers may apply for up to $2,000 extra through the Breakthrough Manchester Elkin Teaching Fellowship. Gifts are awarded on a need-basis and can be used toward paying educational expenses or aiding in the cost of travel to and from Manchester for out-of-town applicants.

We highly recommend that you look into additional funding or academic credit opportunities through your school or a local community organization. Many colleges and universities will supplement or underwrite summer internship earnings, especially for students eligible for work study. Some teachers have also been able to earn college credit for their Breakthrough internship. Let us know how we can help you arrange this.

Why Teach in Manchester, New Hampshire?
Founded in 1991 by a teacher alum of the first Breakthrough program, Breakthrough Manchester is the third oldest Breakthrough site in the nation. The longevity of Breakthrough Manchester is a testament to the strength of the program and its ability to empower young people to take ownership over their educational opportunities. Manchester’s proximity to partner schools and organizations such as MATCH Charter Public School, Excel Academy Charter Public School, Boston Teacher Residency, Uncommon Schools, and Teach For America result in increased opportunity for professional networking.

Deciding to Apply
Applications are accepted each year roughly between December and February (please check the application itself for specific deadlines).  If you are interested in applying to teach at Breakthrough Manchester this summer, these are the steps you need to follow:

Step 1: Go to the Breakthrough Collaborative application page. Here you can read an overview of program dates, stipends and housing information for each Breakthrough site and read the FAQ section on the application process. Part of the application will allow you to rank your top four choices of Breakthrough sites. Be sure to select Manchester as one of your choices. This is important because most sites give priority to applicants who rank their site higher. Consider carefully where you wish to teach and be sure to research those sites.  Applying early is highly recommended and comes with certain advantages.

NOTE: you may save your application and return to it at any time by selecting the “Save my progress and resume later” check-box; we recommend writing down your log-in information in a safe and memorable place for future access.

Step 2: First Round of Admissions: If your application is selected for our first round of admissions, you will be asked to attend an admission event at which you will teach a mock lesson. If you live outside of the greater Manchester area, you will be asked to submit a video of you teaching your mock lesson.

Step 3: Second Round of Admissions: If your application makes it through to this round, we will schedule a follow-up, one-on-one phone or in-person interview with a Breakthrough Manchester staff member.

Step 4: Selected applicants will receive notification by early April. We maintain a small waitpool in the instance that an accepted applicant turns down an offer. If you apply only to Manchester, you will receive notification from us if your application is denied or waitlisted. If you apply to multiple sites, you will receive your final notification from Breakthrough Collaborative by the end of May.

Please note that the application process is competitive and not all applicants are guaranteed admission.