Learn More About Breakthrough at Kent Denver

Did you know that Breakthrough Collaborative is a national leader in educational equity? Breakthrough Collaborative works with more than 10,000 students and 1,100 teaching fellows annually across 25 affiliate locations in the U.S., with one of those locations being at Kent Denver.

Founded in 1995, Breakthrough at Kent Denver works to close the opportunity gap by helping motivated, under-resourced Denver and Englewood public school students on their path to college. Its mission is to increase the educational and social opportunities for financially under-resourced middle and high school students through a high-quality, year-round program and to motivate and train talented college students for careers in education.

Though Kent Denver’s partnership with Breakthrough goes back many years, Breakthrough receives only in-kind donations from Kent Denver. For monetary support to run its program, Breakthrough relies exclusively on donations and grants.

Breakthrough at Kent Denver serves both students and teachers with its programs, which include a summer program, Saturday program, high school program, college bound program and teaching fellow program.

The six-week summer program is focused on 7th-10th graders. Students come to Kent Denver Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for rigorous math, language arts and science instruction, in addition to learning about leadership, team building, financial literacy, mental health and the arts. Students compete in a Shark Tank-style competition and do a mini internship. Free bus transportation and free food are provided to all students by the program.  

The Saturday program is also focused on 7th-10th graders, taking place one Saturday each month starting in October. The program offers enhanced academic support and guidance to what these students received in their base public school, as well as non-traditional subjects like health & wellness and business acumen. Students and parents are always welcome and encouraged to come visit a Saturday school to learn more—with visit times from 9-10:15 a.m. This year’s Saturday sessions will be offered on October 26, November 16, December 14, January 25, March 8 and April 26. Kent Denver Upper School students can volunteer with Breakthrough either during Saturday school or the summer program to get their volunteer hours. 

The high school program offers 8th-10th graders high school selection counseling and transition-to-high-school support for students and families. The college bound program offers 11th and 12th graders SAT test prep help, support with essays, applications, interviews and financial aid, as well as summer internship search and college course selection.  

The teaching fellow program serves college students aspiring to become teachers. It’s a nine-week immersive teacher training that includes six-week daily classroom experience and daily coaching from professional educators.  

Breakthrough at Kent Denver is run by the Breakthrough Executive Director Brooke Brewer. The impact of Breakthrough at Kent Denver is undeniable—as 100% of Breakthrough seniors graduate high school and 95% go on to pursue a college degree. The program offers 35 days of additional academic instruction to over 300 kids across 70 Denver Public Schools and Englewood Public Schools. 83% of teaching fellows pursue careers in education.  

Breakthrough is celebrating its 30th year this year! We hope the Kent Denver community will support us for our Celebration in April 2025. In the meantime, to learn more or get involved with Breakthrough at Kent Denver, please email Brooke Brewer.

Breakthrough also invites interested community members to join us at the Get-to-Know Breakthrough Coffee & Breakfast on Thursday, November 14 at 8 a.m. in the lobby of Anschutz Family Theatre on Kent Denver's campus.  It's a great opportunity to learn more about the program and hear directly from four alumni of the program who will be speaking about their experiences. Learn more and RSVP.  

"At the heart of Breakthrough, it’s younger kids getting into learning and older kids getting into teaching."