In the spring of 2020, in response to COVID-19, Breakthrough Collaborative mounted an unprecedented, network-wide effort to develop a virtual ecosystem. The aim was to deliver a replica of its in-person summer program of academic and social-emotional support to thousands of students at its 24 affiliates across the country.
The staff faced two significant challenges: the first was the prevailing wisdom that meaningful relationships between educators and students — the hallmark of the Breakthrough culture — could not be translated to an online platform. The second challenge related to capacity: the feasibility of launching an entire digital ecosystem in two months. Once underway, it became increasingly clear to both national and affiliate leaders that community-building, teaching, and learning can be successful online with the right resources and planning.
This report, the first in a series that will share findings from Breakthrough’s summer experiences, focuses on
six strategies to best engage students during virtual learning. A second paper focused on mobilizing college-age teaching fellows, a key success factor in student learning, will follow.
The Break Through Collaborative
