Emergency NumbersPhone Book (Must be on-campus or have a valid network account)
Ashley Farrington
Internship Site: Breakthrough Saint Paul
During the summer of 2010 I had the privilege to work with Breakthrough Saint Paul. Breakthrough Saint Paul is an enrichment program for under-privileged and under-resourced youth in the Saint Paul Public Schools. Each year the program recruits 60 sixth-grade students who are highly motivated, but overlooked in their classrooms due to over population in the Saint Paul Schools. These students become part of a six year program consisting of two summers of rigorous Math, English, Science, and Social Studies classes before moving into the high school program where they receive laptops and complete weekly assignments. Finally, the program assists the students with getting into college by helping them through the college application process. The thing that makes Breakthrough unique is its "students teaching students" model. In order to be eligible to teach at the program, one has to be a junior or senior in high school or in the process of completing their undergraduate studies. Teachers and students are able to make connections and the students look up to these teachers as role models.
For the past two summers, I did this challenging, but very rewarding internship. I taught Social Studies to two sections of 10 students each. I designed a 6-week curriculum around elections, teaching students about how Americans gained the right to vote, the election process, and government. Students were able to participate in a mock election and to complete research papers. The main goal of the social studies department was to assist students with developing research, writing, and discussion skills. As I watched the students' growth through the summer, I felt I'd been successful.
Teaching was not my only role with the internship. I was also responsible for planning Friday events, participating in all school meetings, holding conferences with parents, and helping the program run daily. Despite working long hours every day, I had a ton of fun doing my job. Every day I woke up at 6 am to get to work, but knowing that I was going to be with Breakthrough students really gave me the inspiration to get through the day. I loved every minute of my job because it involved kids, who really needed the extra help. It was even more impressive because these kids came to Breakthrough daily during the summer when they could be off doing fun things with friends. It shows that they are dedicated to getting to college even though they are only in middle school. I can resonate with these kids because I had to do similar things on my path to college.
I love Breakthrough Saint Paul because is a program filled with energy. The kids are involved in hands-on activities that take learning to the next level and make it more fun. Breakthrough has an atmosphere, filled with cheers throughout the day and transition music to classes. Lunch time is loud, all school meetings are loud, and students really benefit from this environment because it is much different from regular school. I can truly attribute my development as a person and educator to the entire Breakthrough Saint Paul community. I would recommend this internship to anyone who loves working with kids and is interested in their development as an educator as well as a human being.
