Breakthrough students of all ages worked hard over the summer. They learned a lot, had new experiences, and participated in interesting projects. At the end of it all, students prepared presentations to share their new knowledge with the community.
These Presentations of Learning were an invaluable opportunity for students to practice their communication skills and learn from community role models. From 6th graders who showed off their marble roller coasters and explained the physics behind them, to current college students who presented on their summer internships as part of the Future Focus Internship Program, everyone learned something and benefitted from the opportunity to practice speaking in front of a professional audience. The Future Focus Internship Program places students who are enrolled in Breakthrough or the KIPP Through College Program in internships at top local companies, such as Accenture, NXP Semiconductors, Whole Foods and Kendra Scott. This unique program provides students with the foundation for a successful career after college graduation, while creating an educated and diverse workforce from the Austin community. During their paid internships, our students learned all about the inner workings of local businesses and corporations, explored potential career paths, and began building their professional networks.
We owe many thanks to close to 400 community volunteers who shared their time with our students to review their end of summer presentations. Special thanks to some of our corporate partners AMD, Balcones Resources, Applied Materials, SolarWinds, Samsung Austin Semiconductor, Google—to name a few—who came out to guide and support our students this summer.
Interested in getting your company involved with Breakthrough or hiring a Future Focus intern? Click here for more information.