Monique Shields sat proudly in the front row as she watched 10 scholars walk across the stage, capping off their journey at Breakthrough Atlanta, a tuition-free academic enrichment program intended to support underserved students.
Over 250 students in the program gathered Wednesday to cheer on their seniors, erupting into celebration each time a college decision was announced.
Sah’Quarion “Que” Howard, a graduating student, said he never imagined going to college, but thanks to Breakthrough, he’ll be attending New York Institute of Technology in the fall.
Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com
Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com
But behind Shields’ beaming pride in her students were weeks of uncertainty and stress about how this summer’s program would operate.
Just a month before students were expected to file into the hallways in June, it was announced that the federal government cut $355,000 in AmeriCorps funding from the program.
“It was shocking,” said Shields, Breakthrough’s CEO and an AmeriCorps alum.
“It came at a point where we’d already accepted all the college students as teaching fellows, and we’d accepted all of the students into our programs,” she said. “So we were faced with a decision: rescind offers, scale back our programs or stop our programming.”
Breakthrough is one of many organizations hit by the Trump administration’s nearly $400 million reduction of AmeriCorps grants in an effort to cut spending. The federal agency provides paid volunteer work for millions of young Americans, which can be used to repay student loans and cover tuition costs.
The AmeriCorps grant represented about 15% of Breakthrough’s revenue, said Shields. “It’s not a small portion by any stretch and not easily made up.”
Shields started picking up the phone.
“Even if our grantor wasn’t committed to its promise and to Breakthrough, we were committed to fulfilling our promises to our students and teaching fellows,” she said.
Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com
Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com
Breakthrough raised $150,000 in an emergency fundraising effort, about half of what was originally lost in the federal spending cut.
For the other portion, the organization was forced to tap into their nearly 30-year-old reserves.
But it meant the regularly scheduled programming could continue, albeit, with a week scaled back from the summer learning program for middle school students.
Since 1996, Breakthrough Atlanta has served a dual mission of supporting underserved students across metro Atlanta and offering hands-on teaching experience for college students pursuing educational careers.
The organization offers a six-year, tuition-free, year-round program that has supported more than 2,500 students and 500 teaching fellows since its founding.
Now 18, Que Howard joined the program as a rising seventh grader.
When reflecting on his time at Breakthrough, Que said he’s most grateful for his growth in confidence.
“Public speaking is something that the program really helped with,” he said. “I haven’t been afraid to actually express myself or express the way I feel about something.”
Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com
Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com
Mareka Howard sat in attendance as her son addressed the crowd.
For her, Breakthrough has been more than just an educational enrichment program.
It’s been a lifeline.
“Que was born with several drugs in his system,” said Howard. “And so I took custody of him through DFCS when he was 6 months old.”
“He just wasn’t comfortable in the public school environment. And so I began to search for different programs, especially during the summertime, to help him grow academically with no idea the program would help him grow socially, as well.”
Howard, a single mother working two jobs, said she’s been most impressed by Que’s ability to reach others, referencing his work with GUIDE’s Youth Advisory Board, where he serves as president.
After the graduation ceremony, Que drove to the University of Georgia to speak on a panel on fentanyl abuse.
“He never had the confidence to go talk in front of people until he found Breakthrough,” said Howard. “And now he’s been doing it ever since. That’s one of the things I’m so proud of him about. He’s one of the most confident speakers I’ve seen.”
Howard will continue to be impressed as her son begins his next chapter at New York Institute of Technology in September.
Still, uncertainty for others at Breakthrough lies ahead.
Shields said she is unsure whether they will be able to admit a new class of seventh graders into the program next year.
But for now, she remains proud of her organization’s accomplishments this summer.
“To maintain our program is pretty great, especially at a time when a lot of other organizations are facing the same challenges we are with their grants and other sources of funding being cut,” she said. “And I think it’s just heartened me a lot to know that people in our community recognize the value of investing in our children.”
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
