It all began in the summer of 1996, when Breakthrough Atlanta first came onto the educational scene. Today, 30 years later, we are celebrating three decades of opening doors, inspiring students, and transforming futures across Atlanta.
In a three-part series, we’ll take a look at the three decades that have shaped what Breakthrough Atlanta is today. Here, we dive into the years 1996 to 2006.
Originally named Summerbridge Atlanta, reflecting its strong focus on summer learning, Breakthrough Atlanta has called The Lovett School campus home since opening its doors in 1996. Selected students dedicated themselves to two full summers of academic and leadership instruction, along with continued engagement throughout the school year in between. Parents and families were equally essential partners, actively involved in supporting their children’s education and growth. This shared commitment from students, families, and educators laid the foundation for the strong community and lasting impact Breakthrough Atlanta continues to build today.
It launched with a limit of 40 rising 7th graders and 12 teaching positions. From 1996 onwards, the program added another cohort of rising 7th graders until all grades were filled through senior year of high school.
Now, Breakthrough prepares more than 400 middle and high schoolers for college and trains nearly 60 college students for teaching careers every year.
Since 1996, we have served 750 Teaching Fellows and 3,500 scholars!
The original cohorts of teachers included high school juniors and seniors alongside undergraduate college students. Teaching positions were highly sought after, with Lovett students applying alongside candidates from colleges and universities across the country.
Jennifer Wallace, one of the first teachers and staff members in the inaugural year, shared her story:
“I was part of the initial summer of Breakthrough Atlanta (known then as SummerBridge Atlanta) so I am so happy to see it continue 30 years later! I am an alum of the Lovett School and had participated as summer teaching staff at the program in Louisville, KY for 2 summers before helping to start the program in Atlanta. We had a great time that summer, especially since it was the summer of the Atlanta Olympics! Getting a glimpse at being an educator at a young age was helpful to me in choosing a career path and has continued to influence me many years later.”
The first year was powered by an extraordinary spirit of volunteerism and community partnership. Dr. Jim Hendrix, Lovett’s Head of School at the time, played a pivotal role in ensuring Sumerbridge had a home on the campus.
Keno Sadler became Summerbridge Atlanta’s founding Executive Director, bringing experience helping to launch Summerbridge programs in both Miami and Fort Worth. His work with Summerbridge National in San Francisco also gave him experience with the broader Summerbridge network and its emerging national movement.
Keno described the program as, “A six-year, year-round academically intense study skills-based enrichment program that works with middle school students until they graduate into college.”
From the very beginning, Keno was relentless in his efforts to build awareness and support for Summerbridge Atlanta. During those early days, he often worked 15-hour days, driving all over Atlanta and speaking at events throughout the community to expand the program’s reach and introduce more families, schools and supporters to its mission.
Keno recruited college students from Atlanta’s HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) to help grow the program: Spelman College, Morehouse College, and Clark Atlanta University. Working alongside Keno, they helped introduce Summerbridge to Atlanta communities and recruit the scholars and future educators who would make up its earliest cohorts.
His energy and commitment helped lay the foundation for the organization that would become Breakthrough Atlanta – an organization built to stay alongside students for the long journey from middle school to college and beyond.
Lovett students were enthusiastic early volunteers, contributing their time and energy to support the new program in a variety of ways. They helped with administrative tasks, created materials, assisted in the Summerbridge office, and pitched in wherever help was needed as the program prepared for its first summer. Their involvement was one part of a much broader community effort that included Lovett faculty and staff, Atlanta Public Schools leaders and educators, and college students from across Atlanta.
Throughout the school year, volunteers continued to support Summerbridge by tutoring students and helping them build confidence and skills.
At the heart of the effort was a shared belief in the potential of students. Dr. Richard Hall, one of the program’s principal organizers, was particularly inspired by the opportunity to “focus on capable, promising middle schoolers who are at risk of losing interest in education.”
For Dr. Hendrix, Summerbridge represented something equally meaningful: “a natural opportunity to reach out to the community and to experience more diversity at Lovett.”
Keno shared this video of one of Summerbridge’s early summers with videos and testimonials.
At this year’s annual Fund-A-Scholar dinner, we will be honoring Keno’s contributions over the years!
In 1997, the Summerbridge Endowment Fund was created by a three-year grant from the Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation as well as philanthropic gifts from community supporters, businesses, and foundations.
Breakthrough Atlanta is one of 25 affiliates across the country that are part of the national Breakthrough Collaborative organization, which launched in 1978 in San Francisco.
In 2007, the Summerbridge program was renamed to Breakthrough Atlanta to reflect the branding of the national organization.
Traditions and schedules were established from the very beginning. Each morning students are greeted by Teaching Fellows on the bridge, creating a sense of warmth, belonging and excitement before the day even begins. Students then gather to recite the daily affirmation.
Other structural elements of the program also continue today, such as students and Teaching Fellows being divided into “families” for the summer, which are smaller groups to manage teacher-to-scholar ratios and create a sense of camaraderie. Each summer concludes with a final celebration called a Family Reunion.
From its earliest days, Summerbridge Atlanta was more than a summer program. It was a community-wide effort to open doors for promising young people—and a powerful example of what can happen when students, educators, families and volunteers come together around a shared belief in their potential.
Another influential force in Breakthrough Atlanta’s history is Danny Shoy, Jr. At 24 years old, Danny decided to join AmeriCorps as a leader with Hands On Atlanta and he chose to work at Summerbridge. That summer, he served as Dean of Students, and said:
“Summerbridge was one of many early turning points for me that led me on a path of nonprofit service, and it further affirmed my passion around youth development. Several of the students that year would have likely been first in their families to go to college. They were being exposed not to just an enriching, safe, summer program, but also to young leaders who were exemplars of leadership for them, who went to college, and who they could model themselves after as a standard.
“My Summerbridge Atlanta experience prepared me in a way that gave me a greater appreciation for the diversity of perspectives and diversity of experiences of our young people in the city. I also had this image in my mind that to be a nonprofit professional, you had to be an older white man. But at Summerbridge, there were young, diverse people in executive roles, and the diversity of teaching fellows said to me that this is something I could do.”
One of those early college student volunteers was Felicia Lewis, then a student at Spelman College. Felicia had previously taught with another Summerbridge program and became deeply involved with Summerbridge Atlanta from its earliest years. Over time, she served the program in numerous roles before succeeding Keno Sadler as Executive Director in 2002. Under her leadership and vision, Summerbridge Atlanta continued to grow and deepen its impact on students, families and the broader Atlanta community. She was later followed by Kaseem Ladipo, who began with Summerbridge Atlanta as a Student Coordinator in 2002 before eventually stepping into the Executive Director role.
On Breakthrough’s 10th anniversary, the community gathered to celebrate a decade of opening doors and creating opportunity. Ambassador Andrew Young shared a powerful vision for the program, speaking of Breakthrough as a tool to help create our country’s next generation of world leaders.
Timothy Welbeck, who also spoke at the 10th anniversary, shared how his journey began one afternoon while waiting for his shuttle from Brown Middle School. He crossed paths with a Lovett student, Michael, who invited him to come along to see how Summerbridge / Breakthrough worked as a teacher and tutor. Timothy was hooked. Timothy shared in his speech:
“From that day on, I continued my involvement with Breakthrough, tutoring, mentoring, teaching, and later serving as a director, as one week turned into one month, one month into one summer, and one summer into nearly five years of an unbelievable voyage of learning and teaching. More than a name with a series of empty catch phrases, Breakthrough is an educational enrichment program that teaches its students that all of life is a never-ending lesson, and that learning merely begins in the classroom and continues the moment they leave its doors.”
Timothy worked with Breakthrough Atlanta as a Teaching Fellow, School Year Program Volunteer (2001-2004), Alumni Coordinator (2004-2005), and College Preparatory Director (2005-2006).
Thirty years later, that vision continues to guide us. Breakthrough was founded on community – a community of students, parents, volunteers, Teaching Fellows, educators and donors who believe in what is possible when we come together.
As we celebrate 30 years, we are not only honoring the legacy that brought us here, but looking ahead to the next 30 years. The work continues because of this community. We could not do it without you.
We’d love to hear your story!
Has Breakthrough had a profound effect on your life? How are you connected to Breakthrough? What Breakthrough opportunity changed your trajectory?
We’re celebrating by telling stories through the years and we’d love to hear yours!
We’re hoping to hear from a broad spectrum of people: alum, Teaching Fellows, family members, former or current staff, former or current board members, partners, donors, etc.
Please take a moment to tell us your story here!
