Breakthrough Manchester College Bound

Breakthrough Manchester was founded in 1991 as Summerbridge to fill the need for academic
enrichment and support for motivated Manchester students with limited opportunities. In conjunction
with Breakthrough’s 25th anniversary, a partnership agreement was signed with Southern New
Hampshire University (SNHU) in 2016 to provide programming for Breakthrough students through the
high school years to college matriculation – thus creating a seamless six-year, tuition-free college access pipeline under the Breakthrough Manchester umbrella.

Students are recruited in sixth grade for 7th, 8th, and 9th grade summer programming before joining the College-Bound high school program. Global Citizens Circle initiated in Spring 2023 a pilot project with Breakthrough Manchester College Bound to work with the college students who serve as advisors to the high school students in the program. With the generous support from the Cogswell Benevolent Trust and the Norwin S. and Elizabeth N. Bean Foundation, this pilot project seeks to co-create with the student advisors a program that serves their needs and interests as they move forward in their studies and look to the future as global citizens.