BELEN JESUIT EXTENDS PARTNERSHIP WITH BREAKTHROUGH MIAMI

Belen Jesuit Preparatory School is excited to announce the expansion of its partnership with Breakthrough Miami. Beginning in June, Belen Jesuit will become a year-round Breakthrough Miami host site with a full-time Breakthrough Site Director on campus.

“Belen Jesuit has always been committed to providing a wonderful education to the leaders of tomorrow,” said Fr. Guillermo García-Tuñón, S.J. '87. “We are grateful for a grant from The Goizueta Foundation, which allows us to expand this partnership and develop a stronger collaboration with Breakthrough Miami with the hope of supporting young Breakthrough scholars in the community who will continue to grow and strengthen their education and become pillars in society.”

In 2018, Belen Jesuit began a relationship with Breakthrough Miami to facilitate its desire for a more diverse student population. With their assistance and guidance, several Belen Jesuit students have benefited from a Catholic-Jesuit education and thrived as students and beyond. Beginning June 11, 2025, Belen Jesuit will officially start to serve as a Breakthrough Miami Host School, providing in-kind access to space and nurturing an embedded service learning model, to provide out-of-school academic enrichment to youth from under-resourced communities and unique service leadership opportunities for the Belen Jesuit community.   The program will launch with a 6-week Summer Institute and then offer Saturday programs throughout the school year. 

“At Breakthrough Miami, we believe in the power of community to expand opportunity. Our dynamic partnership model engages the passion, interests, time, and vision of our host site partners to create transformative learning environments. Our approach empowers high-potential youth to thrive academically, graduate from high school, and complete college — while offering leadership development, mentorship experiences, and a deepened sense of purpose for all” shared Breakthrough Miami Chief Executive Officer, Lori-Ann M. Cox, “We are proud to partner with Belen Jesuit Preparatory School to bring our shared vision to life.”

The inaugural group of students in the program at Belen Jesuit will be a mix of boys and girls in grades 5 and 6. Breakthrough Miami’s success is rooted in a students-teaching-students model. Aligned with education research, which shows that near-peer mentoring provides learning benefits to mentors and mentees, Breakthrough Miami’s students-teaching-students model engages outstanding older students as teachers, mentors, and role models. Student Volunteer Teachers, Teaching Assistants and Teaching Fellows deliver instruction in core academics utilizing an engaging project-based learning approach. They develop and lead exciting electives informed by their passions and interests, and support academic advising, leadership development, and well-being. As a new Breakthrough site, Belen Jesuit will welcome this transformative partnership as a vibrant part of our school community and campus. 

Click here to read an overview of Breakthrough Miami. Click here to watch the video announcement. 

Belen becomes the eighth South Florida school to become a Breakthrough Host Site Partner and proudly joins Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart, Gulliver Prep, Miami Country Day School, Palmer Trinity School, Ransom Everglades School, Saint Andrews School, and the University of Miami.