The Breakthrough Program
A successful reentry begins inside correctional facilities and is dependent upon a community ready to foster a productive return. Breakthrough takes a holistic approach to community and person, and our in-facility program focuses on character development, job readiness, reentry planning, and the entrepreneurial mindset, providing an opportunity for holistic growth.
We walk alongside our participants from the inside out through our four program offerings: The Challenge, The Transformation, The Return, and The Exemplar.
The Challenge
Our innovative 32-week (8-month) in facility program focusing on character development, job readiness, reentry planning, and the entrepreneurial mindset. The Challenge builds upon itself from week to week, designed to facilitate a stable trajectory of growth.
The Transformation
Our in-facility alumni program allows opportunities for continued personal and professional development, facilitating the Breakthrough program on the inside, and providing guidance to current participants as they begin their transformational journey.
The Return
We welcome our people home and prioritize their stability in the community by helping them obtain and maintain stable employment while helping them to fill skill gaps as they embark on their chosen career path. We also connect them to trusted community partners specializing in food, housing, transportation, health care, mental health/substance abuse treatment, clothing, safety, and personal identification.
The Exemplar
This is the final stage of our participants journey once they have found stability. Our in-community alumni program provides case management services and facilitates further career development, personal growth, and entrepreneurial guidance, with access to our network of Fair Opportunity Employers.
Program Events
During The Challenge portion of the Breakthrough program, there are four milestone events that take place. We welcome volunteers to join us at these inspiring events to provide our people with hope and increased self-confidence, supporting them to transform attitudes and successfully return to the community upon release.
Kickoff: The Kickoff event is the very first introduction to the Breakthrough program, specifically The Challenge, for our people on the inside. At this event, participants and volunteers make new connections, and the requirements and learning objectives of The Challenge are introduced.The day is spent explaining the program, participating in network activities, and engaging in empathy-building exercises.
Mock Interview: This second milestone highlights how participants have learned about their strengths, while stretching their areas of growth. Resumes, cover letters, and Breakthrough statements have been composed, and participants have created goals for their future. During the mocks, participants are given the opportunity to practice the skills they have learned by presenting their Breakthrough statement, getting feedback from volunteers on their resume, and participating in mock interview sessions to practice interviewing for employment.
Business Pitch Bootcamp: In this third milestone event, participants have wrapped up the topics of Character Development, Job Readiness, and Reentry Planning to begin 16-weeks of curriculum on the Entrepreneurial Mindset. Prior to this event, participants learn the basics of business ideation and present their favorite business idea to a series of volunteers who serve a pitching coaches. By the end of the day, participants give an elevator pitch to all of the participants and volunteers. Volunteers are asked to vote on the business idea they believe to be the more marketable. Teams of participants are formed around the 5 business ideas with the most votes.
Graduation/Business Pitch Competition: In this final milestone event of The Challenge program, participants have dedicated 32-weeks of their lives to transforming themselves. They have developed soft skills, honed interviewing and self-presentation, established long term goals, and worked in teams with their peers to build a business plan. At this event, 5 teams pitch their businesses to volunteers who vote on the most feasible idea, and each member of the winning team is awarded $300. At this celebratory event, the families and friends of our soon-to-be graduates attend to cheer on their loved ones and celebrate the journey they’ve been on to breakthrough to a better tomorrow.
Check out our calendar for upcoming volunteer opportunities or learn more about becoming a volunteer.