Breakthrough Miami
Serving the underserved
Calling upon the community-service ideals they learned as students at Ransom Everglades, two lifelong friends founded a program they hoped would inspire at-risk middle school students to recognize and reach their full potential. John Flickinger '74 and Doug Weiser '74, with direction from faculty member Joe Mauro, formed what was then known as Summerbridge Miami in 1992.
Nearly 30 years later, that program – now known as Breakthrough Miami – serves more than 1,000 students from Miami-Dade County and calls Ransom Everglades home, operating out of a rent-free office on the middle school campus. Breakthrough Miami provides an academic enrichment program that uses a student-teaching-students model to ensure that motivated, under-resourced fifth- through 12th-grade students have access to excellent educational opportunities, graduate from high school on time, and attend college. Many RE students, faculty members, parents and alumni continue to support Breakthrough Miami. For more information, email Director of Student Achievement/Senior Site Director Webber Charles.
RE Students at Breakthrough Miami
Terron Ferguson '04, Graduate of Morehouse College, London School of Economics and New York University School of Law
"Because of Breakthrough Miami, I’ll base my occupation on serving my community and opening doors for others. I wholeheartedly thank Breakthrough Miami and Ransom Everglades School for demonstrating to me that it is not what you get out of the world, but what you put in it."
Middle School
2045 South Bayshore Drive, Coconut Grove, FL 33133Phone: 305 250 6850
Upper School
3575 Main Highway, Coconut Grove, FL 33133Phone: 305 460 8800
Founded in 1903, Ransom Everglades School is a coeducational, college preparatory day school for grades 6 - 12 located on two campuses in Coconut Grove, Florida. Ransom Everglades School produces graduates who "believe that they are in the world not so much for what they can get out of it as for what they can put into it." The school provides rigorous college preparation that promotes the student's sense of identity, community, personal integrity and values for a productive and satisfying life, and prepares the student to lead and to contribute to society.