9th grade Opportunities and Resources

The overarching goal of the BT Leadership Program is to expose high school students to careers in the education and non-profit sectors with the hope of building a solid pipeline toward our Teaching Fellow experience once participants become eligible as undergraduate college students.

What is expected of ALL BLPs?

Encourage academic fortitude
Build mentorship relationships with students
Maintain high standards of professionalism
Take positive risks by taking initiative often
Be open to feedback and willing to grow in challenge areas
Collaborate with other leaders in the BT program (teachers, coaches, and admins)
Be an active and enthusiastic member of the Breakthrough community

Who are we looking for?

Current high school students (rising 10th- rising college freshmen) and recent Junior VLPs
Strong commitment to equity, inclusion, and building a community where all are welcome
Applicants interested in education and/or working with children and pre-teens

Access the application here:

www.tinyurl.com/BLP2025App

Cardiac Camp

Cardiac Camp at UCSF is an entirely free, hands-on learning experience for Underrepresented Minorities in Medicine. Select students will learn about the cardiovascular system and the wider implications of cardiovascular disease in underserved communities. We hope to inspire the next generation of medical professionals.

Application Requirements:

Current high school 9th and 10th graders
Completed 1 year of HS science course (e.g., biology, chemistry, physics) by July 2025
From a historically underrepresented in medicine background

Priority Deadline: Friday, March 14, 2025 (11:59 pm PT)

Applicants will hear back by Friday, April 4th

Regular Deadline: Friday, April 11th, 2025 (11:59 pm PT)

Applicants will hear back by Friday, April 25th

Cardiac Camp 2025 will run from July 28th - August 1st, 2025!

Learn more and apply here: https://www.cardiaccamp.org/apply

Summer 2025 ROAR Academy

About ROAR Academy

The ROAR Academy is a rigorous two-week (10 days) in-person summer program, designed exclusively for high school students. In collaboration with the FHL Vive Center, an AR/VR research hub at UC Berkeley, the ROAR Academy aims to fuel your curiosity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Through an interactive exploration of undergraduate engineering majors, participants will delve into topics such as hardware/software design, machine learning, reinforcement, learning, GPT, and large language models. The highlight of the program? Students get to race their autonomous driving agents and compete in a simulation racing competition.

Please note, accepted students are responsible for their own accommodations and transportation.

Sessions Dates

Session 1: July 7 – 11, July 14 – 18

Session 2: July 21 – 25, July 28 – Aug. 1

Eligibility

Participation is limited to high school students residing in California, entering 10th, 11th, or 12th grade in Fall 2022. Students are expected to have sufficient background on basic computer programming in the Python language. The curriculum has a quick refresher of Python programming at the beginning with additional exercises and debugging practice, but the course is NOT suitable for students who have never learned about Python in the past.

APPLY NOW! Early Action Deadline: March 21st!

Applications are currently open, with need-based financial aid options available.

To learn more about the ROAR Academy and kickstart your journey, visit roar.berkeley.edu/roar-academy.

UCSF PITCH

The Program for the Investigation and Training in Careers in Health (PITCH) is an immersive three-week summer program designed to inspire and empower first-generation and low-income students interested in exploring health and medical sciences careers. The program runs from July 7 to July 25, 2025, at UCSFS's Mission Bay campus. Participants will engage in hands-on learning, collaborate with UCSF mentors, and receive guidance on college preparation.

This program is open to rising 10th and 11th graders, with a minimum 2.5 GPA, and the application deadline is Sunday, March 23, 2025.

Learn more and Apply here: UCSF PITCH 2025

UCSF Brain Camp

Brain Camp @ UCSF is a free, immersive, week-long experience for underserved and underrepresented high school students in the Bay Area, led by UCSF medical students and faculty. Join us in exploring the fascinating anatomy of the brain, learning about mind-blowing advances in neurosurgery, and understanding the complex interplay between mind and behavior. You’ll learn how to suture, dissect a brain, use a reflex hammer and much more! Additionally, there will be workshops and panels on college prep as well as extensive opportunities to interact with neurology faculty and medical students.

Eligibility:

For SF Bay Area high school students.
Priority for sophomores and juniors.
Must have completed one high school science class

Deadline: March 30th, 2025

Learn more here: https://ilovebraincamp.org/application

Cal Academy CiS Intern Program

Careers in Science is a multi-year, year-round, paid internship and youth development program for San Francisco high school students who come from communities underrepresented in STEM, including girls and students of color.

Eligibility

Be currently enrolled as a 9th or 10th grader in SFUSD
Maintain a 2.5 GPA and C's or higher in science and math
Commit to all attendance through high school graduation
Be able to commute to the Academy and nearby locations after school and on Saturdays.
Demonstrate interest and enthusiasm for learning, teaching, and doing science

Learn more and apply here: CiS Intern Program

Application Deadline: April 1st

Girlfly

The 2025 Summer Arts & Activism Project will bring 20 young women/GNC youth from San Francisco for four weeks to:

Make site specific & off the ground dances with professional choreographers
Earn $550
Create and perform your own original dances
Uplift community voices who have manifested or are working to manifest real ownership on the city’s streets.
Create a visual arts project led Adrian Arias
Connect with young women/GNC youth across neighborhoods, schools, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity

The 19th-annual GIRLFLY poses the question, “Who owns the corner?” We will uplift community voices who have manifested or are working to manifest real ownership on the city’s streets. We’ ll look at models by The Women’s Building in the Mission, the APICC/KULARTS Performing Arts Space that’s South of Market, and 111 Taylor Street in the Tenderloin, as well as Space 124. Students will explore the theme through apparatus-based dance, site specific performance, and activist afternoons led by visual artist Adrian Arias.

Learn more and apply here: https://flyawayproductions.com/youth

Application is due May 15th!

FREE Mental Health Supports

Soluna: Free Mental Health Support for CA Youth, Ages 13 - 25

We're excited to share that free online mental health support is now available for all young people in California, ages 13 - 25, through the new Soluna app (no health insurance needed).

This is a chance to get support around relationships, homework, stress, or whatever is on your mind.

You can access resources anonymously, or set up an account (no parent/guardian involvement needed) to work with a mental health coach (coaches are available 10 am - 10 pm, 7 days/week).

Download the Soluna app or click here to learn more.

Tutoring at Breakthrough

Request a Tutor

If you are struggling with specific subjects or simply need a little more guidance with large or long-term projects, feel free to request a tutor using this Tutor Request Form or contact Sara (sara@breakthroughsf.org) directly to discuss what support you may need.

UPchieve

Don’t forget we also have a partnership with UPchieve, which offers personalized, 24/7 math and science support. Create your Breakthrough SF student account at upchieve.org/btsf or by downloading the UPchieve mobile app for iOS or Android using the sign-up code: BTSF. Please contact Andy (andy@breakthroughsf.org) if you have any issues with this.

Resources and Opportunities for Freshman (Reference Lists)

Free and Low-Cost Pre-College Summer Programs:

Our partner, College Greenlight, just compiled a comprehensive list of accessible summer programs. Check out this resource here:

Pre-College Summer Programs

Breakthrough Opportunities List

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