Additionally, all Breakthrough classes are taught by talented, high-achieving high school and college students from around the country who are interested in the field of education.
The sites are joined together under the umbrella organization, Breakthrough Collaborative, based in San Francisco.
Sites function either through public-private partnerships with an independent educational institution or maintain their own 501(c)3 status.
Past recipients include William Durden, Diane Ravitch, Robert Coles, and Howard Gardner.
In 2007, the Johns Hopkins University Center for Summer Learning awarded Breakthrough Collaborative and its affiliate site in Pittsburgh, with the Excellence in Summer Learning Award for exemplary mission, performance, and infrastructure in out-of-school academic support.