Bill Hopple, Jr. and Odessa Hooker
In the early 1990s, at the request of Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) officials, Clement Buenger organized the CBC Task Force on Public Schools. Known as the Buenger Commission, the group studied the district and released its findings in a September 1991 report.
Retired CPS teacher Odessa Hooker and Cincinnati Country Day School teacher Bill Hopple Jr. were inspired by the report and sought to address inequities in education and the shortage of opportunities available to youth in Cincinnati. They visited the Summerbridge program at San Francisco Day School, which was founded in 1978, and brought the model back to Cincinnati.
Over the years, program sites have been hosted by Cincinnati Country Day School, The Seven Hills School, and St. Xavier High School. Breakthrough Cincinnati currently operates two sites in Greater Cincinnati: at Cincinnati Country Day School and the University of Cincinnati.
Breakthrough Cincinnati is a member of the Breakthrough Collaborative, originally known as Summerbridge National. Today, the Collaborative is composed of 25 affiliates across the U.S.
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