Mother Seton Academy
Baltimore, Maryland (cosponsor)The IHM Congregation collaborates with five other religious congregations in sponsoring Mother Seton Academy, a tuition-free middle school for economically deprived children located in a multi-ethnic and multi-racial neighborhood in East Baltimore. The individual attention to student needs, small hands-on classes, hands-on learning experiences, cooperative instruction and an extended day care have resulted in personal development, increased self-esteem and rising standardized test score results for its students.
Mission Statement
Empowered by Gospel values rooted in the tradition of Catholic education, Mother Seton Academy, a tuition-free middle school for urban young men and women, educates in an intercultural environment those with the greatest economic need. Promoting dignity and respect for each person and all of creation, Mother Seton Academy challenges students to realize their God-given talents and become leaders who serve their families, communities, and society.
Enriched by a tradition of selfless effort and heartfelt commitment on the part of the Sponsoring Religious Congregations to the youth of Baltimore, Mother Seton Academy will provide a holistic, intercultural approach to middle school education for an urban population confronted daily with influences that limit their ability to develop their full potential. Mother Set on Academy students will be given the opportunity to develop as women and men who are socially and globally conscious, ready to become productive and morally responsible leaders with vision and purpose for their lives, families and communities.
Students' Environment
MSA's students live in Baltimore neighborhoods faced with many problems associated with entrenched poverty such as low public education achievement, high crime rate, and widespread drug use. MSA's students live in a culture of many negative influences and few, if any, positive role models. As a result, MSA's students live in an urban environment that limits their development as productive citizens. Their environment is characterized by materialistic values, high pregnancy rates, high dropout rates, inaccessible to adequate health care, and rampant incarceration of youth and adults. The Fells Point neighborhood where MSA is located is becoming gentrified. This provides the students and opportunity to get exposed to an environment significantly different that the one they live in. To ensure appropriate mix of students MSA reaches out to other neighborhoods to attract students to our school.
To assists its students in reaching their potential, Mother Seton Academy includes the following components:
- small class sizes of no more than 12 students
- a professional, experienced staff composed of men and women from the sponsoring religious congregations as well as lay personnel
- a rigorous academic curriculum which utilizes guest speakers and field trips within the curriculum design
- a hands-on learning approach which demonstrates the importance of values, service, and respect
- a breakfast, lunch, and dinner program
- opportunities for individual and group counseling services
- extended school days including supervised homework and recreation time and evening tutoring
- a summer program including academic and recreational enrichment
MSA has efficiently been able to meet its mission and strategic objectives
- The programs to recruit, evaluate and select the appropriate mix of children at risk while maintaining its multi-cultural view is successful
- The recruitment of volunteers and extra efforts of faculty members to establish an after school tutoring program has been essential to help children overcome some of their deficiencies
- Students have maintained or improved their test scoring capabilities at an age and in an environment where deterioration of scores is usual
- The development of spiritual values, healthy habits and self-esteem has proven valuable as a high percentage of students are admitted and perform satisfactorily in some of the best high schools in the Baltimore area
- Graduates have moved on to live productive lives in work or in higher levels of education
- A solid fund development program has permitted Mother Seton Academy to provide funding for the diverse needs of the children
For more information contact:
Mother Seton Academy
2215 Greenmount Avenue
Baltimore, Maryland 21218
Phone: 410-563-2833
Fax: 410-563-7353
E- mail: contact@mothersetonacademy.org
