Agency - Mother Seton Academy

Mother Seton Academy, a tuition-free middle school for young men and women, educates in a multicultural environment those with the greatest economic need. Promoting dignity and respect for each person Mother Seton Academy challenges its students to realize their God-given talents and become leaders who serve their families, communities and society.

Description:
Mother Seton Academy (MSA) is a small, coed, independent, private Catholic middle school providing full scholarships (free tuition) to at-risk youth living in Baltimore City from low-income households. Mother Seton Academy is part of the NativityMiguel Network of Schools; 64 schools across the nation that follow nine mission standards, including the provision of ongoing support to their graduates. The maximum capacity of the school is 90 students for grades 6th-8th with 30 students (15 girls/15 boys) per grade. Students participate in an extended day schedule (8 am – 5 pm) in a very structured and disciplined environment with a rigorous academic curriculum and a community service requirement.

History:
The vision of Mother Seton Academy began in 1991 out of a concern for the educational needs of Baltimore City children and the realization that tuition based Catholic schools were beyond reach of children from low income households. The initial forum of leaders from different Catholic congregations decided to establish a middle school based on the Nativity model established in New York City in 1970’s that offered a holistic approach to education that focused on the individual student’s spiritual, academic, emotional, social and physical needs. Since no one religious community alone had the resources to undertake the funding of the middle school, the goal was to find a group of communities that could pool the human and financial resources to make the envisioned project a reality. Six Catholic religious communities came together and moved forward with the vision, naming the new school Mother Seton Academy, after St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, founder of the first free Catholic School for girls in Baltimore, Maryland, and setting up its first ‘school house’ in a small building owned by St. Patrick’s Church on Register St. in Fells Point. It opened its doors to twenty-tree students in September 1993. One year later, in order to accommodate another incoming class and a total of 40 students, it moved to the former St. Stanislaus Convent at 724 S. Ann St. where it would remain for 15 years. In order to meet the need for additional space, updated facilities and a permanent home, Mother Seton Academy initiated a Capital Campaign in 2008 to purchase and completed renovate the former St. Ann School at 2215 Greenmount Ave. In September 2009, Mother Seton Academy opened its own doors to 68 students.
Mother Seton Academy continues to be supported by a group of generous donors and six religious communities which currently are: Franciscan Sisters of Baltimore, Franciscan Sisters of Philadelphia, Daughters of Charity, School Sisters of Notre Dame, Sister, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and Xaverian Brothers.

Contact people:

Lisa Knickmeyer, (phone), (email) Lisa Perkowski, Arts Educator, (phone), (email)

Address:

2215 Greenmount Ave Baltimore, MD 21218 (See a map)