Sisters Academy Of Baltimore
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Sisters Academy of Baltimore is a middle school for
girls sponsored by four religious congregations: the Sisters of Mercy, School
Sisters of Notre Dame, Sisters of Bon Secours, and Sisters of Notre Dame de
Namur. The school opened on September 7, 2004 with the fifth grade. By September
2006, our first class had advanced to the seventh grade, and we now have
students in the fifth, sixth, and seventh grades, bringing our enrollment to
forty-six students. By September 2007, the school will have completed its
foundational phase and will have students in grades 5 through 8.
Our mission statement is: Sisters Academy of
Baltimore, a Catholic, community-centered middle school, educates girls of
different races, ethnic groups, and religions from families of limited economic
means, particularly those in southwest Baltimore. The academy will empower its
students to become agents of transformation in their families, communities, and
society. Our vision is that our graduates will be well-educated, self-assured,
spiritual, and committed young women who are so needed in our community, our
nation, and our world. They will be leaders who make a difference.
Our targeted geographic area is southwest Baltimore,
a blighted area marked by poverty, vacant houses, single-parent households, lack
of education, and hopelessness. Of our total enrollment of 46 for the 2006-2007
academic year, 43 are African American. Our median family salary is between
$20,000 and $22,000. Our students are selected after successful completion of
our three-week summer program. Our new fifth grade students come from twelve
different Baltimore City elementary schools; all of them are eligible for the
federal lunch program. All are African-American.
The goal of Sisters Academy of Baltimore is to
educate young girls who have the potential and motivation to be leaders in their
communities. The objectives are that our graduates will deepen their spiritual
roots; respect other persons; think logically; read perceptively; write
competently; solve problems effectively; and engage in service directed toward
the building of a more just and non-violent society. Sisters Academy of
Baltimore educates the whole child in mind, heart, spirit, and body.
The program includes small classes with individual
attention, a faith-based approach, an extended school day, a summer program,
parental involvement, support during and into high school, and a dedicated staff
with master teachers from religious congregations of women. Sisters Academy of
Baltimore is part of the highly-successful Network of Nativity Miguel Schools
educating over 4,000 middle school students in urban centers throughout the
United States. More than 90% of the graduates complete high school and over 79%
of the graduates attend colleges and universities.
Sisters Academy is not tuition-based because of the
extreme poverty in the area. Instead, our sources of funding are sponsors for
each child, gifts, grants and support from the co-sponsoring religious
congregations. Parents contribute a monthly fee, assure that their daughters are
on time, attend a monthly conference with the teacher, and provide volunteer
service in the school. At the heart of our funding strategy are sponsors for the
students. Our goal is that each student of Sisters Academy will be supported
throughout her four years by an annual scholarship of $5,000. Scholarships are
provided by individual donors, groups, organizations, and parishes. Scholarships
support the operating expenses of the school, particularly in instruction and
administration.
Although we are just beginning, there is a real
sense within Sisters Academy that something important and significant is
happening. Our young women are beginning to experience an excellent education
and life-giving relationships. They will develop these gifts throughout their
lives and share them with family, friends, and community.
Donations or inquiries made be made to Sister Delia
Dowling, SSND, Sisters Academy of Baltimore, 146 Second Avenue, Baltimore, MD
21227. Sisters Academy of Baltimore is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All
donations are tax exempt.
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