Nativity Mission Center was the first of more than 40 Nativity model schools across the US.

Nativity Mission Center

 

 The Original Nativity:

NMC middle school: All boys, 52 students, grades 6-8

Camp Monserrate - Summer Leadership Program:  Students spend 5 weeks building character and leadership skills through group activities and classes at scenic Lake Placid.

Graduate Support Services: After graduating from the eighth grade, Nativity students and their families receive on-going support through high school and into college.

 

Through this program:

  • 87% of students graduate from high schools like Regis High School, Xavier High School, and the Blue Ridge School in Virginia.
  • 89% of graduates attend college at institutions such as the College of the Holy Cross, Syracuse University and LeMoyne College.
  • The Nativity class of 2001 has received more than $278,000 in college scholarships and financial aid for their first year of college.

 

    The First of the Nativity Network Schools:

Nativity Mission Center first opened in 1948 to provide tutoring, emotional support and social services to the youth of the Lower East Side.  When the Center grew into a full middle school in 1971, it signaled the creation of a model that has been replicated in more than 40 underserved communities across the United States. 

 

 

    Finding a niche on the Lower East Side:

  • Once known for its predominantly Jewish population, the Lower East Side has become home to an increasingly diverse population.  Over the last 25 years, the majority of immigrants have been from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. 
  • Despite rising rents and renovated storefronts, a significant number of families continue to live below the poverty line, while students in neighborhood public schools struggle to keep up with national averages.
  • Many families find Nativity Mission Center through their church parish or through the recommendation of public school teachers and principals. We admit students who may not have perfect grades but show academic potential and a determination to succeed that can flourish with the one-on-one attention available at Nativity.