On January 4, 2007, the feast day of Mother Elizabeth Seton, I began my tenure as the President of Mother Seton Academy, in the Fells Point section of Baltimore.

Mother Seton Academy is an all-scholarship, independent Catholic middle school dedicated to the education of boys and girls from low-income families in Baltimore. Through a rigorous academic environment and extended day program, the school provides a holistic education to at-risk students in order to prepare them for future success in high school, college, and the work force.

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.

SCHOOL HISTORY

In 1991, the provincial leaders of the religious congregations within the Archdiocese of Baltimore endorsed the concept of an innovative educational project which would be a collaboration among a number of religious congregations. The provincial leaders of interested congregations appointed a task force to investigate this idea and to formulate plans for a venture which would meet the academic and social needs of low-income middle school children who are often prohibited from attending Catholic schools due to their cost. Utilizing the successful Nativity School model and adapting it to meet the specific needs of Baltimore, the vision for Mother Seton Academy was born.

As no individual religious community had the resources to undertake such a project alone, it became a collaborative effort among six religious congregations of men and women with long traditions of service to Baltimore. They are School Sisters of Notre Dame, Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, Sisters Servants of Immaculate Heart of Mary(Scranton),Xaverian Brothers,Marianist Society, Daughters of Charity. As a result, Mother Seton Academy opened in the Fall of 1993 with its first class of 20 sixth grade students. Today, the Academy educates approximately 65-70 sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students of all faiths and cultures each year.