San Miguel educators from the District of Eastern North America (DENA) gathered January 26-28, 2012 in Tinton Falls, NJ to share success stories and best practices. The event, themed Creating Communities of Hope, brought together principals, school administrators, teachers, volunteers, and staff from the San Miguel schools in Providence, RI, Washington D.C., Freeport, NY, and Philadelphia, PA.
Educators listened to a keynote presentation on helping students and their families rediscover hope, and were engaged in a session on association. They also participated in sessions to share best practices on topics including accelerated reading, mentoring, community building, alumni engagement, codes of conduct, extended school days and summer programs.
The San Miguel School movement began in Providence, RI, in 1993. The schools are non tuition-driven and serve the needs of underprivileged urban students through a combination of extended school days, specially designed academics and extracurricular activities.