Sacred Heart Nativity School

Sacred Heart Nativity School (Nativity) is an urban Jesuit middle school that serves 105 low-income students in grades 6, 7 and 8 in the Washington/Gardner area of San José, a vibrant but economically disadvantaged neighborhood that houses a dense, immigrant population. Nativity families have an average household income of $29,000. More than 90% of the students residing in the area qualify for a reduced-price school lunch. Currently, 100% of its students are Latino, most are from immigrant families, and English is not the primary language spoken at home. As long as there is poverty and unequal access to higher education, Nativity will continue to work to level the playing field for low-income students. The school offers a transformative experience that results in academically strong, well prepared, and spiritually grounded young people. Nativity’s program develops the whole child by preparing students in five areas: strengthening academic preparation for high school; increasing co-curricular participation; fortifying spiritual formation; improving technological literacy and 21st century critical thinking skills, and improving self-advocacy skills that will help the student navigate high school and university.