NMC Revives Its East Region March Madness Basketball Tournament

NativityMiguel Coalition was excited to have five schools in the Northeast Region participate in our first March Madness Basketball Tournament since the 1990s! Five schools- St. Ignatius School (Bronx, NY); St. James School (Philadelphia, PA); Brooklyn Jesuit Prep (Brooklyn, NY); St. Martin de Porres (New Haven, CT); and Covenant School of Bridgeport (Fairfield, CT) participated in this event.

Brooklyn Jesuit Prep Step Team

We are grateful to Matt Fitzsimons from Covenant School of Bridgeport for organization this event through a generous partnership with Fordham Prep (Bronx, NY), who provided the host facilities for the tournament.

This event provided an afternoon of fun, friendly competition, and the opportunity to learn from each other through sports. We are thankful to the students, staff, community members, and guests who made this tournament a success. We hope to grow member participation in the years to come!

We Are Hiring for a Summer 2025 Pilot Program

NativityMiguel Coalition executive director Danny Perez is excited to announce that Fidelity Investments, through its community foundation, is funding a financial literacy summer 2025 project with middle/high school campers and parents at the Ron Burton Training Village (Hubbardston, Mass.).  The grant resulted from a partnership with Schooling for Hope founder Don Grace, Nativity Preparatory School of Boston head Brian Maher, and former executive director of the Massachusetts Council for Economic Education (and SfH partner) Scott Guild.  The project will unfold on four weekends from June 28, through August 10, except the July 4th weekend. 

RBTV and NMC share much common ground in terms of the populations they serve, their missions, and their impact on the lives of young people. The RBTV 2025 summer project will be a pilot for a three-year financial literacy program for middle school students, alums in high school, and their parents of the five NMC Massachusetts schools.  NMC will share the three-year project results with all other schools in the NMC network. 

Don Grace and Scott Guild are inviting interested candidates with middle/high school financial literacy teaching experience to submit applications to Don at schoolingforhope@gmail.com by April 7th. Click here to view the job posting with additional information. 

The search for qualified candidates is now open. If you are interested, please apply.

San Miguel Academy Rower Defends Title As USRowing National Champion

San Miguel Academy of Newburgh proudly announces that 8th grader Jermain Stevens has successfully defended his title at the USRowing National Indoor Championships, securing first place in the U15 division for the second consecutive year.

The USRowing National Indoor Championships is a premier event held at six venues nationwide, attracting thousands of competitors from rowing clubs and scholastic programs across the country. Jermain competed in Pittsburgh under the guidance of Arshay Cooper, a key figure in the success of the San Miguel Academy Rowing Program. “Throughout my experience coaching numerous youths in 2k indoor competitions,” said Arshay, “I have never encountered anyone as composed and strategic as Jermain. The competitors, parents, and facility staff were all captivated by his performance. I am excited to say that he represents the future. Newburgh, watch out!”

Cooper, a nationally recognized advocate for diversity in rowing, has played a pivotal role in elevating San Miguel Rowing’s competitive performance. His work, supported by A Most Beautiful Thing Inclusion Fund, has brought rowing, academic support, and college access to under-resourced communities. Thanks to this initiative, San Miguel Rowing received two new Hudson two-person boats, named in honor of black rowers Alex Osborne, who competed in the 2012 London Olympics, and Malcolm Hawkins. Additionally, the program acquired 20 state-of-the-art ergometers for year-round training.

Cooper’s impact extends far beyond the water. Featured in The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, and People Magazine, he has inspired diversity-focused rowing programs worldwide. His message of human potential and inclusion has resonated at major institutions such as the Obama Foundation, the Aspen Institute, JP Morgan, and Princeton University.

San Miguel Academy Rowing is one of the largest middle school rowing programs in the nation, with 100% student participation. The program is committed to increasing educational opportunities for its student-athletes, helping them gain admission to top-tier high schools and colleges. San Miguel rowers have consistently performed at a national level, competing at the USRowing Youth National Championships and securing top-10 finishes.

San Miguel Academy provides access to rowing—a sport traditionally out of reach for many—through the generosity of its donors and sponsors. San Miguel Academy Rowing is proudly supported by the New York Giants Foundation, A Most Beautiful Thing Inclusion Fund, the Head of the Charles/Philadelphia Gold Cup Challenge Foundation, and USRowing.