Providence’s San Miguel School Fosters Confidence and Leadership in Young Men

Jesse O. and Ian A., students at the San Miguel school. Photo by Jamie Coelho.

When a visitor walks into any classroom at the San Miguel School in Providence, each student in the middle school classroom will get up from their seat, walk up to the guest, look them in the eye and introduce themselves while shaking their hand. In today’s post-COVID world of stunted social interaction, especially for children, it’s a gesture that feels like it’s from a bygone era. It made me think of my own eleven-year-old son, who is always polite, but it never occurred to me to teach him how to greet people in this confident way. It makes a difference in making people feel respected and acknowledged, too.

The handshake is the signature move at the San Miguel School, which is an independent tuition-free Lasallian middle school that provides holistic education for boys from diverse and challenging backgrounds. Brotherhood is instilled amongst all the fifth through eighth graders, who are encouraged to participate in various school activities including chess, crew, gardening and more. On Friday, May 2 from 5:30-9 p.m., the school is hosting Hoops, Hops and Heart, its twentieth annual gala and Miguel medal ceremony at the Pawtucket Armory Arts Center to raise money for the students’ education.

The STEM lab at San Miguel School.

The San Miguel School is a special place “where kids feel seen and feel a sense of belonging,” says the San Miguel School’s Executive Director Melissa Bride. “Isolation is very dangerous for young people as we know. So having the boys with us as much as possible, with great male role models, with teams and activities that boys feel part of, these things help at a time when boys’ self-confidence is very low.”

The boys remain in the same intimate class group of fewer than eighteen students from fifth through eighth grades, and form bonds with each other “as brothers” as well as with their teachers. The youngest boys are paired up with an older boy in the school for mentoring purposes, and they are also paired with an adult mentor to help guide them through life into high school and beyond. They build a community within the school that feels like family.

“The hand shaking is step one to building community,” Bride says.

San Miguel curates various educational and extracurricular activities. The school facilitates an indoor and outdoor Green Team gardening program, it has a STEM lab where the students can explore robotics and technology, there’s a learning lab for academic support, a music room, and a chess team. Students can join sports like basketball, golf, soccer, flag football and crew and participate in projects like building bridges to learn about engineering, participate in a Hackathon that involves computer coding, and lead forensic investigations in science class. Classroom sizes are intimate, allowing for personalized attention, and graduates receive ongoing support into high school and beyond.

The STEM lab at San Miguel School.

San Miguel selects a “Miguel Man of the Week,” someone who embodies integrity and respect. “It’s not just about academics, but the person as a whole,” says Jesse O., a student at the school.

“Basically, what happens is if you show great improvement for participation and you’re really focused and helping out, you might win Man of the Week,” adds eighth grader Ian A. “Our classmates are considered our brothers.”

The mentoring program is key for building the boys’ confidence for the future. “You’ll meet once a week with your adult mentor for lunch and board games,” says Ian A. “You will talk about what’s going on in school, what’s going on in life. And they’re basically there to guide the way.”

A tribute to the class of 2023.

AJ Burton is an after school coordinator at a nonprofit, and he also serves as a mentor to a student at San Miguel. “You get a mentee most of the time when they’re in fifth grade, and you stay with them all four years that they’re here,” Burton says. “So it’s really awesome to see them grow, because even from last year to this year, everyone has grown in size, but also in personality.”

Many of San Miguel’s graduates go on to enroll in high school at La Salle Academy, St. Raphael’s Academy, St. Andrew’s School, The Milton Hershey School, Classical High School, Providence Country Day School, Rocky Hill Country Day, Davies Technical School and Providence Career and Technical Academy.

“Another thing I like about San Miguel is even after you graduate, you’re still a part of the family here, and they still make sure you’re doing what you’re supposed to do in high school,” Ian A. says.