The Saigh Foundation Awards $10K Grant to ACCESS Academies

ST. LOUIS, MO. November 5, 2013 –The Saigh Foundation has awarded ACCESS Academies a one-year, $10,000 grant in endorsement of ACCESS’ Graduate Support Program, which provides counsel and resources for NativityMiguel graduates as they pursue their secondary and post-secondary educational and career aspirations.

The Saigh Foundation, founded by former St. Louis Cardinals owner, Fred M. Saigh, assists St. Louis–area organizations that benefit children and youth, primarily in the areas of education and health care. The Foundation is particularly interested in stimulating the development of new ventures, as well as in supporting organizations that feature innovative approaches or programs.Â

“We would like to thank the Saigh Foundation for their support, and will use this grant to enhance the Academy’s seven-year commitment to our NativityMiguel graduates through the work of our Graduate Support Specialists,” said Blake Youde, Executive Director of ACCESS Academies.

ACCESS Academies provides a unique college preparatory education for economically and/or socially disadvantaged students in under-represented neighborhoods in the city of St. Louis through the NativityMiguel Model of Education program, which:

• Extends the school day and school year from 6-8^th grade to provide additional academic support. This includes a robust academic curriculum, homework assistance, service projects, and enrichment.
• Encourages family involvement to further support the physical, social, emotional, and academic well-being of each student.
• Eases the transition into high school and college through the Graduate Support Program.

ACCESS Academies’ Graduate Support Specialists visit NativityMiguel graduates at area college-preparatory high schools quarterly for two purposes: first, to interact and support students in their current academic environments; and secondly, to encourage college and career planning. This includes, but not limited to, tutoring, mentoring, academic scholarships, and monitoring each student’s individual academic growth and achievement.

Since the establishment of ACCESS Academies in 2005, more than 567 students have benefited from its services.

For more information regarding this release, please contact Julie Linder, Public Relations for ACCESS Academies, by calling (573) 268-0639.

For a printable pdf of this release, please click here. Â

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ACCESS Graduate Featured in Award-Winning “What Would You Fight For?” Series

ST. LOUIS, MO. October 23, 2013 – Former ACCESS Academy graduate, Luis Llanos has been featured in the University of Notre Dame’s award-winning “What Would You Fight For?” series.

Now in its seventh season, the series showcases the work, scholarly achievements, and global impact of Notre Dame faculty, students, and alumni. These two-minute segments, each originally aired during a home football game broadcast on NBC, highlight the University’s proud moniker, the Fighting Irish, and tell the stories of the members of the Notre Dame family who fight to bring solutions to a world in need.

Luis Llanos segment, titled “Fighting to Build Bridges,” highlights his time as a member of Notre Dame Students Empowering through Engineering Development (NDSEED), a service projects course that partners with Bridges to Prosperity (B2P), a nonprofit organization that builds bridges in impoverished areas. It aired on October 19^th as the UND defeated USC 14-10.  (Click here to view the video)

Luis Llanos is a 2006 NativityMiguel graduate of the ACCESS program at St. Cecilia School & Academy, and a 2010 graduate from St. Louis University High School. He is currently enrolled in the Mechanical Engineering program at the University of Notre Dame, where he is expected to graduate in the spring of 2014. After graduation, Llanos hopes to work in the renewable energy industry.

For more information regarding this release, please contact Julie Linder, Public Relations for ACCESS Academies, by calling (573) 268-0639.

For a printable pdf of this release, please click here.Â

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Energizer Charitable Trust Awards $10K Grant to ACCESS Academies

ST. LOUIS, MO. September 30, 2013 – Energizer Charitable Trust, which supports not-for-profit organizations whose programs address the educational needs of children and young adults in underserved and disadvantaged communities, has awarded ACCESS Academies a one-year, $10,000 grant.

“We thank Energizer Holdings for the support they have shown us, and will use this grant to advance our seven-year commitment to each student through the NativityMiguel Model of Education,” said Blake Youde, Executive Director of ACCESS Academies.

ACCESS Academies provides a unique college preparatory education for economically and/or socially disadvantaged students in under-represented neighborhoods in city of St. Louis through the NativityMiguel Model of Education program, which:

• Extends the school day and school year from 6-8^th grade to provide additional academic support. This includes a robust academic curriculum, homework assistance, service projects, and enrichment.
• Encourages family involvement to further support the physical, social, emotional, and academic well-being of each student.
• Eases the transition to high school and into college through graduate support. This includes, but not limited to, tutoring, mentoring, academic scholarships, and monitoring each student’s individual academic growth and achievement through high school and into college.

Since its establishment in 2005, more than 567 students have benefited from ACCESS’s services.

For more information regarding this release, please contact Julie Linder, Public Relations for ACCESS Academies, by calling (573) 268-0639.

 For a printable pdf of the release, please click here.Â

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ACCESS Welcomes Tom Mackowiak of Enterprise Holdings as Newest Board Member

ST. LOUIS, MO. September 16, 2013 – ACCESS Academies welcomes Tom Mackowiak, Assistant Vice President- Business Management for Enterprise Holdings’ Commercial Truck Division, as the newest member of its governing board.

“It is an honor to have Tom [Mackowiak] join ACCESS Academies. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that will help strengthen our seven year commitment to each student we serve and enhance our operations as a not-for-profit,” said Blake Youde, Executive Director of ACCESS Academies.

Mackowiak has spent over 25 years with Enterprise Holdings, Inc. in a variety of management positions including, Vice-President of Finance, St. Louis Subsidiary; and Assistant Vice-President-Business Management at the Corporate Headquarters supporting various Subsidiaries. He received a Bachelors of Accountancy from the University of Illinois.

Other board members for ACCESS Academies include:

John C. Vatterott – Chair
Retired, Vatterott College

Marian V. Mehan – Vice Chair
Partner, Lewis, Rice, Fingersh

Thomas M. Nolan – Secretary
Retired, Exec. Dir., ACCESS Academies

Rev. Richard H. Creason
Pastor, Most Holy Trinity Parish

Edith C. Cunnane
Founder, St. Patrick Center

James Cunnane
Retired, CFO, General Dynamics

Don Danforth III
President & Founder, City Academy

David O. Danis
Retired, Attorney

Joseph F. Jedlicka, III
Consultant

Marie Kenyon
Managing Attorney, Catholic Legal Assistance Ministry

Robert J. Mathias
President, Cass Commercial Bank

Paul Minorini
Exec. Dir., Boys Hope/Girls Hope

Birch M. Mullins
President, Baur Properties

John T. O’Neill
Retired, International Treasurer, Monsanto

Richard H. Patton
Exec. Dir, Vision for Children at Risk

Leo C. Saenger
Principal, Millennium Financial Group

John G. Simon
The Simon Law Firm

Blanche M. Touhill, Ph.D.
Chancellor Emerita, University of Missouri – St. Louis

Mark A. Wilhelm
President, Safety National Casualty Corporation

Alan G. Winkelmann
Associate Superintendent, Archdiocese of St. Louis

For more information regarding this release, please contact Julie Linder, Public Relations for ACCESS Academies, by calling (573) 268-0639.

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2013 Carlos Beltran Scholarship Presented to 2 NativityMiguel Graduates

Recently, All-Star Cardinals Outfielder Carlos Beltran and his wife, Jessica, presented the 2013 Carlos Beltran Scholarship to eight Hispanic students during a pregame ceremony at Busch stadium. The scholarship, in the amount of $2,500.00, will help these students further their college studies.

ACCESS Academies is proud to recognize two of the eight recipients as graduates from the NativityMiguel program at St. Cecilia School and Academy. Please congratulate:

 

• Adriana Aceves, who is studying Nursing at St. Louis Community College-Meramec
• Ramiro Sanchez, who is studying Life Science/Medicine at St. Louis Community College-Forest Park

Beltran’s scholarship program was established to support aspiring Hispanic youth in their senior year of high school to advance their college studies. The scholarship rewards the effort, hard work, responsibility and individual academic merits of Hispanic students who are admitted to accredited institutions of higher learning, community colleges or four-year colleges and universities in the United States.

The scholarship will be funded through Beltran’s donations to the Hispanic Arts Council of St. Louis’ Carlos Beltrán Scholarship Fund. To view photos from the ceremony, please click here.

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ACCESS Academies Leads Two-Day Professional Development Retreat Focused on Improving Academics

ST. LOUIS, MO. August1, 2013 – Today, ACCESS Academies returned from a two-day professional development retreat at Cedar Creek Conference Center which focused on preparing faculty and staff from its three NativityMiguel partner schools for the upcoming 2013-2014 school year.

Coordinated with the support of the Archdiocese of St. Louis Office of Catholic Education, ACCESS lead discussions on the following topics:

1) What is being done to prepare incoming students and their families for the St. Louis NativityMiguel Model of Education program

2) What can the St. Louis NativityMiguel Model of Education program do to enhance its extended day and school year to strengthen core academic programs and enhance enrichment offerings

3) What are the behavioral and academic expectations of graduating NativityMiguel students, and what can be done to ensure that these expectations are met as they enter into high schools

4) What can be done to encourage and support NativityMiguel students beyond high school and into college

“We came out examine what we do well and what we can do better to prepare our students for a college preparatory high school education,” said Blake Youde, Executive Director of ACCESS Academies.

ACCESS Academies provides a unique faith-based education for economically and/or socially disadvantaged students in under-represented neighborhoods in city of St. Louis through the St. Louis NativityMiguel Model of Education program, which:

• Extends the school day and school year from 6-8th grade to provide additional academic support. This includes a robust academic curriculum, homework assistance, service projects, and enrichment.
• Encourages family involvement to further support the physical, social, emotional, and academic well-being of each student.
• Eases the transition to high school and into college through graduate support. This includes, but not limited to, tutoring, mentoring, academic scholarships, and monitoring each student’s individual academic growth and achievement through high school and into college.

Since its establishment in 2005, more than 450 students have benefited academically, socially and emotionally from ACCESS’ services.

Enrollment for ACCESS Academies’ three NativityMiguel partner schools is currently underway. For more information about the education opportunities at each school, please call:

• Most Holy Trinity School and Academy, located at 1435 Mallinckrodt, (314) 231-9014 Classes begin August 19
• St. Louis the King School at Cathedral, located at 4430Â Maryland Avenue, 314-373-8250 Classes begin August 15
• St. Cecilia School and Academy, located at 906 Eichelberger St., (314) 353-2455 Classes begin August 15

For more information regarding this release, please contact Julie Linder, Public Relations for ACCESS Academies, by calling (573) 268-0639.

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