At a time when the country is searching for solutions to the dropout crisis, soaring crime rates, gun violence, lingering effects of the pandemic on mental health, there is a practical model for transforming urban schools into havens of academic achievement and wellness. Miracle University offers both a Dropout Prevention Program and an Independent Studies High School that focuses on creating an environment that is grounded in relationship building, individually tailored mentoring for every child, and a culture of high expectations.
Our Mission
Ensure that all 9th grade potential dropouts enroll at Miracle University and graduate with a high school diploma, A-G eligible, and admision to either a college or a career technical school.
Our Vision
Our vision is to prevent 80% of crimes, homicides, incarceration, homelessness, and sex trafficking, costing millions of lives and billions of dollars, by ending the high school dropout crisis.
Our Why
Transforming all 9th grade potential dropouts into scholars and productive citizens eliminates the dropout crisis and saves millions of lives and billions of dollars in prison, crime, unemployment and health care.
Our Goals
- Graduate students UC eligible with admission to 4-year college/pipeline to HBCU
- Graduate students with admission to a career technical school related to dream career
- Graduate students with character of service, purpose and critical thinking
- All students will be encouraged to earn their first 2 years of college credits at Miracle University and earn their Associates Degree before entering their 4-year college
Our Core Beliefs
- Abraham Maslow concluded that humans are motivated to fulfill their hierarchy of basic needs (physiological, safety, belonging, esteem) BEFORE cognitive needs (school)!
- Humans will focus on their higher order needs (school) only after basic needs are met
- A child can focus in school only after he or she feels safe, cared for, a sense of belonging and positive self-esteem.
- According to Maslow and the theory of “self-fulfilling prophecy”, a child feels increased self-esteem by fulfilling those expectations the child or his or her environment have created for the child.
- Our current education system where there is 1 counselor for 500 kids VIOLATES the theory of human motivation that is shaped by a human’s need to fulfill their basic needs before their cognitive needs
- A child whose basic needs are not being met at home or at school are more likely to fail, stop attending school, and eventually drop out
- Thus a dropout is a child who has left school due to conditions where his or her basic or cognitive needs are not being met
- “Dropping out of school” is a response to conditions where the child’s basic and cognitive needs are not being fulfilled. The failing student could be lost in class, feeling hungry, unsafe at school, not cared for, lacking a sense of belonging, and unable to learn in class.
- Similarly, joining a gang is a response to conditions that trigger a child to search for safety, and a sense of belonging or validation.
- Within every “dropout” lies a scholar
We cannot wait until 4,000 9th grade “Pushouts” in Sacramento drop out of school and fall into the pipeline from school to crime, incarceration, poverty, homelessness, lower life expectancy, and cost the society billions of dollars in lost wages and health care expenses
Thank you to our sponsors!
