Gentrification and the Lower East Side: A Study on the Impact of Gentrification on a Private Jesuit Middle School

The Nativity Mission Center is an all-boys Jesuit middle school on the Lower East Side whose mission is to provide quality education to underserved children. The Capstone team was asked to research how demographic changes may affect enrollment in the school. Over the past year, the Capstone team analyzed quantitative data on the Lower East Side including: household income, residents receiving public assistance, and ethnicity. In addition, the team conducted focus groups with Nativity parents, students and teachers as well as surveyed local teachers, community based organizations, and other Nativity schools to gain greater insight. The Capstone team determined there is still a need for Nativity despite gentrification in the Lower East Side, and in order to reach prospective students, the school must take a more aggressive approach to outreach in the community and consider ways to leverage varying cultural norms in different ethnic enclaves.