St Michaels Association for Special Education Inc

Yá'át'ééh from Navajo Nation!

St. Michaels Association for Special Education is both a school for children and adults as well as a residential facility. We have students ranging from ages five to twenty-one. We have primary and elementary classrooms, as well as classrooms to teach daily life skills for independent living and pre-vocational skills. Our Day Treatment for Adults program provides a daily learning environment for adults with special needs. We are a big family here at SMASE. We want nothing but the best for the special people we help. 

Due to many educational and governmental cuts, as well as bad luck, SMASE has really suffered financially the past couple of years. Through quick thinking and hard work, SMASE has endured. Despite hours being cut and pay being decreased, our dedicated employees have remained here for the children and adults we serve. Slowly but surely, things are beginning to look up. We are receiving new students. But we do not have the resources to transport them to and from school. 

SMASE desperately needs a new school bus. Some vehicles in our fleet have around 300,000 miles on them. Each day, there is the fear that a vehicle will give out and we will not have the funds to replace it. As I said before, we are a family. These special people are our world. We do not want to let them and their families down. 

Navajo Nation is wholly rural; things are very, very spread out. SMASE provides transportation for children and adults from far outside our local neighborhood. Some residential students who are able to travel home for the weekends live up to 200 miles away. Because of the rural nature of Navajo Nation, it can be hard for these special children and adults to get the help they deserve. There is a lot of poverty out here. Many people live paycheck-to-paycheck. SMASE stands as a source of positivity and hope in both the community and the greater Navajo Nation. SMASE is here to help, but we need some help too. Please consider donating to help us get a new bus. Thank you.