The Nuevo Horizonte Program is designed to teach Middle School students social skills that will prepare them to interact with persons in their every day affairs. We also provide them with leadership skills that will be essential for matriculation into High School and specifically for their participation in the Latino Community. Through the partnership of the NHI@SA and the National Hispanic Institute (NHI) over the last ten years we conducted six middle school experiences. First in the Edgewood Independent School District and the last three years in the San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD). As expected we were able to prove our theory on the need to develop leadership and academic excellence starting with middle school students. The Nuevo Horizonte Model, using both the overarching NHI philosophy and the curriculum developed by the NHI@SA, demonstrated that students can learn beyond their capacity, enjoy a broader intellectual challenge, learn about their community and discover their family and cultural values as an asset to succeed. For the first time for many they saw themselves as achievers and champions and not "those kids." Finally the parents have over the last 6 years advised us over and over that they truly saw a metamorphosis in the children toward a better and healthier development with a new awareness of themselves.