Carver’s after school programs at West Rocks and Ponus Middle Schools and Side By Charter School fielded FIRST LEGO teams this past Saturday in New Haven to participate in the Elm City Robo Fest FIRST LEGO League (FLL) competition.
Carver is able to offer this enrichment opportunity to our students with support from the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative, the only federal funding source dedicated exclusively to supporting local afterschool, before-school and summer learning programs. The program was reauthorized in 2015 as part of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Each state receives funds based on its share of Title I funding for low-income students. Carver consistently wins highly competitive 21st CCLC grants from the state that support local schools and community based organizations that provide afterschool and summer learning programs.
This recent robotics competition was an opportunity for our students to be immersed in real-world science and technology challenges. Teams designed their own solution to a current scientific problem and built autonomous LEGO robots that performed a series of missions. Carver kids developed valuable life skills and discovered exciting career possibilities while learning that they can make a positive contribution to society. And as the images here show, they had a lot fun all along the way on their journey.
In FIRST, Carver kids are part of a thriving community brimming with inspiration, creativity, and hope for a stronger, more sustainable future—one that’s built better together. FIRST LEGO League challenges kids to think like scientists and engineers. During this New Haven CITY SHAPER season, teams will choose and solve a real-world problem in the Innovation Project. They will also build, test, and program an autonomous robot using LEGO® MINDSTORMS® technology to solve a set of missions in the Robot Game. Throughout their experience, teams will operate under the FIRST signature set of Core Values, celebrating discovery, teamwork, and Gracious Professionalism®.
Carver’s after school STEAM programs such as this one receive crucial financial support from a 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) competitive federal grant. Here are similar stories about Carver FLL teams competing in 2017 and 2016. During the 2018/2019 INTO ORBIT FLL season, teams chose and solved a real-world problem. Throughout their experience, teams operated under the FIRST signature set of Core Values, celebrating discovery, teamwork, and Gracious Professionalism.
Carver STEAM after school projects are facilitated by certified teachers hired from within each of the Carver school sites. They deliver Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics programming through small group instruction using strategies consistent with CT’s Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and the CT’s Science, Technology Education and Arts Curriculum Frameworks.
The 21st CCLC grant is authorized under, Title IV, Part B of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (P.L. 107-110), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and reauthorized by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015. The 21st CCLC grant is administered by the Connecticut Department of Education and provides funding for the establishment of community learning centers to provide students with academic enrichment opportunities. In addition to academics, 21st CCLC permits Carver to offer students a broad array of other services and programs as well as support for parents.
