On October 25th, 2023, Carver CEO Novelette Peterkin, accompanied by other dedicated Carver staff members and a motivated Carver student, actively participated in an impactful and insightful event to help shape the future of education and workforce development in Fairfield County.

Hosted by Fairfield County’s Community Foundation's (FCCF) Business Collaborative for Education Equity (BCEE), the event took place at the FactSet headquarters in Norwalk, drawing the attendance and attention of over 80 prominent business and community leaders.

A key highlight of the event was the engaging panel discussions. See the three videos of those discussions in this post.

The focus of the forum revolved around the presentation of findings from the FCCF comprehensive research study titled "Building Tomorrow's Workforce: Equitable Education and Career Pathways for Opportunity Youth in Fairfield County."

This effort emphasized the significance of forging effective partnerships and fostering cross-sector collaborations. The diverse array of voices, encompassing expertise, and lived experiences, brought forth a wealth of valuable insights, suggesting innovative ways to support the educational and career development of the youth in the region.

The BCEE, a dedicated local impact and funding collaborative, was established in 2020 with FCCF. With a resolute mission to address educational disparities among the most vulnerable youth in the Greater Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk, and Stamford regions, the BCEE has already made considerable strides. Having awarded grants exceeding $400,000 to date, including grants awarded to support The Carver’s workforce development initiatives, the collaborative not only provides financial support but also fosters employee volunteerism, leveraging the expertise and resources of its partners.

For those seeking to delve deeper into the research findings or to actively contribute to local initiatives aimed at enhancing education equity, reaching out to FCCF's Liz Hoagland, the Director of Youth Education and Workforce Development, at lhoagland@fccfoundation.org, would be a promising step forward.

Moreover, companies aspiring to make a meaningful difference in the education landscape and leverage the benefits of BCEE membership are encouraged to visit the BCEE webpage or schedule a meeting with Rebecca Mandell, the Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at FCCF, at rmandell@fccfoundation.org.

This collaborative effort towards fostering educational equity reflects a collective commitment to shaping a brighter and more inclusive future for the youth in Fairfield County, setting the stage for transformative changes in the educational landscape.