For decades, Carver’s strongest partnerships have been built on trust, mentorship, and a shared belief in young people. Our partnership with The Justice Education Center is a powerful example—rooted in community, shaped by lived experience, and brought to life at the Carver Community Center through girls’ basketball.
At the heart of this partnership are two Carver champions from different generations: Doug Peoples, a lifelong advocate for Norwalk youth who helped make this collaboration possible, and Shannon Singleton-Bates, Carver’s Recreation Coordinator, who is leading the Inspire Girls Basketball @ Carver program on the ground every day.
A Partnership Aligned Around Youth, Wellness, and Opportunity
The Justice Education Center’s mission to improve the lives of children, youth, and families through community safety, wellness, and opportunity aligns seamlessly with Carver’s holistic approach to youth development. Through Inspire Girls Basketball @ Carver, that alignment becomes tangible: girls ages 9–17 building skills, confidence, resilience, and belonging through structured, supportive athletics.
Basketball is the entry point. But the outcomes go far beyond the court—strengthened teamwork, emotional regulation, leadership, and self-belief that carry into school, family, and community life.
Doug Peoples: The Connector Who Made It Happen
If you ask around Norwalk who has quietly shaped generations of young athletes and leaders, one name comes up again and again: Doug Peoples.
A Norwalk High School graduate (Class of 1971) and three-sport athlete—basketball, football, and track—Doug has spent more than four decades doing what he has always done best: seeing potential in young people and refusing to let it go to waste.
After college, Doug returned home and began officiating girls’ basketball, where he immediately recognized both the talent and the opportunity gaps facing local athletes. Since then, he has helped countless young people—across sports and across schools—navigate pathways to scholarships, college, and beyond. Even during the height of the pandemic, when opportunities seemed to vanish overnight, Doug stepped up. He worked remotely with student-athletes, helping both secure college scholarships and continuing to show up—literally—to cheer them on once they got there.
Doug’s impact extends well beyond basketball. For more than 40 years, he has been a driving force in Norwalk's martial arts community. After discovering karate while playing football at Central Connecticut State University, he returned home with an idea that would change lives: using karate tournaments at Carver to help young people earn scholarships. That vision eventually led to the founding of Norwalk Tang Soo Do, where Doug has taught discipline, confidence, and self-defense to generations of Norwalk youth—and, in many cases, their parents.
Through it all, Doug has asked for nothing in return. What he has given instead is mentorship, advocacy, and a bridge between institutions and the young people who need them most. His role in connecting Carver with The Justice Education Center is a natural extension of a lifetime spent opening doors.
Shannon Singleton-Bates: Leading Inspire Girls at Carver Today
Every lasting legacy needs leaders who carry it forward. At Carver, that leader is Shannon Singleton-Bates, our Recreation Coordinator and the driving force behind Inspire Girls Basketball @ Carver.
A mentee of Doug Peoples, Shannon embodies the same values that shaped her own journey: discipline, encouragement, and belief in the power of structured recreation to change lives. Under her leadership, the Carver Community Center gym becomes a space where girls are coached—not just in basketball fundamentals, but in confidence, communication, and perseverance.
Shannon ensures that Inspire programming reflects its full mission: physical wellness paired with social-emotional growth. Practices and games are intentionally structured to foster empathy, teamwork, and leadership. Coaches model respect and accountability. Girls are encouraged to set goals, reflect on progress, and support one another—learning that success is built collectively.
Why This Partnership Matters
Inspire Girls Basketball @ Carver is a shared investment in community safety, wellness, and opportunity—values that sit at the core of both Carver and and the program benefactor, The Justice Education Center.
Thanks to Doug Peoples’ vision and advocacy, and Shannon Singleton-Bates’ leadership and execution, this partnership is helping young women discover their strength, their voice, and their place in a supportive community.
This is what Carver partnerships look like at their best: rooted in relationships, guided by mentorship, and focused on long-term impact—one young person at a time.
