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Carver's 80th Anniversary Kick-Off Event

See photos of the event at The Hour here. See The Hour's article about Carver's 80th anniversary year here. See Nancy on Norwalk's article about the 80th celebration event here. See Carver's Facebook photo album of the event here. See a short video of the event below. 

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On Tuesday, January 30, 2018, 5:00-5:30PM, immediately following the annual Carver Career Fair at Carver Community Center, 400+ Carver students wearing WE ARE CARVER t-shirts joined Norwalk and Carver leadership and student speakers to celebrate Carver's 80 years of service. 

The event planning committee members were Dr. Susan Weinberger, Committee Chair; Marc Alan; Tasha Branch; Marge Costa; Meri Erickson; Richard Whitcomb; and Brenda Wilcox Williams. The Norwalk Arts Commission officially endorsed the event that launched a yearlong series of occasions to celebrate Carver’s 80 years of “Building Lifetime Achievers.” 

The speakers included Novelette Peterkin, Carver Executive Director; Diana Napier, Carver Board President; Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling, Introduced by Carver student Rodelin Constant; Ralph Valenzisi, Chief of Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, Norwalk Public School, Introduced by Carver student Joseph Jakpasu; Diane Jellerette, Executive Director, Norwalk Historical Society, Introduced by Carver student, Jordyn Powell; and Carver alumnae Gabrielle Pierre-Louis sang Carver’s new official song, “WeR1", Introduced by Marc Alan, Director of Marketing, Factory Underground Records. The event's DJ, was Steve Lou (DJ Connect), Diageo and a Carver alumnus. 

Carver in the News! Join us on Tuesday for our 80th Anniversary Kick-off Event!

Here is an article in The Hour today about Carver's 80 years of service with photos of our annual Breakfast With Champions that took place yesterday at the Carver Community Center. 

Here is another article in The Hour today about the continued significant support Carver receives from both the federal and state governments to help advance the closing of the Achievement Gap in Norwalk. 

Thank you, one and all, your part in making the Carver story so positive and enduring!

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WE ARE CARVER - The Video

The Carver Foundation of Norwalk in partnership with TracyLocke, a global Public Relations and Marketing Company, created a video to capture the excitement and essence of our afterschool programming. Students from our Junior Youth Development Program participated in an enrichment to write the script and during the recording process students served as co-directors. We are thankful for their eagerness to try new things and for their hard work as scholars! Thank you for your support of the Carver Foundation and its mission to build lifetime achievers. We are Carver!

Event to Kick-Off Carver's 80th Anniversary, Tuesday, 1/30/18, 5PM

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WHEN:  Tuesday, January 30, 2018, 5:00PM (immediately following the annual Carver Career Fair)

WHERE:  Carver Community Center, 7 Academy Street, Norwalk

WHO:  400+ Carver students wearing WE ARE CARVER t-shirts; Carver Foundation of Norwalk leadership and student speakers; Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling, Norwalk Public Schools  Superintendent Steven Adamowski; Carver alumnae Gabrielle Pierre-Louis singing Carver’s                                 new official song, “WeR1”; audio support by Factory Underground.

WHAT: The Norwalk Arts Commission officially endorses this kick-off event that launches a yearlong  series of events to celebrate Carver’s 80 years of “Building Lifetime Achievers,” including Carver’s annual Child of America gala on Friday, April 27th, and “Carver Day” (a block party on Academy Street/”Richard N. Fuller Way”) on Thursday, September 20, 2018.

WHY: The Carver community will recognize and thank its students, parents and guardians, alumni, staff, many program partners, donors, advocates, and its countless other supporters, including our elected officials, today and over the past 80 years, for all that they have each invested in advancing the careers and lives of our children and in improving the City of Norwalk.

About Carver: Carver is the largest provider of after school and summer programs in Norwalk. Since 2005, 100% of Carver seniors graduate on time and almost 100% of these graduates become first generation college students; 85% of these Carver students graduate from four-year colleges within six years.  Carver’s Youth Development Program is conducted in the Carver Community Center, in Norwalk’s four middle and two high schools, and in Side by Side Charter School. Carver’s K-5 after school program at its Community Center offers intensive project-based learning in science, literacy and math. Carver produces summer learning programs in six locations throughout Norwalk. Carver also offers college scholarships, spring and fall college tours, food drives, community holiday events and more for the benefit of the Norwalk community.

 About WeR1 the Song: Written by Morris Pleasure, a recipient of Carver’s annual Child of America award. Pleasure is an American composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and touring musician. He has recorded and performed with artists such as Ray Charles, Najee, George Duke, Earth, Wind & Fire, Roberta Flack, Christina Aguilera, Peter Cetera, Mary J. Blige, David Foster, Bette Midler, and many others.

Mark Feinberg Brings Wealth Management Advice to the Carver Community

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Mark D. Feinberg, Carver donor and longtime volunteer, and a consummate wealth management advisor at Merrill Lynch, held a financial empowerment seminar in the Charlotte Naomi Horblit Technology Center at the Carver Community Center for Carver parents, the community, and Carver staff. Mr. Feinberg shared his insights into wealth building, investments, stocks and bonds, and secrets of the financial industry.

Guests sat among rows of computers with Retina 5K displays as Mr. Feinberg taught from the large touch-screen smart-board at the front of the room. Illustrations from Westport artist, writer and civil rights activist Tracy Sugarman adorned the walls. The technology center is typically used by K-12 kids from across Norwalk for math, reading and science programs. They use the iMacs for creative projects, using GarageBand and other publishing programs.

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Mr. Feinberg, a wealth management adviser at Merrill Lynch, made the technology center possible after donating $472,000 to Carver. He made the donation because he said Carver has had a profound affect on him, having served as a camp counselor at the center as a teenager. Feinberg named the Carver Foundation as one of seven charitable beneficiaries of the estate of his late aunt, Charlotte Naomi Horblit of Chestnut Hill, Mass. Horblit was an advocate of educational programs for children.