CARVER GALA MOVES TO FRIDAY, MAY 11TH AT SHOREHAVEN GOLF CLUB!
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Carver begins new after school program in Brookside and Tracey Elementary Schools
Today, thanks to vital new financial support from 21st Century Community Learning Centers, Carver began its new after school enrichment services to 5th grade students attending Brookside and Tracey Elementary Schools. We will also provide a Summer Transition Program for these same students who will be entering Roton and West Rocks Middle Schools in next fall.
Carver’s after-school personalized learning model starting today will compliment regular school day learning for 5th grade students with certified teachers from their respective schools and other professionals delivering Literacy, Math, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Science, enrichment, recreation and wellness programming through structured activities that have been proven by Carver to achieve significant academic improvement. Carver will also provide a Summer Transition Program for 80% of these students who will be transitioning into Roton and West Rocks Middle Schools. Carver will offer parents literacy, technology classes and related educational opportunities and support.
Carver’s after-school Youth Development Program (YDP) provides students (a minimum of 4 days per week, 2.5 hours per day, not including field trips, career fairs, etc.) with a variety of learning opportunities that compliment and enrich school-day instruction, utilizing the Scientific Research Based Interventions (SRBI) three-tier learning framework. YDP emphasizes successful instruction for all students through high quality core education practices, as well as targeted interventions for students experiencing difficulties. YDP ensures the differentiation of instruction for all learners, including students performing above and below grade level expectations and English language learners (ELLs). YDP offers services not available during the school day and collaborates with school day teachers, counselors and parents to assess students’ needs. The Summer Transition program deploys YDP education methodologies while helping students learn the basics of navigating their respective new schools. These after-school and summer programs incorporate comprehensive use of each school site. Carver employs certified teachers from each participating school.
Carver Celebrates Black History Month
Black History Month, also known as African-American History Month in America, is an annual observance in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and in the Netherlands (as of 2016) where it is known as Black Achievement Month. It began as a way for remembering important people and events in the history of the African diaspora. It is celebrated annually in the United States and Canada in February, as well as in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands in October.
Of course, the Carver community is especially proud of its namesake, George Washington Carver (1860s – January 5, 1943). He was an American botanist and inventor. He became well-known to the public due to his active promotion of alternative crops to cotton and methods to prevent soil depletion.
While a professor at Tuskegee Insitutute, Carver developed techniques to improve soils depleted by repeated plantings of cotton. He wanted poor farmers to grow alternative crops, such as peanuts and sweet potatoes, as a source of their own food and to improve their quality of life. The most popular of his 44 practical bulletins for farmers contained 105 food recipes using peanuts. Although he spent years developing and promoting numerous products made from peanuts; none became commercially successful.
Apart from his work to improve the lives of farmers, Carver was also a leader in promoting environmentalism. He received numerous honors for his work, including the Spingarn Medal of the NAACP. In an era of very high racial polarization, his fame reached beyond the black community. He was widely recognized and praised in the white community for his many achievements and talents. In 1941, Time magazine dubbed Carver a "Black Leonardo".
Carver's 80th Anniversary Kick-Off Event
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's 2018 Career Fair -- see the photos!
Hundreds of Carver students once again gathered at the Carver Community Center to be introduced to career choices presented by successful professionals. See the photos here!
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!
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!
