The Hour: Carver Foundation to honor Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs at 80th anniversary gala

Carver's 80th Anniversary website is here

By Stephanie Kim, Monday, April 16, 2018      See the entire news article here

NORWALK — Sean “Diddy” Combs will be visiting Norwalk to accept the 2018 Child of America Award at the Carver Foundation’s 80th anniversary gala in May.

Novelette Peterkin, Carver’s executive director, said Combs felt honored to be named this year’s recipient once he learned more about what the foundation is doing for urban youth in Norwalk.

Carver is the city’s largest provider of after-school and summer programs for middle and high school students.

“That’s near and dear to him. He does a lot of philanthropic investment in programs like Carver,” Peterkin said. “And we’re honored that he accepted our invitation.”

...“We try to honor exceptional role models for Carver youth and it’s called Child for America for a reason, because we look to honor someone who’s national,” Peterkin said. “He inspired my generation and he continues to inspire the younger generation now.”

...Ray Dalio, founder of the investment firm Bridgewater Associates and a supporter of Carver since 2009, will present Combs with the award at this year’s gala on May 11 at the Shorehaven Golf Club, 14 Canfield Ave. in Norwalk. A tribute music video will also be shown at the gala created by Norwalk’s Factory Underground and Carver alum and Norwalk rapper FNX.

See The Hour article in its entirety here.

Click here to go to the Carver 80th Anniversary Gala website.

Melissa & Doug donate art supplies to Carver kids!

Melissa & Doug of the company that goes by the same name just donated art supplies to Carver, generously supporting Carver's STEAM education programs!

Melissa & Doug is an American manufacturer and purveyor of children's toys. The company was founded by Melissa and Doug Bernstein in their basement and in Doug's parents' garage in 1988. It is headquartered in Wilton, Connecticut. It is especially noted for wooden puzzles, arts & crafts products, plush toys and other types of educational toys. All products are designed in-house in Wilton, Connecticut, by a team of designers led by Melissa. The company has manufacturing sites in both the U.S. and abroad.

In a 2016 Good Morning America profile, Melissa Bernstein shared her belief that through imaginary play, kids explore, create, take risks, and discover who they really are. The same profile noted that the Melissa & Doug philosophy matches the American Academy of Pediatrics' recommendation that parents limit screen time for young children.

Thank you, Melissa and Doug, for thinking of and giving so generously to Carver kids!

Today is Jackie Robinson Day and it is being celebrated in new ways

On Sunday, April, 15th, MLB will commemorate the annual league-wide Jackie Robinson Day with even more ways to celebrate the Hall of Famer who made history on April 15, 1947, as the first African-American player in the Major Leagues when he suited up for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

As has been customary since 2009, all on-field personnel, including players, managers, coaches and umpires, will wear Robinson's No. 42. This year, a commemorative patch on all team caps and jersey sleeves and socks with the No. 42 on them have been added. There's also a new lightweight hooded fleece for batting practice and dugout wear, also featuring the 42 logo.

All proceeds from the sale of these items will be donated to the Jackie Robinson Foundation, an organization that provides four years of financial assistance and direct program services annually to 225 students attending 100 colleges and universities across the country. The JRF has developed a mentoring curriculum called JRF Scholars, and some of those scholars will be honored during the special on-field, pregame celebrations on home fields across the league Sunday.

Rachel Robinson, Jackie's wife and founder of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, and their daughter, Sharon Robinson, are scheduled to attend the Jackie Robinson Day ceremonies at Citi Field, the home of the Mets, who will host the Brewers.

In conjunction with Jackie Robinson Day weekend, MLB will also host the second annual Trailblazer Series at the MLB Youth Academy in Compton, Calif., for approximately 100 girls, ages 13 and under, representing 21 states as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and Canada. The three-day tournament that starts Thursday will feature players from AAU, Babe Ruth and Cal Ripken Baseball, Little League International, Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI), PONY and USSSA, and other leagues along with top coaches and players, including members of USA Baseball's Women's National Team.

These dates and figures also are important as MLB celebrates the league's growing diversity on Jackie Robinson Day. African-American/African-Canadian/Black players made up 8.4 percent of Major League rosters on Opening Day this year, the highest percentage on Opening Day active rosters in the past six seasons.

Overall, 41 percent of players on 2018 active, Opening Day rosters are of African-American/African-Canadian/Black, Latino, Asian or Pacific Island descent. Also, the first round of the MLB Draft has featured 41 African-American players out of 204 total selections since 2012, a total of 20.1 percent.

On April 16, MLB and Scholastic will announce all 10 winners of the Breaking Barriers: In Sport, In Life essay contest, which honors the legacy of Robinson. The contest recognizes students who have overcome barriers in their own lives using the example set forth by Robinson. The grand-prize winners from each category will win a trip to the 2018 MLB All-Star Game and World Series, respectively.

Carver's 48th annual spring break college tour concludes at Six Flags Great Adventure!

Each spring break, chaperoned Carver students board their chartered bus at the Carver Community Center for a life-changing, road trip to the schools they aspire to attend. The 48th (2018) Annual Spring College Tour just introduced middle and high school students to the rigors and joys of a college education. School administrators, admissions and financial aid officers, college students including many former Carver YDP students, and others gave the tours, made presentations and interacted with the visiting Carver students. Whether asking questions, touring the campuses, or sharing meals with former Carver peers now excelling at these excellent schools, the goal is to motivate each visiting Carver student to envision their futures as a successful college student.

On their way home from this life changing experience, the college-bound Carver students visited Six Flags Adventure in New Jersey. Featuring hundreds of roller coasters, thrill rides and family attractions, Six Flags is one the biggest regional theme parks in the world! 

We're grateful they all survived the death defying rides at the park and are now back in Norwalk and more motivated than ever to be "lifetime achievers!" 

11th grader Dejanah Lorthe reports from Howard University on the spring break college tour

Howard University is an HBCU filled with many opportunities and is one of the most diverse colleges in the United States. Founded in 1867, by Oliver Otis Howard, the predominantly African American school has six schools that comprise various majors like biology, communications, Afro-American studies, and chemical engineering. To get into this prestigious university, you must have a weighted GPA of a 3.2 or higher and have at least a score of 1080 on the SATs and a 24 on the ACT. Tuition for Howard is $40,000 a year. This fee includes boom, board, and most of the other expenses on campus. When applying to Howard University, you are entered into a scholarship pool to determine if you're qualified for receive funds to go the school. Howard University believes cultivating community is important and they want individuals who are willing to give back. It's best to start getting involved within your community and in your high school.

Campus life at Howard is usually live with music, step shows, parties, and special events as well. "The Yard" is the hangout spot for all students where most of the fun happens. One fun fact about Howard University is the rapper, and entrepreneur P. Diddy attended Howard but did not graduate. Howard University is a school where \ you can find who you really are, and it's also a place that I can call home within the next year. Visiting this particular school made me fall deeper in love with it, and it motivated me to continue to push harder in high school and to strive only for greatness and never settle for average.

Dejanah Lorthe
11th Grade Brien McMahon

Carver students on the spring break College Tour visit Georgetown and Howard Universities today!

11th graders Sky Simmons & Areyona Patterson write about the college tour of Georgetown!

Georgetown University is a private university located in Washington DC and was founded in 1789. There are 4,523 students enrolled in the university. Georgetown is considered an Ivy League college which means they have high academics and high prestige. The mascot is “Jack The Bulldog” who has the colors of grey and blue. Their mascot is a bulldog, but not any normal mascot as you would imagine. Jack, the bulldog, is an actual living bulldog! Unfortunately, we weren’t able to see him and pet him, but it’s quite fascinating that that’s their mascot. There are many exciting things might grab your attention around campus. There's a seal in the middle of a walkway that you are not allowed to step on, and if you're superstitious, you'll believe that its bad luck for anyone who does so. We made sure we walked passed it though.

The school has a religious affiliation with Catholic which would be an attraction for anyone who is Catholic. Over 50% of these students study abroad which is excellent because it opens students’ minds to different cultures so they will be able to compare to the United States of America. There are more than 150 different study abroad programs in different countries. Those who decide to pick the Global Health major are required to pick a country and study abroad. 

The general requirements for admission to the school is a GPA of 3.9-4.4, an average SAT score of 1590, and an average ACT score of 30-35. The university offers scholarships and mentorship as well. The average GPA at Georgetown is 4.03; this makes it a very competitive university. The acceptance rate is 17%, and the graduation rate is 94% within six years. This school offers more than 200 co-curricular clubs and activities on campus. All students are required to take general education courses. 90% of students do internships, and there are many around campus jobs available to the students. 

Students are allowed to live in loft-style apartments which include kitchens and single bathrooms. They offer single rooms, doubles, and even triples! Not all schools have study rooms that you can reserve, so the fact that Georgetown does is a huge plus! I recommend this school to anyone who takes an interest in the things we've reported for you! 

Sky Simmons & Areyona Patterson
11th Grade Norwalk High School

10th graders Ashanti Washington & Summer Hall write about the college tour visit to Coppin State University

Coppin State University is a HBCU looking for hardworking, dedicated students. The university has a very diverse student population who come from various states such as New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. The average requirement for acceptance into the school is a 2.5 GPA, 930 SAT score and an 18 ACT score. Coppin State also provides the Coppins Honors Program which allows students to obtain a bachelors degree in 3 years rather than 4. They require a 3.0 GPA, 1080 SAT score, and a 22 ACT score for acceptance. 

Coppin State recommends that its students live on campus to build relationships with teachers and other students, especially their freshman year. Coppin State is not interested in becoming a big school; they would instead remain on the smaller side of the school population. A plus about CSU is that they are an NCAA division 1 school for sports. Men sports include basketball, football, tennis, track and field, etc. The women sports that the school provides is basketball, bowling, tennis, and softball. They also have clubs that are less competitive and do not compete with NCAA divisions which included soccer, lacrosse, and powderpuff. 

Overall, Coppin State University is a beautiful school and everyone on campus was friendly. If you're looking for a medium sized HBCU, this is a great choice!

Ashanti Washington & Summer Hall
10th Graders @ Brien McMahon High School

11 grader Carla Romeus writes about her visit to Salisbury University on the Carver college tour

Salisbury University was founded in 1924 and offers 43 majors and 65 minors including four schools: Fulton, Henson, Perdu, and Seidel. Each school has different subjects to study for each major for example; Perdue is the school of Business, Henson is the school of Science and Technology, Fulton is the school of Liberal Arts and Seidel is the School of Education. 

Perdue is the School of Business, which was named after Franklin Perdue the Founder of Perdue Chicken. The building was constructed to mimic the type of architecture in the business world. On the inside, there are huge screens with live stock updates going by as fast as the ones on Wall Street in New York City! A large TV greets you once you walk in with news from many different news channels such as CNN and Bloomberg. In the lobby there's also have Perdue's head on display.

In the same building, there's an office called the Innovation and Entrepreneurship office. The School of Business hosts events like Gull Cage, which is a parody of Shark tank where the students go in with ideas and get people to support their ideas and give them that loan they need to jump-start their idea or product. Mark Cuban even came to the university and sat through some of the business ideas and approved of the program.

The class sizes at Salisbury University have a ration of 17:1 and last up to two and a half hours. On the university’s websites allow students to filter through options to determine which classes are better for you during specific times and days of the week. 

As we walked through campus, you can sense the joy the students have while attending the university. There are so many opportunities and activities for students to enjoy such as the spin bikes that students can rent for only fifty cents a ride, S.O.A.P. (Student Organized Activity Program), volleyball courts all around, volunteering opportunities and so much more. In the heart of the campus, you will find "the Quad" which is surrounded by residence halls for sophomores and the freshmen. "The Quad" is also where the university holds most of their parties and concerts. 

We continued walking past "the Quad," went into the gym which holds an Olympic sized Swimming pool, a weight room and a full basketball court with bleachers that can hold up to 9500 students. Salisbury has over 21 Division 3 teams, but they are most popular for there Lacrosse team who has won 2 years in a row. There are so many things to do in Salisbury, that's there's never a dull moment for the students because of the 120+ clubs, fraternities and sororities, and the pit in the library where you can hang out with your friends. 

Together with Sammy the Seagull, Salisbury University helps their students “Learn, Live, Lead.” 

Carla Romeus
11th Grade // Brien McMahon

Ayanna McCoy and Jurnee Gilchrist report from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore on Carver's annual spring college tour!

Exploring the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) – home of the Hawks
Ayanna McCoy and Jurnee Gilchrist

Nestled on nearly a thousand acres of land in the middle of what seems to be farm country is the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), home of the Hawks. As our bus driver Dave navigated his way to the student center, there were goats grazing and lines for an irrigation system with remanence of crops that were already harvested. It is evident that agriculture is a major part of the school offerings. It is also hard to believe that UMES is a short drive to Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington D.C. We arrived to the words OPORTUNITY and DISTINCTION prominently etched on the student center building. We learned of Jasmine Prezzie from Ms. Novelette. Jasmine was once a student on the Carver college tour, who fell in love with UMES. Jasmine enrolled and graduated from UMES. Jasmine is now pursuing a master’s degree from Fordham University. In Jasmine’s own words, “forever a Hawk”.

Even though the campus is on nearly a thousand acres of land, it is a walkable campus with only 48 buildings. There are no shuttles available or needed. UMES is a public Historically Black College and University that was founded in 1886 as a land-grant institution and has had many name changes over the years. Currently UMES has 3906 students enrolled. UMES has a warm and special feel. There is a 14 to 1 student to staff ratio. We were surprise to learn that UMES is a D1 school for athletics, however they do not have a football team. This has been the case since the 1960’s. There are 14 NCAA Division 1 intercollegiate teams and competes in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). Ninety percent of UMES students qualify for financial aid.

In order to gain admission to the school you are required to have a 2.5 GPA, SAT scores of 930 and two recommendation letters. The out-of-state tuition is $27,671 per year and in-state tuition is $17,665 per year. What stood out for us was UMES’s strong academic support for students who need extra help, the friendly environment, and the opportunity for freshmen students to have cars on campus. We can actually see ourselves at this school. It’s very well maintained and welcoming. The school is a smaller school, it gives us a home away from home vibe. We have added UMES to our short list of colleges. We feel strongly that it is a hidden gem.