Our 5th graders are learning Yoga at Brookside Elementary School!

On Mondays at Brookside Elementary School, students partake in athletic activities like jump rope, soccer, and basketball, arts and crafts, or computer games like Kahoot, Escape Rooms, and Quizlets.

On Tuesdays, they participate in China Club, thanks to students from BMHS who teach our 5th graders Chinese. There are also the wild experiences offered by the Maritime Aquarium!

On Wednesdays, we are beginning computer coding.

Yoga is taught by Ms. Ledger on Thursdays.

Our 5th-grade students experience these enrichments, along with homework help and other academic activities, all thanks to the generous support of 21st CCLC, the only federal funding source dedicated exclusively to supporting local after-school programs.

Carver kids are able to engage in hands-on activities, watch spectacular demonstrations, take home educational science-themed creations that reinforce the concepts they've learned, and learn new life-long skills like yoga.

This important funding enables Carver to prepare 5th grade students at four Norwalk elementary schools for what they will experience in middle school.

Our 5th-grade transition students are assigned to a homeroom which they attend following the school’s afternoon dismissal bell. Students then have a few minutes to eat a snack and get ready for the Carver experience. Study hall and homework are first. Certified teachers and assistants help, and sometimes students help each other.

Then our students explore all manner of enrichment opportunities that both interest them and that open their minds and expand their abilities. Within each elective session, students are breaking barriers by completing challenges, enhancing skills, and building teamwork abilities.  The students make presentations of their work later in the school year. These academic and enrichment experiences complement what the students are learning during the school day.

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative is the only federal funding source dedicated exclusively to supporting local after-school, before-school, and summer learning programs. The program serves nearly 2 million youth nationally, through very competitive grants awarded by each state education agency.

Carver is proud to report on the results we are achieving with these grants our state education leaders entrust us with.

The funding level for the 21st CCLC is set each year by Congress in an appropriations bill that is then signed into law by the president. For more than 20 years 21st Century Community Learning Centers have been providing high-quality programming to a wide range of children grades pre-K to 12th grade in communities nationwide.

This downloadable fact sheet is a great primer on who is served and key outcomes of local programs such as Carver.

COVID-19 Update

As Connecticut prepares this week to open access to the COVID-19 vaccine to everyone aged 16 and older, yesterday Gov. Ned Lamont outlined plans to prioritize specific populations including people with certain medical conditions and developmental disabilities. Read more

The governor announced that the statewide positivity rate was 3.53%.

• Read the Daily COVID-19 Report as of 5 p.m. Monday, Mar. 30

• Watch the governor's latest update

• Plans to ease restrictions March 19

• Sector Reopening Rules effective March 19

• Vaccine locations for those 45 and Older

• State Vaccination Plan

• Data Visuals

• State Dashboard of COVID-19 in PK-12 Schools

• Indicators for School Learning Models released Aug. 20

• Many hospitals and healthcare providers around Connecticut are now offering COVID-19 testing without a doctor's order. Check 211 for the list here.

• Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center: Desktop & Mobile

Vaccine Clinic at Calvary Baptist Church, Tuesday, March 30, 10AM to 2PM

Naramake students share thoughts on kindness

Naramake students created their art on Friday during SEL/ARTS Day. Each grade level was given a specific color of post-its to write acts of kindness.

5th graders at Naramake Elementary School having fun while preparing for middle school!

This Carver program is made possible with generous funding from the 21st CCLC grant program administered by the Connecticut State Department of Education

In the photos below, you will see our 5th grade scholars making slime under the guidance of Mad Science experts; constructing bridges; creating animated flip books and storyboards; and the Maritime Aquarium teaching our students all about sharks!

And that is just a glimpse of what is in store for our 5th grade transition students each day, thanks to the generous support of 21st CCLC, the only federal funding source dedicated exclusively to supporting local after school programs.

Carver kids are able to engage in hands-on activities, watch spectacular demonstrations, and take home educational science-themed creations, such as bridge you see below, that reinforce the concepts they've learned.

This important funding enables Carver to prepare 5th grade students at four Norwalk elementary schools for what they will experience in middle school. Below are images of our students at Naramake Elementary School during their individual enrichment sessions.

Our 5th grade transition students are assigned to a homeroom which they attend following the school’s afternoon dismissal bell. Students then have a few minutes to eat a snack and get ready for the Carver experience. Study hall and homework are first. Certified teachers and assistants help, and sometimes students help each other.

Then our students explore all manner of enrichment opportunities that both interest them and that open their minds and expand their abilities. Within each elective session, students are breaking barriers by completing challenges, enhancing skills, and building team work abilities.  The students make presentations of their work later in the school year. These academic and enrichment experiences compliment what the students are learning during the school day.

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative is the only federal funding source dedicated exclusively to supporting local  after-school, before-school and summer learning programs. The program serves nearly 2 million youth nationally, through very competitive grants awarded by each state education agency.

21st CCLC was reauthorized in 2015 as part of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Programs support:

• Academic enrichment activities that can help students meet state and local achievement standards.

• A broad array of additional enrichment services designed to reinforce and complement the regular academic program, such as: drug and violence prevention programs, career and technical programs, counseling programs, art, music programs, STEM programs, and physical activity and nutrition education programs.

• Literacy and related educational development services to the families of children who are served in the program.

Carver is proud to report on the results we are achieving with these grants our state education leaders entrust us with.

The funding level for 21st CCLC is set each year by Congress in an appropriations bill that is then signed into law by the president. For more than 20 years 21st Century Community Learning Centers have been providing high quality programming to a wide range of children grades pre-K to 12th grade in communities nationwide.

This downloadable fact sheet is a great primer on who is served and key outcomes of local programs such as Carver.

Meet the incredible women of Carver's Board of Directors

In honor of Women’s History Month, we would like to express our gratitude for the diverse network of women who so graciously serve on Carver’s Board of Directors. Though our CEO, Novelette Peterkin, and each of our female board members are highly accomplished professionals, this month we celebrate them for being the all-around amazing people they are in both their individual careers and beyond. Their dedication to Carver’s mission and commitment to assisting their communities are remarkable in their own right. We also celebrate Carver’s immediate past board president, Diana Napier, a senior manager at The Workplace who serves as an ex officio member of our Board of Directors today.

Sandra Faioes serves as Vice-President on Carver’s Board. She is Director of School Improvement for the Norwalk Public Schools District, after serving as Principal of Norwalk’s Brookside Elementary School for four years. During her tenure there, she successfully completed a RELAY fellowship as a member of Norwalk’s first cohort and was selected to work closely with the district’s Chief of School Operations. Sandra is fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and Cape Verdean Creole.

Valerie Watson is Secretary of Carver’s Board and Vice President & Manager at Patriot Bank N.A., which has been a steadfast Carver partner since 2002. She has managed the Norwalk branch for over 14 years while being actively involved in local community affairs through efforts such as offering free financial literacy seminars at Carver to educate individuals on money and credit. In addition to her role on Carver’s Board, she serves on the Boards of the Human Service Council in Norwalk, The WorkPlace, and her church.

Kimberly Gaddy, a Carver alumna, is the Director of Reporting & Analytics at Gartner. She directs and manages all aspects of enterprise business intelligence data warehousing and enterprise integration strategy for Gartner Global Consulting Strategy & Operations. Prior to Gartner, she worked for Yale University as the Director of Information Systems and Decision Support in the Yale School of Medicine/Yale Medical Group. She is Chairperson of the Finance Board at Friendship Baptist Church and serves as a national committee member for the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority’s Leadership Academy.

Inwha Huh works for IBM as a Partner & Practice Leader for Banking & Financial Markets, Cognitive Process Transformation, across corporate & institutional banking, retail and transaction banking. Throughout her career, she has been an active diversity forum leader, serving as Executive Sponsor for the Financial Women’s Association, among many others. Inwha is currently the Executive Sponsor of IBM’s Asian American Advisory Council and a Board member of Ascend Leadership.

Rose Lanard founded Lanard Consulting, LLC after her last corporate role as S&P Global’s Chief Diversity Officer. As an experienced leader in Diversity & Inclusion (D&I), senior executive and employee engagement, women’s leadership initiatives, and mentoring programs, she helps organizations create highly diverse and inclusive work environments. Her recognitions include Black Enterprise’s Top Corporate Executive in Diversity & Inclusion and Tri-State Diversity Council’s Most Influential Woman, among others.

E. Suzanne Small is a Director in Credit Management at TD Securities, USA, where she underwrites loans and manages them over their lifetime. During her 20-year career in investment banking, she worked for UBS as an Executive Director overseeing portfolio risk management and corporate lending and was VP & Director in structured finance at TD Securities. On top of her position on Carver’s Board, she serves as Treasurer for Rowayton Yacht Club’s Board of Directors. Sue has been an ardent Carver supporter for the last 12 years.

Novelette Peterkin is Carver’s Chief Executive Officer. Since joining Carver in 2004, she has led the transformation of Carver’s reach and impact from a vibrant community center to a citywide network of before- and after-school and summer programs delivering equitable learning opportunities to K-12 students in 19 schools. Novelette is a recipient of numerous awards such as the Women of Distinction Award (Darien YWCA) and The Elizabeth Roberts Changing the Odds for Children Award (United Way of Coastal Fairfield County). She is also a member of the National Black MBA Association and the Maritime Aquarium’s Board of Directors.

Carver celebrates Women's History Month

The Carver community joins the Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in commemorating and encouraging the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history!

Like with our students, we treasure more than measure the women who lead Carver initiatives. Though our CEO, Novelette Peterkin, and each of our female board members are highly accomplished professionals, this month we celebrate them for being the all-around amazing people they are in both their individual careers and beyond.

And then there are our Carver alumna. They are making their mark in the fields of law, government, medicine, finance, entertainment, professional sports, technology, education, entrepreneurship, and the creative arts, among many other professions. They are ambitious critical thinkers who understand that achievement is not a destination but an ongoing and exciting journey. You can read some of their inspiring stories here.

Before women had the whole month, the U.S. recognized Women’s History Week; before that, a single International Women’s Day. Dedicating the whole month of March in honor of women’s achievements may seem irrelevant today. But at the time of the conception of Women’s History Week, activists saw the designation as a way to revise a written and social American history that had largely ignored women’s contributions.

Women’s History Month is a dedicated month to reflect on the often-overlooked contributions of women to United States history. From Abigail Adams to Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth to Rosa Parks, the timeline of women’s history milestones of course stretches back to the founding of the United States.

The National Women’s History Alliance designates a yearly theme for Women's History Month. The 2021 theme is a continuation of 2020's: "Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to Be Silenced." This theme recognizes the battle for women's suffrage, which was gained with the passage of the 19th amendment in 1920. For almost 100 years, women had been fighting for the right to vote: They made speeches, signed petitions, staged demonstrations and argued over and over again that women, like men, deserved all of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

Registration is now open for Summer 2021 Programs!

This summer we are using this one online registration application for all our summer programs.

You will be asked in which program you are enrolling your children once you are filling out the online application.

For questions about our Summer Enrichment Programs at the Carver Community Center, Columbus Magnet School, and Side By Side Charter School, please contact our Chief Program Officer, Brian Alert, at (203) 838-4305, ext 105; brian@carvercenterct.org.

For questions about the middle and high school after summer transition programs, please contact our Manager of School Based Programs, Mary Martini, at (203) 838-4305; ext 119; mary@carvercenterct.org.

Read more about all our summer programs here.

Camp provides children with a community of caring adults who nurture experiential education that results in self-respect and appreciation for human value. All of the outcomes — self-identity, self-worth, self-esteem, leadership, and self-respect — build personal competencies. For years, campers' parents have reported that when their children return home from camp they are more caring, understand the importance of giving, are more equipped to stand up for what they know is right, and are willing to be more responsible.

Children are at less risk at camp where they have a sense of community, develop intergenerational relationships, and learn through first-hand experiences. Trained, caring adult role models help children feel loved, capable, and included. Camp helps children grow by providing a supervised, positive environment that has safety as a primary commitment.

The Carver community names the gymnasium after Dick Whitcomb

The Zoom-hosted ceremony yesterday gathered some 100 devoted friends. Social media came alive among family and friends in sending greetings and well wishes. Here are a few of the many comments on Zoom during the call.

Dick Whitcomb has been a stalwart and inspirational Carver volunteer, donor, advocate and board member for decades! Without question, Carver’s year after year growth and successful programming would not have been possible without Dick’s leadership in so many ways and times. As a celebrated athlete throughout his high school and college years, and as a coach for many sports at St. Luke’s School, it is most fitting that the Carver Board of Directors named the refurbished Carver Community Center gymnasium after Richard Whitcomb.

Since its opening in 1975, the Carver Community Center has served Norwalk through events and programs that build the mind, body, and spirit for all. The most vital space in the community center is the gymnasium where events ranging from basketball tournaments to career fairs and even memorial services have met the many needs of Norwalk youth and families.

This effort to deepen Carver’s impact in our community is a top priority and also a fitting opportunity to recognize the tremendous example and countless contributions Dick Whitcomb has made and is making to advance the Carver mission.

Dick Whitcomb did not just take up his career in education and sports to make a living. He did it because he could not imagine living any other way. That passion took Dick from Vermont to the pinnacle of his profession in Connecticut.

In 1961, Dick Whitcomb began preparing students for success in life at St. Luke’s School in New Canaan. In 1980, after serving as the school's athletic director and football coach, Dick was named Headmaster and was pivotal in the growth and stature of the school where he remains Headmaster Emeritus. In 2002, Dick retired and then founded a scholarship fund to enable economically challenged students, many from Norwalk, an opportunity to attend St. Luke’s School.

In late 2010, Dick founded the Richard and Barbara Whitcomb Foundation to extend his philanthropy to many others, especially to the Carver community. For many years, Dick’s unofficial office has been the conference room in the Carver Community Center. In addition to general operating support, Dick is especially committed to financially supporting Carver’s college scholarship fund.

Since his earliest years at St. Luke’s School, Dick and his students have been volunteering at Carver. In 2010, Dick formed Carver’s Strategic Planning Group, which brought many new resources and leaders to the Carver community. Dick also recruited the significant financial and in-kind support necessary to renovate the Carver Community Center’s exterior and classrooms, which had not benefited from such thoroughgoing renewal since the building’s construction in 1975.

Carver awarded Dick its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013, Carver’s 75th anniversary year.

Join us for the virtual Grand Opening of the Richard Whitcomb Gymnasium TODAY at 4PM!