EnglishHaitian CreoleSpanish

Carver Explore students learn robotics at Tracey Elementary School

With the generous financial support of FIRST®, an international robotics community, Carver’s after-school programming incorporates the FIRST® LEGO® League initiative to promote STEM education amongst our students.

Here is a video of our Carver Explore students at Tracey Elementary School working on their robotics project.

First LEGO League promotes STEM learning and exploration while teaching Carver kids the value of teamwork, inclusion, innovation, and discovery. Our elementary students partake in hands-on activities that require them to develop solutions to real-world problems using LEGO bricks and engineering fundamentals. Prior to the pandemic, Carver middle schoolers also participated in FIRST LEGO League’s robotics competitions, which entail building and programming a LEGO robot.

FIRST® is a robotics community that prepares young people for the future. A vital part of our strategic intent is to serve an inclusive and diverse audience, reflecting the population of the communities we serve—and even going beyond through targeted, new community outreach.

FIRST understands the broader societal context of economic, educational, and social factors historically leading to disproportionate access and outcomes. Leveraging cross-sector and industry collaborations, FIRST is actively engaged in developing and delivering strategies that remove barriers and ensure greater access to FIRST programs so that all youth can participate.

Teaching From the Garden: Creating Transformative Learning Landscapes for our High School Students

IMG_9826.jpg

Edgar R. Garcia, a Special Education Teacher at Brien McMahon High School who serves as Carver’s Lead Program Coordinator, shared photos with us of his after-school students growing vegetables, herbs, and flowers.

Our students are comparing growth using different soils, lighting, watering, environment, and many insightful procedures. Our students have been excited about this learning opportunity and have been diligent with all the duties involved in growing vegetables, herbs, and flowers.

School gardens can provide an engaging space for limitless discovery and learning opportunities. With youth becoming increasingly disconnected from the natural and cultivated world, it is more important than ever to create gardens as laboratories.

IMG_9827.jpg

These gardens connect students to plants, soils, ecology, and a multitude of other concepts in a hands-on, experiential learning environment. School gardens help children discover where their food comes from and form the foundation for making healthier food choices. Gardens can nurture life skills in youth, including responsibility, problem-solving, and critical thinking.

Our gardens engage students by providing dynamic environments in which to observe, discover, experiment, nurture, and learn. Living laboratories where lessons are drawn from real-life experiences rather than textbook examples, gardens draw students in as active participants in the learning process.

Science, math, language arts, health, and many other subjects can be introduced through hands-on experiential activities such as these. School gardens can focus on fruit and vegetable production, building wildlife habitats, and creating spaces for pollinators.

IMG_9828.jpg

School gardens enrich the lives of the youth who explore their spaces.

A garden creates an accessible environment to investigate science, math, reading, writing, and history— bringing each of these subject areas to life.

From understanding fractions to discovering how cotton makes a t-shirt, the garden is a context to experience these ideas hands-on and to contribute significantly to student success.

Collaborating with math, science, and art teachers can bring additional ideas for using gardens as hands-on reinforcement of what they are teaching in those classrooms. Field trips to community gardens and farmers' markets also inspire young minds.

Ezekiel McDowell is a star on stage and in the community

Picture1 (2).jpg

Ezekiel McDowell (Zeke), a senior at Brien McMahon High School, is regularly seen on stage in his school performances and at other venues like the Crystal Theatre in Norwalk.

He is also a longtime participant in Carver’s after-school and summer programs and has been involved in the community in other ways as well.

Zeke volunteered at Carver’s summer academy at BMHS for rising 9th graders for the past two summers. Zeke also works at Bowlmor.

Zeke is committed to pursuing a career in music and theater. He’ll be starting at Norwalk Community College this fall.

In his freshman year, Zeke worked backstage for the BMHS production of Hairspray. In his sophomore year, Zeke took a risk and auditioned and was cast in the BMHS production of Mamma-Mia, and then in Les Miserables his junior year.

This year Zeke is playing the role of George in the BMHS production of Carrie: The Musical (being streamed on YouTube on May 21).

Louder-flyer.jpeg

In addition to these BMHS productions, Zeke has been involved in six productions at the Crystal Theatre, including in the role of Victor in their recent production of Louder Than Words.

 Crystal Theatre offers musical theatre show classes for students in Preschool to High School. All classes culminate in a fully staged musical production in their 250 seat auditorium at the Ben Franklin Center in Norwalk.

Most of the Crystal Theatre productions are original musicals written by local musicians and writers with a mix of classic musicals for balance and perspective. Crystal Theatre is a family of creative and performing artists.

Theater inspires learning that nurtures the creative spirit of our students while training them in the art of singing and acting in a positive environment. We believe in learning by doing.

Here are the results of our Virtual STEAM showcase

Nathan Hale students with their drones!

Nathan Hale students with their drones!

You have undoubtedly heard that STEM, which stands for an educational focus in science, tech, engineering, and math, changed to STEAM, to include the arts. Carver students gathered virtually yesterday to exhibit their STEAM creations.

The event gave our middle school students the opportunity to display their hard work and engage with judges who asked questions and were treated to the unique talents of our diverse students.

STEAM_Logo-01.png

The STEAM Showcase is always a hit with students, educators, and attendees.

Here are the winners of our Virtual STEAM showcase.

Best Overall:  Nathan Hale Middle School - Robotics

  1. Jake Narcisse

  2. Judah Foulks

  3. Ethan Carter

  4. Michelle Debrah

Most Challenging: West Rocks Middle School -Sound and Music

  1. Tyla Brown

  2. Surayyah Brown

 Most Innovative: Roton Middle School

featured-img-of-post-220794.jpeg

  1. Venezuela Video --- Cira Teran

  2. Video with the Lego --- Veronika Kravchuk, Viktoriia Kravchuk

  3. Scratch Coding --- Jason Alvarado

  4. Stop Motion Video --- Kamarley Leger

Best Overall Teamwork: Carver Community Center - Photography and Digital Editing

  1. Victor Potter

  2. Jayden Labaze

 Top Presentation of Project: Side-By-Side Charter School - Structures and Bridges

  1. Alyssa Austin

  2. Dulce Garcia

Screen Shot 2021-05-12 at 4.35.58 PM.png

Most Original: Ponus Middle School - Bridges

  1. Marco Garcia

  2. Jeffery De La Parra

  3. Jadiel Torres

  4. Amir Andre


Special thanks to our volunteers who helped to review the student projects and provide the student scientists with meaningful and encouraging feedback. And thanks to our educators and parents who through the school year are supporting our students as they explore the world around them.

STEAM skills are in high demand among today’s workers, and one of the best ways to equip future employees with these skills is to start early. Carver STEAM programs help students with these skills. After-school is a vital part of the solution for bringing more educational opportunities to kids.

500_F_246592050_YJ61KS6jgH2bbyQhr9csmBOGKs1ZmfsA.jpeg