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The Hour interviews Novelette Peterkin

Novelette Peterkin during the Carver Center's 80th anniversary year with a kick-off party on Tuesday, January 30, 2018, in Norwalk Conn. Hearst Connecticut Media file photo

See the entire article here. The article about Connecticut leaders “driving change in their communities” appeared in most Hearst Connecticut Media news outlets such as Fairfield Citizen and many others.

Novelette Peterkin, born in Jamaica, is the CEO of the Carver Foundation of Norwalk that provides 47 after-school and summer programs to K-12 students in every Norwalk public school, Side by Side Charter School, and in the Carver Community Center. She considers herself deeply committed to the success of the Norwalk community, including serving as a member of The Maritime Aquarium Board of Directors.

Q: What’s the most important issue facing your community today?

“Giving all Norwalk students the same opportunities to succeed in school and life as their peers receive in neighboring towns. When resources are equitably accessible, our students’ highest potential is unbounded. I believe Norwalk’s city and education leaders are listening to our students and families and are working diligently and effectively to close opportunity gaps. We need to remember and celebrate the fact that Norwalk Public Schools is the number one city school district in the state for three years in a row, as measured by the Connecticut State Accountability Report.”

Q: What change do you hope to see in Connecticut in the next few years?

“There is a very strong collaboration underway among Norwalk’s city leaders, school district, post-secondary institutions, employers, state workforce agencies, and many other community stakeholders to create and sustain a framework that builds and supports rigorous career pathways for all our K-12 learners. Carver is privileged to be a part of this mighty effort. Over the next five years, our students will be able to make informed decisions that meet with local, state, and national workforce trends.”

Q: What more can be done to help contribute to that change?

“Since the onset of the pandemic, time-limited but significant new governments funds have become available to help prepare our youth for 21st century careers. We need to do a better job of inspiring private donors to get involved. Carver donors are there for us in amazing ways in this effort and local employers are welcoming our paid student interns into their workplaces. We were able to place daytime counselors (we call them Future Readiness Coordinators) in Brien McMahon and Norwalk High Schools to support Carver students in their individual academic and career discovery journeys. But there is so much more to do.”

Q: What does Black History Month mean to you?

“Of course, the example of our namesake, George Washington Carver, is an ever-present inspiration. This month and always my greatest inspiration comes from Carver alumni, especially those who have been a part of my life since I joined Carver in 2004. There are so many wonderful stories to share of our young people making their mark in the fields of law, government, medicine, finance, entertainment, professional sports, technology, education, entrepreneurship, the creative arts, among many other careers. These impressive Black women and men embrace and carry forth Carver values into their careers.”

Join us Friday, March 4th, Opening Night for the Connecticut Cobras professional men's basketball team!

The Carver community will have the honor to participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly established Connecticut Cobras professional men’s basketball team on Friday, March 4th, at the University of Bridgeport.

Join us!

The Connecticut Cobras is the first men’s professional basketball team in the state of Connecticut since 2000. The team has many connections to the Carver community and to Carver alumni.

Carver is making 135 tickets available to the families of the students participating in Carver programs this school year as part of Carver’s ongoing parent engagement programming.

Roy Kane, Jr., who grew up at Carver, and went on to play for the University of New Haven, is on the team. As reported in The Hour: …On Thursday night at the Carver Center — the place where he grew up as both a young boy and as a young basketball player — Kane showed that dreams do come true as he signed an official letter of intent to take his skills to the University of New Haven on a full athletic scholarship.

Berdine Joseph of The Voice fame will sing the National Anthem at the Cobras Opening Night game on Friday, March 4th. Berdine sang at many Carver events through the years. For The Voice, as noted by The Hollywood Reporter, Nineteen-year-old Berdine Joseph, who grew up in Haiti before her family moved to the United States, auditioned next. She sang “Hey Mama,” which was a very interesting song choice and definitely one of the more original performances of the night…

Jahmerikah Green-Younger is also on the Cobras team. He was a star basketball player for Brien McMahon High School. He and his family are longtime members of the Carver community. We wrote about Jahmerikah here when he was a senior guard for the Albertus Magnus College men's basketball team when he tallied his 1,000th-career point. This update was about Jahmerikah signing a professional contract with the Western Massachusetts Zombies in the East Coast Basketball League.

The Team Market Owner, a Norwalk native and longtime Carver friend, Anthony Hill, officially established the team in February 2021. The Cobras entered The Basketball League in July 2021.

The team is based out of Norwalk because of its proximity to major cities, including Albany, New York, and Boston. Hill aims to provide an outlet for young athletes and also partner with local companies and nonprofits like Carver.

The Cobras home games will be held at the University of Bridgeport. Here is the season schedule.

The Basketball League (TBL), formerly North America Premier Basketball (NAPB), is a minor league basketball organization. The league began operating in North America in 2018 with eight teams and expanded to over 30 teams as of 2021.

Carver families attend the Westchester Knicks game yesterday evening!

Carver provided 135 tickets to Carver families to attend the Westchester Knicks game at Webster Bank Area yesterday evening!

The Westchester Knicks, the official NBA G League affiliate of the New York Knicks, overpowered the Raptors, 119-106, last night at Webster Bank Arena. With the victory, the Knicks put the finishing touches on an undefeated home record in the month of February (4-0).

Here is a video of the game highlights:

The Westchester Knicks found a temporary home at Webster Bank Arena for the season since the Westchester County Center is being used as a COVID-19 vaccination site. The County Center has been a vaccination site since January of 2021.

All through the year, Carver parent engagement activities include parent and student college tours; apple picking; technology classes; a financial empowerment series; drive-in movie nights; outings to Lachat Town Farm (Weston, CT), extensive educational programs related to agriculture, the environment, sustainability, nutrition, and the arts; our annual Testimonial Dinner when students awards are given; International Day when students and their families share food and arts from their countries of origin; Teen Talent Nights; New Parents Nights; Build Together events; parents join their children on FIRST Lego (robotics) competition day; Data Nights (parents receive a presentation on standardized testing); and so much more.

Carver community thanks the Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant program for its support

Thanks to the Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative, Carver has been able to offer a special after-school program to introduce 5th graders to Middle School expectations. All the students are assigned to a homeroom which they attend directly after the dismissal bell at 3:25 PM. Students then have a few minutes to eat a healthy snack and get ready for the Carver experience. Study hall and homework help are first. Certified teachers and assistants are available to help and in certain cases, students help each other.

The 21st CCLC initiative is the only federal funding source dedicated exclusively to supporting local afterschool, before-school, and summer learning programs. The program serves nearly 2 million youth, nationwide through grants awarded by state education agencies. This funding awarded to Carver by the Connecticut State Department of Education through a very competitive grant process provides for academic enrichment activities that help students meet state and local achievement standards. Carver is also able to offer a broad array of additional enrichment services designed to reinforce and complement the regular academic program, such as STEM programs, and physical activity and nutrition education programs. Carver also offers literacy and related educational development services to the families of children we serve.

Not only are the 5th-grade scholars developing good study habits, they are also exploring and challenging their abilities in an elective enrichment class 4 times a week. Students are breaking barriers by facing their fears, completing challenges, enhancing skills, and building teamwork abilities.  The students make presentations on all of their hard work later in the school year.

These academic and enrichment experiences complement what the students are learning during the day in class. The courses are presented in a different way from the regular classroom setting. 

When transitioning to middle school, concerns arise regarding procedural changes. Students are worried about being thrown into an environment of independence and responsibility—an environment significantly different from any educational experience known to date. They are expected to get to and from classes on their own, manage time wisely, use a locker, organize and keep up with materials for multiple classes, be responsible for all classwork and homework from multiple teachers, and at the same time develop and maintain a social life.

Although young adolescents seem to cry out for independence, they also need protection, security, and structure. Expectations are difficult to meet if expectations are unknown. The new procedures and rules are a major concern for upcoming fifth graders who are in the process of transitioning to sixth grade. These major and small details make an impact on young adolescents’ social, emotional, and academic experiences.

Charity Navigator showcases Carver on its blog

The world’s largest independent charity evaluator, Charity Navigator, is spotlighting Carver in this blog post on their website.

Carver is proud to receive Charity Navigator’s highest annual rating.

Charity Navigator lists hundreds of thousands of US-based charities with programs around the world, providing information helpful to donors. Charity Navigator provides insights into a nonprofit’s financial stability and adherence to best practices for accountability and transparency. Until recently, it’s been unable to answer one big question about impact. Charity Navigator recently acquired a charity evaluator called ImpactMatters to help answer this question.

Carver is among the few charities to receive the highest Charity Navigator 4-Star rating. We are even more exceptional — and grateful — to be singled out on their blog.

“In celebration of Black History Month, Charity Navigator is honored to feature Black-founded nonprofits, highlighting their incredible legacies and commitment to the communities they serve.

Founded by Black parents, clergy, and other community volunteers in 1938, named after George Washington Carver who was still alive at the time, the Carver Foundation of Norwalk takes Black History passionately. Carver has always been led by a Black CEO….” Read the balance of the blog post here.

Let the City of Norwalk know your opinion of the planning underway for waterfront land use

The City of Norwalk s developing an urban waterfront land use plan, including areas near the Carver Community Center. See the timeline for the project below. Let the Planning & Zoning Department have the benefit of your feedback on this planning!

Click here to go to see the different scenarios for each of the five districts within the study area. Click on each district to share your opinion on which land use and zoning scenario you think is best for the City of Norwalk and what public benefits you would prioritize in that area. You can also use the "drag to comment" icons to make more site-specific comments about places where there are tensions between different land uses and areas where there is an opportunity to invest in beneficial environmental and infrastructural projects.

This map below shows the boundary of the Waterfront Plan area and also highlights the relationship of different parcels to the planning process:

  • Study Area (shown in dark blue): will be examined to determine if a change in land use and zoning regulations is appropriate.

  • Study Area Parks (shown in green): public parks within the study area will remain as-is, but are included in the plan because surrounding land uses need to be complementary to them in order to create a positive experience for park users and minimize conflicting objectives.

  • Influence Areas (shown in light blue): these lay just outside of the study area boundary and will not be considered for any changes in land use and zoning regulations as part of this plan. They will be analyzed, however, to make sure that any changes proposed within the study area are compatible with the uses and character within these Influence Areas.

Urban waterfronts serve many purposes – they are centers for economic activity that are dependent on the water and are desirable spaces for public recreation. They are also sought-after locations for housing and commercial uses like restaurants and retail. Waterfronts must also respond to many pressures and changes such as rapidly evolving economic conditions and increased flood risk.

In Norwalk, our Harbor Plan prioritizes water-dependent uses. The current waterfront includes a number of long-standing industrial and marine commercial properties that add to Norwalk’s maritime character.

This plan will help Norwalk to take stock of the needs, aspirations, and ideas for the future of the city’s waterfront. The result will be a framework for regulations, rezoning recommendations, and projects needed to pursue a healthy, vibrant, and dynamic waterfront for Norwalk that balances public access, water-dependent land uses, water quality, and flood resiliency.