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Carver campers pick blueberries at Silverman's Farm

Plucking sweet blueberries at Siverman’s Farm yields much more than a container of juicy fruit. Time at the farm also provides a pleasurable place to have fun and make new discoveries.

Silverman’s Farm in Easton turns 102 years old this year. Silverman’s Farm was founded by Ben Silverman. Born in New York City in 1898, much like Carver’s namesake, George Washington Carver, Ben loved plants and gardening. At the age of 18, he moved to Connecticut and began working on cow farms for $1.00 per day. When WWI broke out, Ben worked at a munitions factory in Bridgeport. He was able to save enough to purchase his first parcel of land on Sport Hill Road in Easton.

During the ’70s and ’80s, Silverman’s evolved into a Pick Your Own fruit farm featuring a widespread orchard, scenic tractor rides, and petting farm with many types of barnyard animals and fowl. The farm today offers children such as Carver’s summer campers a place of wonder and fun.

How many dice does it take to sink a tin foil boat? Just ask Mr. Richard's students.

Michael Richards, a Social Studies Teacher for Grade 6 at West Rocks Middle School, is Carver’s longtime Lead Program Coordinator for our after-school and summer programs there. Here, Mr. Richards shares images of his rising 6th graders attending our Summer Transition Program enjoying a STEM activity in which his students plan and then build a boat using only aluminum foil. They worked as collaborative teams. Then their boats were tested to see which ones held the most dice. It was a fun and friendly competition.

With images of container ships being so much in the news these past several years of supply chain issues, kids may wonder how these large shipping boats made of solid steel stay afloat carrying cargo in steel containers stacked to the sky. For objects to float, the upward, buoyant force must be greater than the weight of the object pulling it to the bottom. The buoyant force comes from the amount of water displaced by the object.

Of course, everyone won this “competition because everyone learned by enjoying this project-based hands-on exercise that is the hallmark of most of our after-school and summer programming.

And there is PLAY, which kids in all of Carver’s 12 programs this summer do with enthusiasm and excellence!

The Community Fund of Darien renews its generous support of Carver kids!

Carver’s generous and faithful friend, the Community Fund of Darien (TCF), just renewed its support of Carver’s kids, mission, and work. Lisa Haas, TCF’s Director of Community Investments, presented the TCF grant award to Nikki LaFaye, Carver’s Director of Philanthropy, at the TCF Investment Awards celebration this past Wednesday.

For Carver and many fellow nonprofits, TCF initiates solutions, builds collaborations, and implements and supports programs to strengthen youth, adults, and families. Since its founding in 1951, TCF has distributed more than $20 million.

This year, TCF awarded $530,000 in community investment grants to 32 nonprofit organizations in Darien, Norwalk, and Stamford, focusing on basic needs, community health, youth success, and workforce development. The event was held at the Darien Community Association.

Carver’s work is possible because of our many donors who believe in and are committed to the success of our youth. TCF is very special because this community fund represents many donors and influencers and its grants follow a rigorous vetting methodology that involves a smart and deep investigation into Carver’s program integrity and financial health. TCF’s significant support is as much about the size of its financial impact as it is about how our crucial partnership with TCF makes Carver that much more effective.

Thank you, TCF!

Fizz. Pop. BOOM! Mad Science explores the wonders of science with our rising 6th graders!

Michael Richards, a Social Studies Teacher for Grade 6 at West Rocks Middle School, is Carver’s longtime Lead Program Coordinator for our afterschool and summer programs there. Here, Mr. Richards shares images of his rising 6th graders attending our Summer Transition Program enjoying “Science Wonders” delivered by Mad Science.

Mad Science delivers children educational and entertaining science experiences by presenting concepts visually and interactively. Mad Science is a year-round Carver partner that teaches topics such as light, sound, electricity, magnetism, anatomy, optics, chemistry, space technology, and robotics. Children are given hands-on activities combined with discussion and demonstrations to meet specific learning objectives through a fun and challenging environment. The workshops correlate to the NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards).

Here rising 6th graders encounter clouds of dry ice, electrifying lightning, an erupting volcano, and flashes of stars and Aurora colors in a storm! The experiments had everyone "oohing" and "ahhing" as they watched and participated in the over-the-top science demonstrations.

Summer takes flight at Nathan Hale Middle School

Christy Counts, 8th Grade Language Arts and House Leader and Director, Lead Coordinator of our B.A.R.K. (Carver) Afterschool Program, and leader now of our 6th Grade Summer Transition Program at Nathan Hale Middle School, shares these images of her students’ lively summer experiences.

Gleaming with excitement as epiphanies burst into view with each new Arts, Math, and Wellness exercise, our rising 6th graders are enjoying a memorable summer. They are meeting new friends they’ll have in the 2022-2023 school year, getting acclimated to their new school and its learning environment, and continuing to learn.

Carver summer campers learn how to play lacrosse!

Thanks to Carver’s partnership with Norwalk Junior Lacrosse, including our friends Nick Phillips (President of Norwalk Lacrosse Association), Spencer Hempleman, Erin Berry, and many more friends, we can introduce our summer campers in grades 3-6 to this great sport.

Here are photos of our campers at Veteran’s Park.

This volunteer group of coaches is very motivated to bring lacrosse to all communities. This partnership with Carver will grow with more programming for our after-school students in the fall. Norwalk Lacrosse Association has taught the kids of Norwalk the sport of lacrosse since 1970.  NLA is part of the Connecticut New York Youth Lacrosse Association (CONNY). 

NLA's goal is to impact each child and the Norwalk community positively.  The NLA program instills self-confidence, teamwork, leadership, and empathy. 

The coaches have all played at the college level and are passionate about creating an environment for the players to develop a similar love of the game.  All coaches go through the Positive Coaching Alliance training workshop and are USA Lacrosse certified.  

Norwalk Junior Lacrosse offers age and level-appropriate experience to every boy and girl. The balance between instruction and the competitive emphasis shifts progressively so that graduates of the program have the skills, knowledge, and emotional discipline to play high school lacrosse if they choose.

While a child who progresses through all levels of the Norwalk Junior Lacrosse program has an advantage, many players who have entered the program as late as eighth grade have gone on to successful lacrosse careers in high school and college. Beginners are welcome at all levels.

Images from our After the Summer Bell Program at Kendall - Summer Academy!

Kevin Downing, LMSW, a social worker at Tracey Magnet School, is our program coordinator for the ATSB - Summer Academy underway at Kendall Elementary School this year. See the images of his students he shared with us below.

Our before and after-school After the Bell elementary school students enjoy the same academic and wellness activities and support they enjoy during the school year through the summer as well.

Thanks to leaders like Mr. Downing and his staff and to our many generous donors, Carver kids can fulfill this good counsel from Henry David Thoreau: One must maintain a little bit of summer, even in the middle of winter — Henry David Thoreau