Teen Night Out this Friday, March 31, from 5:30 pm to 8 pm, at 25 Van Zant Street—4th Floor!

Click on the image above to sign-up!

SIGN UP HERE for the Norwalk Department of Youth Services Youth Advisory Board and The Norwalk Partnership's first Teen Night Out event this Friday, March 31, from 5:30 pm to 8 pm, at 25 Van Zant Street—4th Floor.

Norwalk youth are invited to voice what type of youth-based events they would like, especially for high and middle school students. Youth-serving groups in Norwalk, such as faith ministers, scout leaders, sports coaches, and enrichment program directors, are also invited.

Norwalk Youth Services is operated for the evaluation, planning, coordination, and implementation of prevention and treatment services for youth. It also allows youth to develop positively to function as responsible community members. The Youth Services Department supports and promotes local organizations that provide services to children & families. 

The Norwalk Partnership (TNP) brings together community agencies, schools, and parent leaders to gather data, develop strategies, and provide education and resources that support our youth and families.

"Champions" shine a light on their careers so that Carver kids never feel they are in the dark

Carver’s annual “Breakfast With Champions” event at the Carver Community Center introduces Carver students to local leaders in various professions.

Our guest speakers inspire Carver students to use these years in school to prepare for satisfying careers.

The organizers of this annual event are Tremain Gilmore and Jackie C. Roberson, who we thank for always shining a bright light so that Carver kids never feel they are in the dark.

CT State Representative Travis Simms

Special thanks to our panelists for spending time with our young people.

This year, our Champions were: Jessica Romeus, Vice President, HR Business Advisor, JP Morgan Chase & Co., and a Carver alumna; Edward Green, Probation Supervisor, Juvenile Court, Stamford; Dujuan Higgins, Founder & Executive Director of the Youth Business Initiative; Ethel Moore, Social Worker, and Entrepreneur; Chiara Askew Oliver, Supply Chain Financial Analyst at PDC Brands and a Carver Alumna; Travis Simms, a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives who previously served on Norwalk's Common Council and before that was a professional world champion boxer; Rhea Gorham, Carver’s Program Coordinator at P-TECH Norwalk and a Carver alumna; Jay Rogers, Director Payroll & Benefits Administration, Bridgeport Public Schools; Brendy Franco, Social Worker at Norwalk High School; and Montrel Morrison, also a Social Worker at Norwalk High School.

These professionals spoke to and answered the questions of our middle and high school and college students and their families.

This annual program aims to gather "champions of the community" to encourage youth to work smartly and prepare for their futures.

Abbeli and Camilla share an afternoon of creativity and collaboration

By Julia Berg

A group of K-2 girls are gathered around a table, drawing in Ms. Kat’s room.

Abbeli and Camilla look through Abbeli’s sketchbook and come across a self-portrait that she did. Abbeli decides that she wants to draw a portrait of Camilla, and together they discuss the design, showing each other their suggestions from other drawings in the sketchbook and then choosing which details they want to add.

Abbeli then draws the portrait of Camilla and adds purple eyeliner to Camilla’s portrait. Abbeli likes the effect so much that she adds purple eyeliner to her portrait.

Abbeli then cuts the drawing out of the paper for Camilla to wear as a mask.

Camilla's smile lets Abbeli know that she likes the mask. Abbeli then cuts out her mask from her self-portrait.

Both smiling, the girls are content with their matching masks. It has been an afternoon of creativity and collaboration at Carver.

Volunteer Julia Berg tells us lively stories about our summer and after-school students at the Carver Community Center. See more of her stories here.

GE Capital executives give Marvin Elementary students hands-on engineering experience.

Carver students at Marvin Elementary had a real treat last week when they engaged in a STEM activity led by the best in the business: GE Capital! Kayshelene Lyew and her team came bearing putty, wires, and batteries to teach our 4th and 5th graders how to construct simple motors.

Our students jumped in with gusto, amazed by what even simple materials can yield. GE impressed that the same basic principles at play in this activity applied to larger STEM endeavors. In fact, they are the building blocks for the complex work that makes GE Capital a titan of industry. From electronic equipment to massive aircraft engines, invention begins with understanding the little things. It all starts with simple motors.

Thank you to Kay and her team for providing our kids with this experience!

Be a 2023 Gala Sponsor! Join us in honoring Carver past board member, long-time volunteer, and generous donor Danielle Robinson!

See our Gala 2022 Sponsors, Gala Video, Program Journal, and much else here.

See our Child of America 2021 “Celebrating Courage” gala video here on YouTube.

Our gala included José Feliciano receiving his 2021 Child of America award; a message to our kids from Kamilah Forbes, the Executive Producer of the Apollo Theater and our 2020 Child of America honoree; special musical performances by our talented Carver alumni; and much more!

Meet the Professionals: Doug Michelman talks PR and everyday storytelling with NHS freshmen and sophomores.

Our Meet the Professionals series puts students in the room with leaders and innovators across varied professions. Our latest Meet the Professionals brought seasoned global communications leader, Doug Michelman, to our Carver students at Norwalk High School.

Doug has more than 20 years of experience leading in-house corporate communications functions at Visa and Pacific Bell and serving in senior roles at a global communications firm. But as he sat down with Carver NHS students, he revealed that he had no idea what he wanted to do at their age. “I didn’t even know what college I wanted to go to. I put the phone down and asked my friends for a vote.” Doug told our kids how he tried things out instead. From volunteering for a political campaign and meeting President Jimmy Carter to experimenting with journalism and newscasting, Doug discovered his primary strength: public relations.

“You all use public relations every day,” he told our students. “Navigating an argument, making a sincere apology, connecting with people… it’s all PR.” A student asked if Doug considered his work to utilize “soft skills.” “Exactly,” he replied, “it all boils down to effective communication.” The same skills that Doug employs to excel in his field were the same that enabled him to get his foot in the door. “When it comes to applying for a job or applying for college, the interviewer knows within the first 5 minutes whether they want to hire you. Your qualifications matter, but how you present yourself, how you smile, how you feel to others matters too.”

Doug finished his presentation by passing the torch—quite literally. Through his work at VISA, Doug attended several Olympics and was one of the torch-runners in 2008. They let him keep the torch he ran with, and with it Doug inspired our kids to become professional communicators themselves. Thank you so much, Doug, for giving your time to our students!

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Doug Michelman is a seasoned global communications leader with more than 20 years of experience leading in-house corporate communications functions at Visa and Pacific Bell and serving in senior roles at a global communications firm. As Chief Communications Officer for Visa, Michelman led the communications strategy for the largest IPO in the U.S, developed the company’s first set of corporate values and business principles and established its global corporate responsibility and philanthropy programs. In addition to leading a team of more than 100 professionals based in more than 15 countries and traveling extensively, he has lived and worked outside the U.S. for more than four years in Hong Kong, China enabling him to develop global perspectives and greater cultural sensitivity. Prior to his work at Visa, Michelman served as Western United States Regional President of Fleishman-Hillard, Vice President for Corporate Communications at AT&T and in several roles at public relations giants Edelman and Burson-Marsteller.

Meet the Professionals: Residential Designer Pat Miller brings career inspiration to BMHS students.

Our Meet the Professionals series puts students in the room with leaders and innovators across varied professions. Our latest Meet the Professionals brought residential designer, Pat Miller, to our Carver students at Brien McMahon High School.

“The most wonderful thing about my business, and something that is not true about other occupations, is that people can touch my work,” Pat said in the BMHS library. “I solve problems. I make people happy.” Pat recounted to our students how she came to architecture and residential design. As the first of her family to attend college, Pat funded her own education at Emerson College where she pursued a major in Drama. This was followed by further academic ventures at Quinnipiac, where Pat studied English. She acknowledged it was an unexpected background for someone in an architectural profession. “I had never thought I was good at math,” Pat remarked, “because I couldn’t ‘see’ algebra or calculus. But I could see geometry. I could see spaces.” When Pat bought 4 acres in Redding, CT, her ability to see spaces ushered in a new ambition: she wanted to build her own house.

To do so, Pat attended Norwalk State Tech’s (now Norwalk Community College) Architectural Engineering program. Shortly after building her own home, she worked in local architecture firms: namely those who were eager to welcome women into the space. “If women were in the field at all,” Pat said, “they were usually interior designers. There just wasn’t encouragement for women in science and math. But women can and should be engineers.” Pat encouraged our students to put themselves out there and chase their passions where they occur. As she flipped through a slideshow of her builds, she made it clear that the only thing inhibiting one’s ability to create is the gumption to try.

Pat set a wonderful example for our students of perseverance, interdisciplinary learning, and the power of belief in oneself. Our students emerged from her Meet the Professionals with confidence and inspiration. Thank you so much for sharing your story with our kids, Pat!

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Pat Miller has created beautiful homes and living spaces in Fairfield County since 1980. Her firm specializes in dealing with local regulatory boards, making presentations before zoning and conservation boards. All projects utilize the services of licensed engineering professionals, established designers and skilled, proven, and reliable local contractors – with all decisions the result of a consensus between the client and designer. Perhaps the greatest sign of her success is the recognition that her clients identify her designs as homes that combine function and design with that elusive quality that is so rare in many of today’s homes – charm. The result: the pleasure of walking into one’s own home and saying, Wow! Learn more at Pat Miller: pat-miller.com

Carver thanks Vistage for your generous support!

The Carver community thanks Vistage for the company’s recent generous donation.

Vistage is the world's largest CEO coaching and peer advisory organization for small and midsize businesses. For nearly 70 years, they have been helping CEOs, business owners and key executives solve their greatest challenges through confidential peer groups and one-to-one executive coaching sessions.

Today, more than 23,000 members in 20 countries rely on Vistage to help make better decisions for their companies, families, and communities.

Carver high school students are given a VIP tour of St. Peter's University

Jessenia C: Going to St. Peters University was a fun experience for me. I was able to get a look at a school outside of CT. It also took me out of my comfort zone because I did not know much about opportunities or schools outside of UConn or Southern. The school is small but incredibly fun.

Marion Munguia: I enjoyed the school a lot. I liked the student center and the basketball team. Everyone was nice at the school, and the students seemed like all family.

Jayden Diaz: I liked the fact that if you go to the school, the tuition is close to free based on a program that calculates your family's income. This information would be helpful to my family when I want to go to college.

Ti’Asia Ruffin: Seeing the school was helpful. I am a senior and I am looking at schools and what they offer. This school offered a lot from small classroom sizes to D1 athletic programs.

Those are just a few reflections offered by the 32 Carver YDP students from Brien McMahon and Norwalk High Schools who recently toured Saint Peter’s University (SPU).

Upon arrival, SPU ambassadors and staff greeted the students and immediately began immersing them in “SPU pride.” Our students enjoyed a sumptuous dinner and a presentation on the many benefits of a college career at SPU. Our students then went on a campus tour guided by SPU student ambassadors. Our students took in an NCAA Division I basketball game of SPU vs. Rider along the way!

In 2022 Saint Peter's Peacocks men's basketball team gained national recognition, becoming the tenth No. 15 seed in history to upset a No. 2 seed after knocking off the Kentucky Wildcats. Beating Murray State in the next round, they became the third No. 15 seed in tournament history (and the third in the last nine years) to make the Sweet 16. To conclude their historic run, they upset Purdue to become the first No. 15 seed in tournament history to advance to the Elite Eight.

Our students learned about this exciting university with a student body of 3,600 and a 13:1 student-teacher ratio. No SPU student pays full tuition due to scholarships and other generous financial aid supports. The school has a 96% acceptance rate.

We sincerely thank SPU’s Mary Mercado, Taina Cutler, and Carver volunteer and SPU alumnus James Conti for organizing this life-changing experience for our high school students.

Saint Peter's University is a private Jesuit university in Jersey City, New Jersey. Founded as Saint Peter's College in 1872 by the Society of Jesus, the university offers over 60 undergraduate and graduate programs.

Federal STEM Listening Sessions beginning tomorrow for students, teachers, administrators & parents!

Six upcoming online information sessions are hosted by the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) starting March 15!

This series of virtual listening sessions is to inform the development of the 2023- 2028 Federal Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Strategic Plan. As part of a robust public engagement plan, OSTP encourages input from all interested parties, including students, teachers, administrators, parents, researchers, employers, and others, to provide information and perspectives on the challenges faced by – and within – the STEM ecosystem in the United States and solutions that the U.S. Government might implement.

Each listening session will focus on one aspect of the STEM ecosystem. The last session aims to include speakers unable to attend any of the earlier sessions and, as such, will cover each of the five areas covered in the previous sessions. Registration is required to attend sessions. The IDA Science and Technology Policy Institute will facilitate and moderate the meeting on OSTP’s behalf.