🎨 Shine a Light on Your Creativity: Enter the 2026 Lights On Afterschool Poster Contest!

Afterschool Alliance is calling on students, families, and afterschool programs everywhere to help design the official 2026 Lights On Afterschool poster — and the opportunity is BIG.

This year’s theme invites you to capture the spirit of afterschool.
Has your program helped you discover a new passion? Build a new skill? Make a lifelong friend? Show what makes your afterschool community special — through your art!

🌟 Why Enter?

The winning artwork will be printed on more than 50,000 posters and displayed at 8,000+ Lights On Afterschool events worldwide. That’s national (and global!) recognition for both the artist and their program.

The Grand Prize Winner Will:

• Receive a $500 cash prize

• Be featured on the Afterschool Alliance website and blog

• Be included in a national press release

• Have their program credited on the official 2026 poster

Last year’s winning design above was created by Arya Bhatt from Raritan Valley YMCA in East Brunswick, New Jersey — proof that your local afterschool program could be celebrated nationwide next!

✏️ How to Enter

Entering is easy:

📬 Mail your artwork and completed entry form to:
Afterschool Alliance
Lights On Afterschool Poster Contest
1101 14th Street NW, Suite 700
Washington, D.C. 20005

📧 Or email your submission to:
lightson@afterschoolalliance.org

🗓 Deadline: June 18, 2026

For the full list of do’s and don’ts — plus helpful design tips — visit the Afterschool Snack online.

💡 What Is Lights On Afterschool?

Launched in October 2000 with celebrations in 1,200 communities, Lights On Afterschool has grown into a nationwide movement. Today, more than 8,000 rallies are held annually, drawing over 1 million Americans and widespread media attention.

Lights On Afterschool is a project of the Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring all children have access to quality, affordable afterschool programs. Since 2001, former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has served as Chair of Lights On Afterschool.

🎨 The contest is open to everyone.

Your artwork could help the nation see what afterschool means to you.

☀️ Summer at Carver Is Here: Explore Camps & Enroll Today!

Summer is more than a break from school — it’s an opportunity for discovery, growth, friendship, and fun. At Carver, we are proud to offer a full range of high-quality summer programs designed to keep students engaged, inspired, and learning all season long.

From hands-on STEAM enrichment and literacy support to outdoor exploration, creative arts, wellness activities, and transition programs for rising middle and high school students, Carver’s summer camps are intentionally designed to meet students where they are — and help them thrive.

Whether your child is entering kindergarten, transitioning to middle or high school, or seeking an enriching, supportive summer experience, Carver has a program designed to spark curiosity, build confidence, and strengthen academic skills in a joyful, structured environment led by experienced educators.

Families consistently tell us that Carver summer programs provide:

• A safe, nurturing environment

• Engaging, hands-on learning experiences

• Opportunities to build lasting friendships

• Structured days that support working families

• Meaningful preparation for the upcoming school year

Spots fill up quickly each year — we encourage families to review program options and register as soon as possible.

👉 Click here to view all summer programs. The sign-Up button above is for the Carver Summer Enrichment Camps. The summer transition programs and other Carver summer programs have different sign-up procedures and possible fees to consider. Learn more at your children’s school and/or the Carver staff.

We look forward to welcoming your child for a summer of learning, laughter, and limitless possibilities at Carver.

📚 Celebrate Read Across America Day – Monday, March 2, 2026!

Carver students and families, get ready! This Monday, March 2, 2026, we join schools and communities across the country in celebrating Read Across America Day — the nation’s largest celebration of reading.

While the day is famously associated with Dr. Seuss's birthday, it has grown into something even bigger: a year-round commitment to uplifting diverse stories, voices, and experiences.

🌟 2026 Theme: “Champion Kindness”

The National Education Association has selected “Champion Kindness” as this year’s theme. Books help students see themselves as heroes of their own stories (“mirrors”) and help them understand the lives of others (“windows”). Reading builds empathy. Reading builds community. Reading builds leaders.

At Carver, we know literacy is power — and every page turned is a step toward confidence, imagination, and opportunity.

📖 Ways Carver Students & Families Can Participate

Whether at school, at Carver after-school, or at home, here are easy and fun ways to join the celebration:

🎉 Spirit Week Fun

Many schools are kicking off a reading-themed Spirit Week! Popular ideas include:

• Monday: Wear a shirt with words or your favorite book character.

• Pajama Day: “Curl up with a good book” in your coziest clothes.

• Crazy Socks Day: A playful nod to Fox in Socks.

⏰ The “DEAR” Challenge

Take 20 minutes to Drop Everything And Read (DEAR). Families can join in at home — everyone reading their own book at the same time!

🌍 The Diverse Books Challenge

Start a book by an author from a different background or culture. Discover new perspectives. Build understanding.

📚 Visit Your Local Library

Check your local library calendar for:

• Special storytimes

• “Book tastings” (sampling different genres)

• Reading scavenger hunts

• Kindness-themed book displays

📅 Keep the Momentum Going

March 2 is the big kickoff — but all of March is National Reading Month! If you don’t finish a book on Monday, you have the entire month to set and reach your reading goals.

At Carver, we are proud to champion literacy every day through homework support, reading circles, and enrichment programs that help students grow into confident, curious learners.

📚 Let’s Champion Kindness — One Book at a Time.

✍️ Norwalk & Connecticut High School Students: The 2026 Lynn DeCaro Poetry Contest Is Now Open

Attention Connecticut high school students (grades 9–12): the 2026 Lynn DeCaro Poetry Contest is now open — and it is free, statewide, and open to all young poets.

Created in memory of Lynn DeCaro, a promising young member of the Connecticut Poetry Society who died of leukemia in 1986, the contest honors her love of poetry by encouraging the next generation of writers to find their voice.

Contest Details

• Open to all Connecticut students in grades 9–12

• Submit up to three unpublished poems

• 40-line maximum per poem

• Deadline: March 15 at 6:00 p.m.

• Enter at ctpoetry.org (click the Poetry Contests tab)

Whether you write about friendship, identity, justice, climate, family, love, or the quiet details of daily life, this contest is an opportunity to be heard.

Why Poetry Matters — Especially in the Age of AI

At a time when artificial intelligence can generate essays, summarize books, and mimic writing styles in seconds, poetry remains one of the most distinctly human art forms.

In fact, the Head of AI Safety at Anthropic recently left to focus on poetry—a powerful reminder that as technology advances, the need for authentic human expression only grows stronger. In his farewell letter, he explained his move from science to poetry by writing, “Science tells us how the world works, but poetry tells us what the world means.” He cited William Stafford’s poem The Way It Is, reflecting on the importance of holding onto a guiding “thread” of meaning amid rapid change.

Poetry sharpens attention. It strengthens emotional intelligence. It teaches precision with language. And it invites young people to wrestle with complexity — something no algorithm can truly experience.

For students interested in journalism, law, public speaking, entrepreneurship, STEM, or the arts, poetry develops the very skills that future leaders need:

• Clarity of thought

• Empathy

• Originality

• Voice

A Call to Carver & Norwalk Students

For students in Norwalk and across Connecticut, this is a chance to pause, reflect, and create something uniquely your own.

In a world increasingly shaped by automation, the ability to say something true — in your own words — is a competitive advantage.

We encourage all high school students to consider submitting. Three poems. Forty lines each. One opportunity to be heard.

Deadline: March 15 by 6 p.m.

Let your voice matter.

Did You Know? Carver Is Powering Possibility in Bridgeport, Too.

When most people hear “Carver,” they think Norwalk.

But did you know Carver is also quietly and powerfully serving students in Bridgeport?

For years, Carver has been investing in Bridgeport’s children — expanding learning beyond the school day and year, and ensuring more students have access to the opportunities they deserve.

📚 After-School Excellence at Classical Studies Magnet Academy

At Classical Studies Magnet Academy, Carver serves 110 students through a high-quality after-school program designed to strengthen both academics and confidence.

Each afternoon includes:

• Daily academic support led by certified teachers

• STEAM enrichment activities that spark creativity and problem-solving

• Wellness programming that nurtures social-emotional growth

Students receive the kind of individualized attention and enrichment experiences that deepen classroom learning — and help them see themselves as capable, curious scholars.

🌟 Building Strong Starts Through Kick-Off to Kindergarten

Before children even enter kindergarten, Carver is already walking beside them.

Through our Kick-Off to Kindergarten Summer Program, Carver prepares 90 pre-kindergarten children across five Bridgeport elementary schools for a successful transition into formal schooling.

This joyful, research-informed program includes:

• Early literacy and numeracy instruction

• Hands-on, play-based learning experiences

• Strong family engagement to support learning at home

By strengthening foundational skills and building classroom confidence, Kick-Off helps ensure students enter kindergarten ready to learn — and ready to thrive.

Why It Matters

Together, these Bridgeport initiatives:

• Expand learning beyond the school day and year

• Promote equitable access to high-quality educational support

• Build academic skills, confidence, and long-term opportunity

Carver’s commitment doesn’t stop at city lines.

Whether in Norwalk or Bridgeport, our mission remains the same: to ensure every child has access to the tools, support, and inspiration they need to succeed.

Because potential lives everywhere.

Connecticut Parents Are Clear: Invest in Tutoring, Summer Learning, and Structured Time

A newly released statewide report, The State of Educational Opportunity in Connecticut: A Survey of Connecticut Parents (2nd Edition, February 2026) delivers a powerful and timely message: Connecticut families are united around the need for more learning time, more academic support, and smart public investment in proven strategies.

Nearly nine in ten Connecticut parents favor using public dollars to provide free tutoring for students who fall below grade level in reading and math. A similar share support public funding for free summer camps and structured programs. Parents are not asking for abstract reform. They are asking for practical tools that help children catch up, stay on track, and move confidently toward college, career, and service.

Yet the report reveals a troubling gap between what families want and what students actually receive. Only one in four Connecticut children are getting academic tutoring, and fewer than half participate in supervised afterschool or summer programs. The consequences show up most clearly in early literacy and math outcomes, and the gaps fall hardest on Black, Hispanic, and low-income students. The same communities where reading proficiency and math performance are lowest are also those where chronic absenteeism is highest.

In other words, access to structured learning time and academic support is not evenly distributed — and where it is weakest, student outcomes suffer most.

This is precisely where Carver focuses its work. For decades, Carver has built programming around extended learning time, small-group tutoring led by certified teachers, summer academic enrichment, literacy development, STEAM exploration, social-emotional support, and clear workforce pathways. Our afterschool and summer programs are not add-ons; they are structured extensions of the school day designed to close gaps before they widen.

The survey also shows that many Connecticut parents are generally satisfied with their child’s school and would choose it again. But satisfaction does not eliminate the need for stronger supports. Families can appreciate their schools while still recognizing that more tutoring, more structured summer learning, and more intentional academic reinforcement are essential — especially for students who are not yet reading or performing at grade level.

The report offers policymakers and funders something invaluable: a clear parental mandate. Connecticut families overwhelmingly support investing in tutoring and summer programs. The challenge before us is to close the distance between what parents want and what the system consistently delivers.

At Carver, we believe more time matters. Daily reading matters. Structured tutoring matters. Summer learning matters. Workforce exposure matters. Connecticut parents agree.

Program Partner Series: The Maritime Aquarium — Bringing Marine STEM Into Our Classrooms

When seventh-grader Elana carefully lifted a horseshoe crab shell from the table, the room went quiet. “This was alive?” he asked, turning it over in his hands. Around him, his classmates leaned in as a Maritime Aquarium educator guided them through the animal's anatomy and its role in Long Island Sound. Within minutes, Jayden was sketching the shell’s shape in his notebook, asking how pollution affects marine habitats, and debating with a classmate about how ecosystems stay balanced.

This wasn’t a field trip. It was a Carver after-school afternoon.

Through our longstanding partnership with The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, Aquarium educators bring Marine STEM programming directly into our middle school classrooms. Designed for grades 5–8, these sessions use live animals, biofacts, and hands-on experiments to make marine science tangible and relevant. Students explore plankton's structures, examine marine food webs, and see firsthand how science, technology, engineering, and math connect to the environment just beyond our shoreline.

The programs unfold over multiple weeks, allowing ideas to build and curiosity to deepen. Rather than simply hearing about science, students practice observation, critical thinking, and evidence-based reasoning. The result is engagement that feels immediate and real.

For many Carver students, this exposure expands the ways STEM can look. It reinforces classroom learning while sparking new interests and confidence. Science becomes less abstract and more personal, something they can see, touch, question, and understand.

We are especially proud that Carver CEO Novelette Peterkin serves on The Maritime Aquarium’s Board of Directors, reflecting the strong alignment between our missions and our shared commitment to educational opportunity in Norwalk.

At Carver, after-school programming is structured and intentional. By bringing partners like The Maritime Aquarium into our classrooms, we ensure that students not only strengthen their academic skills, but also discover the wonder of learning — sometimes by holding a horseshoe crab shell in their hands.

Breakfast with Champions Returns March 28, 2026 — Discover Career Paths You Never Knew Were Possible

Travis Simms serves as a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives representing Norwalk’s 140th District. A former world champion professional boxer turned public servant, Travis’s journey from the boxing ring to the State Capitol reflects resilience, discipline, and a deep commitment to his community.

On Saturday, March 28, 2026, 10Am to 2PM, Carver’s annual Breakfast with Champions returns — and it promises to open doors you may not even know exist yet.

This isn’t just breakfast. It’s a front-row seat to possibility at the Carver Community Center.

Students will enjoy a delicious, FREE catered breakfast while meeting and engaging with 10 accomplished local professionals representing a wide range of industries and career journeys. From business and healthcare to creative fields, public service, technology, entrepreneurship, and beyond — each Champion brings a real-world story of persistence, growth, and opportunity.

What makes this morning special isn’t just the titles our guests hold. It’s the honest conversations. The questions you can ask. The insights about setbacks, pivots, risks, and unexpected turns that shaped their paths.

Success rarely follows a straight line — and Breakfast with Champions is designed to show students just how many routes lead to meaningful work and impact.

Whether you already have a dream career in mind or you’re still exploring what excites you, this event is your opportunity to:

• Ask questions you can’t Google

• Hear how real professionals navigated uncertainty

• Discover careers you didn’t know existed

• Build confidence about your own future

Bring your curiosity. Bring your ambition. Bring a friend.

We’ll bring the Champions.

Mark your calendar for Saturday, March 28, 2026 — and get ready to start your morning inspired.

Creativity Without Barriers: Free Art Classes for Carver Students at Norwalk Art Space

There is something powerful about walking into a studio and knowing you belong there.

For years, The Carver has been proud to partner with Norwalk Art Space — a remarkable community arts hub that makes professional-level art instruction available to students at absolutely no cost. In a region where access to enrichment opportunities can too often depend on zip code, Norwalk Art Space quietly and consistently removes that barrier.

Art for Everyone — No Experience Required

Norwalk Art Space offers free weekly art classes taught by its talented Resident Artists and visiting professionals under the leadership of Executive Director Duvian Montoya and Educational Director Darcy Hicks.

Shorter workshops are led by Korry Fellows and local artists, often connected to current exhibitions — giving students not only instruction, but exposure to the broader creative world.

And here’s the part we love most:

No prior experience is needed.

Students don’t have to “be artistic.” They just have to show up curious.

A Special Opportunity for Carver Students

Some classes are reserved for students from partner organizations such as The Carver, the Norwalk Housing Authority, and Family & Children’s Agency. These dedicated slots ensure that our young people have direct access to high-quality instruction in a welcoming, professional studio environment.

For Carver students, this isn’t just about painting or drawing. It’s about:

• Building confidence

• Developing focus and discipline

• Expressing emotion in healthy ways

• Seeing themselves as creators

• Spending time in a beautiful, inspiring space

Art builds agency. And agency builds futures.

Removing Every Barrier

All classes are completely free, though students must register in advance. If a class fills quickly (and many do), families can join the waitlist to stay connected to upcoming offerings. The Art Space also regularly announces new classes throughout the year.

You can explore current offerings here.

At The Carver, we believe academic achievement and creative expression go hand in hand. Partnerships like this one remind us that when a community invests in its young people — not just in remediation, but in imagination — extraordinary things happen.

To our longtime friends at Norwalk Art Space: thank you for continuing to open your doors, your studios, and your hearts to Norwalk’s students. 🎨✨

Carver Students Stand for Civic Engagement — Because Participation Matters

At Carver, we prepare young people for college, careers, and leadership. And leadership begins with understanding how our democracy works.

Last month in Connecticut, two special elections were held. Of roughly 25,000 registered voters, fewer than 3,500 participated, for about 14% turnout. That statistic is a reminder that civic engagement doesn’t happen automatically. It must be taught, modeled, and encouraged.

Our longtime friend and Carver volunteer, Connecticut Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas, recently shared resources for Civically Engaged Organizations (CEOs — and yes, Carver is proudly one). The state legislative session is underway, and her office has expanded its public toolkit with graphics and sample posts to help residents stay informed and involved.

She is also hosting the Winter Conversation webinar on March 11 from 12:00–1:00 PM to discuss key civics legislation in the 2026 session and how residents can voice their opinions.

Why does this matter to Carver?

Because civic understanding starts young.

This year, more than 10,300 fifth graders from 160 schools across Connecticut voted in the 2026 Kid Governor election. That level of student participation is inspiring. Congratulations to Theresa “Tessa” Hallinan of Green Acres Elementary School in North Haven, who was sworn in on January 23 after running on a platform of “Everyone Belongs,” promoting inclusion for students with disabilities. We also applaud cabinet members Dylan, Alyvia, Ajla, Samuel, Nana, and Myra.

Carver supports a healthy, informed, civically engaged community. And we are proud to stand with leaders like Secretary Thomas who champion participation and inclusion across Connecticut.

Civic engagement is not partisan. It is foundational.