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Vote for Carver! Fairfield County Bank Names Carver an August Charity of the Month

We’re grateful to Fairfield County Bank for nominating The Carver as one of its August Charity of the Month organizations—an opportunity that celebrates local nonprofits and gives the community a direct way to support their work.

Vote for Carver here!

Fairfield County Bank’s Charity of the Month program reflects the Bank’s longstanding commitment to local nonprofits through charitable giving and employee volunteerism. Each month, Bank employees identify Fairfield County organizations they care about and support, and customers and community members are invited to vote for the selected charities.

At the end of August, the nonprofit receiving the most votes will receive an additional $1,000 contribution from Fairfield County Bank.

And this month, there’s another way to help Carver win.

Fairfield County Bank has partnered with Local-Insta to launch Community Connections, an initiative that shares the stories of local nonprofits with tens of thousands of followers across Local-Insta’s Instagram profiles.

Carver is being featured—and every “like” on Carver’s Community Connections spotlight counts as an additional vote for Carver.

That means something as simple as liking the Carver spotlight can make a real difference. Those additional votes could provide the margin that puts Carver over the top at the end of the month.

Thanks for voting for Carver kids!

We invite our Carver families, alumni, volunteers, partners, donors, friends, and neighbors to join in:

Vote for Carver through Fairfield County Bank—and when you see Carver’s Community Connections spotlight on Local-Insta, please give it a like and share it with your friends.

The $1,000 award would directly support Carver’s work with young people, but this opportunity is about more than the prize. Every vote, like, and share helps introduce Carver and the extraordinary young people we serve to more people throughout our community.

We are especially grateful to the Fairfield County Bank employees who nominated Carver and to Fairfield County Bank and Local-Insta for creating another way for local nonprofits to be seen, celebrated, and supported.

One vote. One like. One share. Together, they can add up to something wonderful for Carver’s young people.

Registration Is Now Open for Carver’s 2026–2027 School-Year Programs!

A new school year is just around the corner, and registration is now open for Carver’s 2026–2027 After the Bell and Middle and High School programs!

Carver students don’t stop learning when the school day ends. Throughout the year, our programs provide young people with the academic support, enrichment, mentoring, friendships, and new experiences that help them thrive in school and beyond.

After the Bell brings Carver programming directly to elementary school students, offering a safe, engaging environment after school where children can receive academic support, explore new interests, build skills, and have fun with friends and caring adults.

For middle and high school students, Carver continues that journey with age-appropriate opportunities designed to help young people grow in confidence, discover their interests, prepare for what comes next, and stay connected to a supportive community.

The 2026–2027 school year will bring another full year of learning and discovery—from academic enrichment, STEM, arts, recreation, and special experiences to college and career readiness opportunities for our older students.

At every age, the goal is the same: to give young people opportunities to discover what they can do and the support to get there.

Registration is now open. We encourage Carver families—and families joining us for the first time—to register for the 2026–2027 school year today.

Nathan Hale Students Bring “Amigo Brothers” to Life on Stage

Mr. Schuyler Livingston’s English language arts students stepped out of their seats and onto the stage as they explored “Amigo Brothers,” a powerful short story about friendship, competition, loyalty, and sportsmanship.

“Amigo Brothers” follows Antonio Cruz and Felix Vargas, two close friends and talented young boxers who must face each other in a championship match. Both want to win, but neither wants the competition to damage the friendship they value more than victory. After an intense bout, the friends leave the ring together—demonstrating that loyalty and mutual respect matter more than being declared the winner.

To deepen their understanding of the story, students worked together to create a Plot Mountain Tableau. After identifying the story’s exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution, each group selected an important moment from every stage of the plot and transformed it into a frozen scene.

With carefully chosen poses, facial expressions, and arrangements onstage, students created living snapshots of Antonio and Felix’s journey. Each tableau required them to think closely about what was happening in the story, why the moment mattered, and how they could communicate its meaning without movement or dialogue.

The activity turned literary analysis into an exercise in creativity and collaboration. Students had to reach agreement about the story’s key events, interpret the characters’ emotions and motivations, and decide how their bodies and expressions could represent those ideas for an audience.

Their scenes also highlighted the deeper lessons within “Amigo Brothers.” Antonio and Felix show that competition does not have to destroy respect, that true strength includes discipline and emotional control, and that friendship can endure even the fiercest rivalry.

Learning does not always happen at a desk. By bringing the story to life onstage, Mr. Livingston’s students strengthened their understanding of plot structure while practicing teamwork, critical thinking, communication, and creative expression. The result was a memorable lesson in literature—and a compelling reminder that, both in stories and in life, character matters more than victory.

The creativity and engagement evident throughout Nathan Hale’s Summer Transition Program reflect the daily leadership of Christy Counts, eighth-grade language arts teacher and director of both the B.A.R.K. (Carver) Afterschool Program and the Grade 6 Summer Transition Program. Her thoughtful direction creates an environment in which students feel welcomed, challenged, and excited to learn as they prepare for a confident start to middle school.

Wild Encounters and Roller Coaster Physics at West Rocks

Week Four of the Grade 6 Summer Transition Program at West Rocks Middle School brought rising sixth graders face-to-face with remarkable animals, challenged them to become engineers, and included a lively outing with new friends.

Earthplace returned to West Rocks with an assortment of reptiles and amphibians, including a skink, snake, turtles, tortoises, and frogs. Students observed the animals up close while learning how their physical characteristics and behaviors help them survive. The visit introduced concepts such as adaptation, habitat, and animal defenses through the kind of hands-on experience that makes science memorable.

Based in Westport, Earthplace is a nonprofit nature center and wildlife sanctuary that brings curriculum-based natural history programs to schools throughout Fairfield County. Its visiting animals gave students an unusually vivid opportunity to study the natural world—not through photographs or textbooks, but through direct observation and conversation with knowledgeable educators.

Students then turned from natural adaptations to human engineering for the week’s STEM challenge: designing and building their own roller coasters from cardboard and pool noodles.

Working collaboratively, teams planned tracks featuring height, loops, twists, and turns. They learned how potential energy stored at the top of a hill becomes kinetic energy as an object travels downward—and how gravity, momentum, friction, and structural design determine whether a coaster completes its course.

Each test provided immediate feedback. When a coaster stalled, jumped its track, or lacked enough speed to complete a loop, students had to identify the problem, revise their designs, and try again. The challenge transformed abstract principles of physics into something students could see, build, and improve together.

Week Four also included a trip to Bowlero with students from the Ponus Ridge Middle School Summer Transition Program. Bowling and arcade games offered a chance to relax, socialize, and become better acquainted with peers who are making the same important transition into middle school.

Led by Summer Transition Program Director and West Rocks Grade 6 Social Studies teacher Michael Richards, the program helps rising sixth graders enter the new school year with greater confidence. Through science, engineering, recreation, and shared experiences, students are already discovering that middle school is a place where curiosity, teamwork, experimentation, and new friendships can thrive.

Celebrating a Carver Friend: Secretary Stephanie Thomas and Team Win National IDEAS Award

The Carver is proud to celebrate a longtime volunteer, advocate, and friend, Connecticut Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas, whose office has received national recognition for an innovative program preparing young people to become the next generation of civic leaders.

The Office of the Connecticut Secretary of the State has won the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) IDEAS Award for its NextGen Elections program. The annual award — recognizing Innovation, Dedication, Excellence & Achievement in Service — honors outstanding initiatives developed by Secretaries of State and Lieutenant Governor offices across the country.

At the same national conference, Secretary Stephanie Thomas was also sworn in as Treasurer of the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), further elevating her leadership role among election officials nationwide.

For the Carver community, the recognition is especially meaningful because Secretary Thomas has been a valued member of the Carver family for many years — giving her time as a volunteer, championing our young people, advocating for our mission, and remaining a steadfast friend of the organization.

Building the Next Generation of Civic Leaders

The award-winning NextGen Elections program reflects a commitment that Carver knows well: young people thrive when they are given meaningful opportunities, trusted with real responsibility, and connected to experiences that show them the difference they can make.

NextGen Elections trains Connecticut college students to the highest level of poll worker certification and then matches them with municipalities needing highly skilled election workers. Students are compensated both for their training and for their work.

During the program's first two years, 60 students representing 19 Connecticut college campuses completed the training and contributed approximately 2,000 hours of service to communities across the state.

The program does more than meet an immediate need for trained election workers. It introduces a new generation to the responsibilities of civic life and gives young adults firsthand experience with the people and systems that make democracy work at the community level.

That innovation earned the recognition of Secretaries of State from across the country, who selected Connecticut's program for the national honor.

Leadership Rooted in Service

Stephanie Thomas became Connecticut's 75th Secretary of the State in January 2023, making history as the first Black person elected to the office. Her responsibilities include overseeing Connecticut elections, managing the state's business registry, and serving as the state's official record keeper.

Her tenure has included implementing early in-person voting, major investments in new voting technology, expanded training and resources for local election officials, and initiatives designed to make civic participation more accessible to Connecticut residents.

Yet those who have known Stephanie through Carver also know something that an official biography cannot fully capture: her commitment to service long predates her statewide office.

She has brought that spirit to Carver as a volunteer, advocate, and friend, believing in our young people and in the importance of creating opportunities for them to discover their own capacity to lead.

The philosophy behind NextGen Elections therefore feels wonderfully familiar to us. Carver's work is also built upon the conviction that young people should not simply be told that they are tomorrow's leaders. They should be given opportunities to lead, contribute, learn, and serve today.

We congratulate Secretary Stephanie Thomas and the entire team at the Office of the Connecticut Secretary of State on this well-deserved national recognition.

Carver is proud to celebrate the accomplishments of a leader who has given so much of herself to public service, and who has also given her time, friendship, and support to the Carver community.

Congratulations, Stephanie. Your Carver family is cheering you on!

Building Bright Beginnings: Carver Leaders Celebrate Future Students at Kick-Off to Kindergarten

Carver CEO Novelette Peterkin with a Kick-Off to Kindergarten student in Bridgeport

There may be no more exciting milestone than a child's first step into school. For children with little or no prior preschool or classroom experience, that first step can also be one of the biggest. That's why The Carver is proud to partner with Bridgeport Public Schools each summer to offer Kick-Off to Kindergarten (KOK), a free early-intervention bridge program that helps Bridgeport's youngest learners begin their educational journey with confidence.

Funded in part by the John and Ethel Kashulon Foundation, Kick-Off to Kindergarten is designed specifically for incoming kindergarten students who would benefit from additional preparation before the school year begins. This July, the program welcomed students at five Bridgeport Public Schools (BPS): Cesar A. Batalla School, Geraldine W. Claytor Magnet Academy, Interdistrict Discovery Magnet School, Jettie S. Tisdale School, and Waltersville School.

Recently, Carver CEO Novelette Peterkin, Chief Program Officer Brian Allert, and Manager of Middle and High School Programs Mary Martini visited several program sites to see the children in action. They were joined by BPS leaders Lindsay Davis, Director of Early Childhood; Stephanie Volturno; and Patti Sorrentino-Galello.

As they toured classrooms, they watched students eagerly participate in literacy and project-based activities, collaborate with classmates, explore hands-on learning experiences, and proudly demonstrate the confidence they had already gained in just a few short weeks. The smiles, curiosity, and growing independence captured in the photo gallery below tell the story better than words ever could.

Over four weeks, children attend daily sessions led by certified Bridgeport Public Schools teachers and credentialed early childhood paraprofessionals. Small class sizes allow educators to provide individualized attention while introducing students to the routines, expectations, and joys of a classroom environment. Breakfast and lunch are provided each day, ensuring students are ready to learn from the moment they arrive.

Carver Chief Program Officer Brian Allert appreciates the project-based learning materials offered to students attending the Kick-Off to Kindergarten summer program at six sites across six Bridgeport Public Schools.

The curriculum is thoughtfully designed to build both academic readiness and social-emotional confidence. Students explore early literacy through stories, phonics, vocabulary, and language-rich activities while strengthening early math skills through counting and hands-on learning. Just as importantly, they practice essential kindergarten behaviors—sharing, taking turns, following directions, building friendships, and developing the self-regulation skills that help children thrive in school.

The impact of Kick-Off to Kindergarten is measurable. Using the nationally recognized Brigance Screen III assessment, Bridgeport Public Schools has consistently documented significant growth during the four-week program, with students averaging more than 14 points of improvement before kindergarten even begins. Those gains represent children entering school more confident, more prepared, and better equipped to succeed from their very first day.

Carver program manager, Mary Martini, standing in the background (Left) speaking with a Kick-Off to Kindergarten staff member

Since launching its partnership with Bridgeport Public Schools in 2018, beginning with the Classical Studies Magnet Academy Extended Day Program, The Carver has continued expanding opportunities for Bridgeport students and families. Kick-Off to Kindergarten reflects that long-term commitment by helping ensure that children begin school on a strong foundation, one that can influence their academic success for years to come.

The Carver extends its heartfelt appreciation to Bridgeport Public Schools, the dedicated teachers and paraprofessionals, participating families, and especially the John and Ethel Kashulon Foundation, whose continued investment helps make this important work possible. Together, we are proving that when children receive the right support before kindergarten begins, they don't just start school—they start strong.

Young Philanthropists Invest in Carver Students’ College Dreams

Fairfield County’s Community Foundation recently celebrated the completion of its two-year Youth Philanthropy Council program—and the remarkable young people who are already helping to shape a more equitable Fairfield County.

See the photos of their celebration event here!

The Council brought together emerging leaders ages 16 to 24 for hands-on experience in volunteering, fundraising, grant writing, proposal review, and grantmaking. Guided by Community Foundation staff and mentors, members selected educational disparities as their funding priority and awarded $8,600 in grants to 14 youth-serving nonprofits across Fairfield County, including The Carver.

Carver’s grant will support the Carver Spring College Tour Student Leadership Fundraising Initiative, which combines college access with hands-on leadership and workforce development. Carver high school students will organize and operate a concession stand during Fairfield County Basketball League games at the Carver Community Center. Proceeds will help offset the cost of Carver’s Spring 2027 College Tour.

For more than 50 years, the Spring College Tour has introduced Carver students—many of whom will be the first in their families to attend college—to colleges and universities across several states, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Students tour campuses, meet admissions representatives, connect with Carver alumni, and experience college life firsthand.

Through the concession initiative, approximately 20 to 30 students will also help manage inventory, serve customers, promote the fundraiser, and oversee day-to-day operations. Along the way, they will strengthen their communication, teamwork, budgeting, problem-solving, and customer-service skills while taking an active role in supporting their own educational aspirations.

The award is especially meaningful because it represents young people investing in other young people. Youth Philanthropy Council members approached their decisions thoughtfully, considering community impact, equity, educational opportunity, and long-term sustainability.

As FCCF President and CEO Mendi Blue Paca observed at the Council’s culminating Night of Music and Impact, young people are not merely preparing to become leaders; they are already leading. The Council’s support of Carver and 13 fellow nonprofits demonstrates what becomes possible when youth are trusted with a genuine voice, meaningful responsibility, and the resources to turn their values into community impact.

The Carver is deeply grateful to the Youth Philanthropy Council and Fairfield County’s Community Foundation for believing in our students and supporting their journey toward college, leadership, and lifelong success.

Creativity, Collaboration, and Chemistry Energize Week Three at West Rocks

Week Three of Carver’s Summer Transition Program at West Rocks Middle School gave rising sixth graders new ways to strategize, create, collaborate, and explore, all while continuing to build friendships and become comfortable in their future school community.

Led by longtime Carver educator Michael Richards, the Summer Transition Program helps rising sixth graders enter West Rocks with greater confidence, stronger peer relationships, and an eagerness to embrace new academic challenges.

Rolling Video Games of New England brought the excitement of mobile laser tag directly to West Rocks. With tactical equipment and pop-up barriers transforming the grounds into a lively playing field, students worked in teams, planned their moves, and enjoyed some friendly competition. The fast-paced experience encouraged communication and cooperation while giving everyone an energetic way to connect with new classmates.

When Tuesday brought a torrential rainstorm, the students and staff demonstrated the adaptability that is central to a successful summer program. West Rocks Digital Literacy Coach Sara Golding moved the fun indoors and led students in a colorful tie-dye activity. Each student experimented with patterns and color combinations to create a unique design, and the storm became an opportunity for creativity rather than an interruption.

On Thursday, the Connecticut Invention Convention challenged students to think like inventors. Working in pairs, students received two seemingly unrelated items—such as an umbrella and a pocket, a backpack and a pillow, or sneakers and a towel—and were asked to combine them into an original invention. Each team had to identify a potential purpose, exchange ideas, develop a plan, and create a design.

The activity introduced students to the imaginative, real-world problem-solving at the heart of the Connecticut Invention Convention. Rather than following instructions to assemble a predetermined project, students had to generate their own ideas and turn them into something new. Along the way, they practiced the critical thinking, communication, and collaboration skills that will serve them well throughout middle school.

Mad Science added even more STEM discovery to the week. Led by student favorite Ms. Galaxy, the session explored chemical reactions, including the differences between endothermic reactions, which absorb heat, and exothermic reactions, which release it. Through engaging demonstrations and hands-on learning, students encountered scientific concepts in a memorable and accessible way. Every student also left with a gift bag courtesy of Mad Science.

From navigating a laser tag course and responding creatively to a sudden storm to inventing new products and investigating chemical reactions, Week Three offered an exciting balance of recreation, artistic expression, teamwork, and STEM learning. Most importantly, every experience helped students strengthen relationships, build confidence, and feel increasingly at home at West Rocks before their first day of sixth grade.

Stepping into Sixth Grade with Trust and Teamwork

Rising sixth graders in Carver’s Summer Transition Program for Nathan Hale Middle School are preparing for the academic expectations and new experiences of middle school while building something equally important: trust in one another.

During a recent activity on the school’s playing fields, students encountered an obstacle course created from an everyday material—their own shoes. One student was blindfolded while her peers guided her through the course using only their voices. Unable to see the path ahead, she had to listen carefully, interpret each direction, and trust her classmates to lead her safely around every obstacle.

The blindfold challenge was lively and fun, but it also carried important lessons. The student navigating the course (everyone had a chance to try their trust) practiced listening, patience, courage, and self-management. Her classmates had to communicate clearly, consider the situation from another person’s perspective, and work together toward a shared goal. Success depended not on speed or individual ability, but on cooperation.

These are valuable skills for students entering Nathan Hale, a school known for bringing learning to life through its Immersive Arts Integration program. The school is also a candidate for the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program, a framework that connects classroom learning with the real world while cultivating critical thinking, communication, creativity, and self-management.

Designed for students ages 11 to 16, the IB Middle Years Program encompasses eight subject areas: language and literature, language acquisition, individuals and societies, sciences, mathematics, arts, physical and health education, and design. Its emphasis on inquiry, reflection, and making connections across disciplines complements Nathan Hale’s immersive approach to learning.

The trust walk offered a simple but memorable example of those principles in action. Students communicated, adjusted their strategies, solved problems in real time, and took responsibility for one another’s success.

Carver’s Summer Transition Program in each of Norwalk’s four public middle schools helps rising sixth graders become familiar with the routines, relationships, and expectations of middle school before the academic year begins. Along the way, students form new friendships and develop the confidence to approach unfamiliar challenges.

For Nathan Hale’s newest students, the trust walk was more than a trip through an obstacle course. It was a reminder that they do not have to navigate the journey into middle school alone.

Unlocking Sixth Grade: Roton Students Build Confidence for Middle School

The transition from elementary school to middle school is a major milestone, and rising sixth graders at Roton Middle School are spending part of their summer making sure they are ready.

Through Carver’s Summer Transition Program, students are becoming acquainted with their new school before the first bell rings this fall. They are learning their way around the building, exploring classrooms and common spaces, and becoming more comfortable with the routines and responsibilities that come with middle school.

One especially important lesson has been learning how to use their newly assigned lockers. What may seem simple to an experienced middle schooler—remembering a combination, turning the dial in the correct sequence, and getting to class on time—can initially feel daunting to a rising sixth grader. With time to practice and help from instructors and classmates, students are replacing that uncertainty with confidence.

Students are also strengthening their academic and collaborative skills through math games and group problem-solving activities. Working together, they are testing ideas, comparing strategies, explaining their reasoning, and discovering that challenging problems become more manageable when everyone contributes. These activities reinforce essential math skills while helping students develop the communication, persistence, and teamwork they will need throughout middle school.

The five-week program offers much more than preparation for the school day. Roton students are enjoying science projects, educational visitors, creative theme days, recreational activities, and special events. The summer calendar includes school tours, interactive math activities, Camp Science projects, live animals, locker practice, tie-dye and tropical celebrations, ropes courses, and other opportunities to learn, explore, and form new friendships.

Carver operates Summer Transition Programs for rising sixth graders entering each of Norwalk’s four middle schools: Nathan Hale, Ponus Ridge, Roton, and West Rocks. The programs run Monday, July 6, through Friday, August 7, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

By the end of the summer, Roton’s newest students will arrive for sixth grade already knowing more than how to find their classrooms and open their lockers. They will enter with familiar faces, stronger friendships, sharper skills, and the reassuring knowledge that they are ready for what comes next.