Carver History
The Norwalk Historical Society Museum produced an exhibition in 2017 that featured Carver’s role in “The Second Migration” (1940-1970) when five million black Americans from southern states traveled north to the urban industrial centers, including and especially to Norwalk.
Founded in 1938
In 1938, Norwalk parents, concerned citizens, clergy, and other community leaders came together to provide underprivileged youth with extra opportunities to learn, grow and prepare for their careers.
The Carver Foundation of Norwalk was established to provide educational, cultural, social, and recreational opportunities and programs for its members and to encourage and promote understanding, cooperation, and friendship among all members of the community.
Carver Community Centers through the Years
The first permanent place for the center was on Ann Street in South Norwalk. This volunteer-driven organization soon became a vital part of the life of many low-income families in Norwalk.
Major fundraising efforts resulted in a building being dedicated to Carver in 1949 at 25 Butler Street. The building, which still stands today, soon became a social and cultural center for many of the citizens of Norwalk. Carver events and sports teams were the focus of the community.
The Rev. Sewall Emerson served as Carver’s first board president to be succeeded by Currier Lang. Under the leadership of a variety of directors, including Porter Charles Raysor and Dr. Leroy Vaughn, Carver continued as an all-volunteer initiative until 1969.
Under the direction of Fred Tennie, Carver hired its first full-time director, Jacques Meyers IV, a young man from Hampton, Virginia with an ambitious vision.
Out of this era came Carver’s association with the former NEON, Inc. and the local United Ways. Funding from NEON created Carver’s Youth Development Program (YDP). One of Carver’s better-known activities, this program was designed to motivate minority students toward higher education at a time when less than 1 in 10 minority students were even seeking a college education. Through program activities, which included the annual spring break College Tour that continues today, almost 100% of program participants have gone on to college or some form of post-secondary education. Included in this group of Carver graduates are prominent Norwalk residents, including Carver board members past and present.
Carver’s 75th anniversary brought alumni together from across the decades
Under the leadership of Dr. Doxey Wilkerson and the energy and vision of Jacques Meyers, and with the cooperation of the community, including the City of Norwalk and CL&P, the current multi-purpose community center was completed on Academy Street in 1975.
During the seventies and eighties Carver became a multipurpose center, including expanded programs for the elderly, the mentally frail, after-school youngsters and teen drop-ins. Also during this period, Carver became a vital part of the social, cultural, and social service network of the Norwalk community providing a meeting place and help with a variety of community issues.
Shortly following Mr. Fuller’s death in July 2011, the City of Norwalk gave Academy Street the honorary name, “Richard Fuller Way.”
Former Executive Director Richard N. Fuller, Sr. took the helm in 1978 after serving on the Carver Board of Directors and as Summer Camp Director for four years. He initiated the CASPER Club program in the early eighties to provide after-school care and academic support to elementary school children at the Carver Center.
Novelette Peterkin became Carver’s CEO in 2004. She strengthened Carver’s traditional programs, storied athletic leagues, college tours, and relationships while carefully expanding Carver’s acclaimed after-school and summer programs into Norwalk Public Schools (NPS).
In 2009, Carver introduced its after-school program to two of Norwalk’s middle schools reaching an additional 100 youth. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Carver partnered with each of Norwalk’s four middle schools and Norwalk High School reaching 195 more middle and 22 more high school youth.
Carver becomes Citywide in its reach
By the close of the 2010-2011 academic year, Carver’s after-school Youth Development Program reached a total of 435 Norwalk Public Schools middle and high school students.
An extensive 2010 magazine article captured this period of keeping faith in Carver’s namesake, George Washington Carver, and its history of serving through a community center while steadily expanding its reach to eventually almost all Norwalk Public Schools.
In the 2011-2012 academic year, Carver reached an additional 176 students, expanding into Brien McMahon High School and introduced later free busing for its after-school students.
In the 2012-2013 academic year, Carver reached 817 youth through its after-school programs.
Along with many other innovations, including even international programs, during this period of steady Carver expansion summer transition programs for students entering high school and middle school were initiated along with a new summer day camp at Columbus Magnet School at the request of the city.
Candlewood Fencing Center, the premier fencing academy in Connecticut, bringing their elite skills to teach Carver after-school students at Side By Side Charter School.
carver partners with side by side charter school
Carver won its first of many competitive 21st Century (federal) grants to begin our after-school programming at Side By Side Charter School in 2016. Side by Side Charter School was founded in 1997 by six public school educators when the Connecticut charter school law first went into effect. It is the state’s first charter school and Norwalk’s only regional public charter school. Integral to their mission is the creation of a community of learners in an atmosphere that fosters joy and passion for learning. They strive to build character and responsibility through public service and political action to instill in the students a sense of social justice. They have an interdisciplinary curriculum organized around social studies and science core programming.
carver in Bridgeport
In 2018, the Bridgeport Public Schools Board of Directors invited Carver to bring its successful after-school program to the Classical Studies Magnet Academy (CSMA). CSMA is a "themed" Pre-K to 8th-grade public school in Bridgeport’s West Side neighborhood for more than 400 students. Its curriculum of classical literature, art, and music utilizes the Paideia instructional methodology — traditional lecturing, coaching, and the Socratic method of extended discussion. Instruction is project-based, involving frequent assemblies, presentations, and field trips. CSMA occupies a 123-year-old structure, the oldest school still in use by the district.
Carver Today
Today, Carver serves nearly 3,000 K-12 students in 60+ before and after school and summer programs by partnering with almost every Norwalk school, the Classical Studies Magnet Academy in Bridgeport, Stamford High School, and Naugatuck High School.
With our partners, youth, and community, we hold ourselves to high standards and live our core values of equity, authenticity, and learning in all aspects of our work. We ground ourselves on the key issues and needs affecting the success of children and youth.
We intentionally bring together people and communities representing various ideas, perspectives, and backgrounds to inform and guide our work. We provide opportunities for people and communities to continuously learn, collaborate with others, and lead the change they want to see in the world.
Here is a page that shares how Carver responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Going back to 1938 - two new post offices were built in #Norwalk, both part of federal infrastructure projects initiated during the depression. This post office, on Belden Ave., is opposite #NPL, while the #SoNo post office was built on Washington Street. #norwalkhistory
Here is a page that shares current alumni stories.
Carver’s mission is as timeless today as it was in 1938.