Philip Butterfield, President, Social Venture Partners Connecticut; HSBC Bank Of Bermuda, Chairman, Retired
As Carver’s Board President, I write to you, our readers, to thank you for your interest in our newsletter and for your support of the young people whom we serve.
Under Novelette’s leadership, Carver has continued to meet the needs of these young people despite the very challenging environment brought on by the coronavirus. Each of our Board members is deeply committed to Carver’s mission and to helping our students navigate through these unprecedented times.
We are also celebrating Black History Month, an opportunity to acknowledge an extraordinary African American and our namesake, George Washington Carver. His legacy and contributions to the world at large are indeed worthy of reflection, admiration, and celebration.
The schools we partner with, along with all other institutions of learning, are in the national spotlight as the U.S. Senate considers the confirmation of Connecticut’s own Miguel Cardona for the post of Education Secretary. Mr. Cardona was a teacher and principal before becoming our state’s Education Commissioner. All of us will have important roles to play in the coming months as we determine the appropriate strategies for education in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
As a result, our Board is re-examining our 2020-2025 Strategic Plan. We expect to strengthen both our vision and mission to enable Carver to become an even stronger influence in our community. Innovation will bring significant changes to how our young people learn and Carver is committed to being at the forefront of this new normal through the delivery of enhanced programs within our partnership with the Norwalk Public Schools District.
March 2020 will forever be known as the time all the world's schools closed their doors. As we pivoted to remote learning, parents who had relied on schools as an anchor around which they organized their daily schedule faced the shock of life without in-person school. Carver has always known what powerful allies parents are in their children's learning. With the pandemic's dire consequences hitting the most vulnerable families the hardest, parent engagement and social and emotional learning will remain among Carver’s priorities in the months and years ahead.
The remarkable words of our newest hero, Amanda Gorman, are an inspiration for all of us. "Where can we find light in this never-ending shade?" America's 22-year-old youth poet laureate asked as she spoke at the inauguration of the 46th president of the United States. "And yet the dawn is ours before we knew it," Gorman reminded us. That light is us. "Somehow, we've weathered and witnessed a nation that isn't broken, but simply unfinished," she said. "There is always light, if only we're brave enough to see it." Carver youth are as optimistic and brave as Amanda Gorman.
Thank you for your attention, caring, and support.
Philip Butterfield, President, Carver Board of Directors