Crawl, walk, run, swim. That’s the order a parent ⏤ whether a proficient lap swimmer or one still deathly afraid of the water ⏤ should think about their child’s physical milestones. Few life skills are as important as the ability to survive in the water. And swimming lessons, from learning how to float, to treading water, to clocking a 23-second, 50-meter freestyle and winning the gold medal, is where it all starts. Carver has a partnership with the Riverbrook Regional Y Youth Swimming Lesson Program and we also bring all our campers in gender and age group shifts to the more local Velo-CT 50 Meter Olympic size pool.
Rising 6th graders at West Rocks Middle School dissect owl pellets and hold a snake!
Michael Richards, a Social Studies Teacher for grades 6 and 7 at West Rocks Middle School during the school year, is leading our summer transition program at West Rocks for rising 6th graders. Today, Mr. Richards introduced some of his summer students to the fun of holding a snake and dissecting owl pellets!
Carver's summer transition program at Nathan Hale Middle School
Carver’s summer transition programs are designed to help incoming 6th and 9th grade student’s transition into Norwalk’s four middle and two high schools. Programming includes individualized instruction, parental involvement, small group learning experiences, diverse enrichment activities, free transportation, and full-day activities benefiting working families. Students learn the basics of navigating their respective new schools. Here is a glimpse into the day at Nathan Hale Middle School, a summer program directed by a science teacher during the school year, Thomas Stanford.
VOTE FOR CARVER! Fairfield County Bank names Carver as a "Charity of the Month"
Fairfield County Bank is a longtime supporter of the Carver community prides itself on its unwavering dedication and support of local Fairfield County charities through corporate contributions and extended Employee volunteerism. Bank employees chose Carver to participate in the first month of their new Charity of the Month campaign. GO HERE TO VOTE FOR CARVER!
Norwalk AWC will be hosting 30 middle and high school Carver campers on Friday, July 26th!
Hanna's blog that profiles Carver summer campers
Hanna’s storytelling is available on this dedicated Carver blog. Hanna’s reporting gives us all a glimpse into the goals and accomplishments of Carver kids. This summer, Hanna will be visiting each of Carver’s eight summer programs to profile our students.
Carver campers go bowling!
See all the photos here in our Facebook album.
What do 10 pins and a big heavy ball have to do with summer camp enrichment and learning? Quite a lot, actually. Believe it or not, bowling is a sport that touches on many aspects of school preparedness. Plus, it’s fun! We use bowling as a hands-on excuse to work on some learning skills.
Here are five skills and principles that bowling has the potential to introduce to Carver kids!
Self-confidence. Gotta love those bumpers. Our campers nurse a feeling of accomplishment every time she rolls that 6-pound ball down the lane. With bumpers on either side, she’ll avoid the ill-fated gutter ball. Instead she’ll get an instant boost of self-confidence as her ball knocks down, at the very least, one pin each time. She probably won’t realize that something is preventing her from the much-maligned gutter, but there will be plenty of opportunities later in life to learn about missing and defeat.
Patience. Some of our campers aren’t very strong yet. And there is no better way to observe this than by asking her to roll a ball 1/6 her weight down a seemingly endless alley. Bowling is not an instant gratification kind of game. It takes patience. Carver kids have to wait awhile for pin-crushing action: for the rack to sweep away felled pins, for pins to be reset, and for the ball to make its way to his anxious hands through the mysterious under-the-floor ball-retrieval system.
Turn-taking. Bowling teaches how to take turns and share the fun. Carver kids cheer for each other. Cheering helps pass the time and builds an unselfish sense of excitement at another’s success.
Hand-eye coordination and balance. Carver kids gain a sense of control and learn that they can direct the ball according to her release point. We show the campers what would happens if you tried to bowl at an angle, down the side or down the middle. A heavy ball can be awkward for a little person to hold, so this teaches her how to stay balanced, aim, and keep her eye on the target simultaneously.
Counting and simple math. The computer screen shows how many pins are left, so campers can cross-check the math.
What champions we have this summer!
Stepping Stones Museum for Children engages Carver campers in "Three Little Pigs"
Community Fund of Darien renews its generous support of Carver kids!
Carver is deeply grateful for the long-term and generous annual support The Community Fund of Darien just renewed for our after-school Youth Development Program and our Summer Enrichment Program.
Center for Nonprofit Excellence names Carver among its inaugural Hall of Fame honorees
This year, Fairfield County’s Community Foundation (FCCF) is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of its Center for Nonprofit Excellence.
As part of this celebration, they are introducing the inaugural class of its Center for Nonprofit Excellence Hall of Fame. The Carver Foundation as one of the Hall of Fame honorees to be featured at their CNE Anniversary Celebration on November 13, 2019.