Founded in 1938, Carver has experienced many milestones through the years. In 1970, Jacques Meyers, Carver’s first full-time Executive Director, created the Youth Development Program (YDP), and in 1975 moved Carver’s programs from a rented warehouse to today’s multi-purpose building. In 1978, Carver’s new Executive Director, Richard Fuller, created CASPER for youngsters and other new initiatives. Novelette Peterkin, since 2004, has been strengthening Carver’s traditional programs, storied athletic leagues, college tours and relationships while carefully expanding Carver’s acclaimed after-school programs into Norwalk Public Schools.
This year, Carver is experiencing transformational change, as profound perhaps as Carver’s very founding. Now in Norwalk’s four middle schools and Norwalk High School, Carver is creating a new case for support to increase in size and effectiveness all of its existing programs and to expand into even more schools.
PLUS is the name of this new comprehensive Carver initiative. PLUS is the perfecting of traditional Carver best practices and the expansion of new ones. PLUS is the name given to Carver’s future.
Dick Whitcomb is leading this initiative by making this year the largest private financial commitment in Carver’s history and by helping Carver to design, articulate and to share this worthy vision with others. Mr. Whitcomb is the former long-time headmaster of St. Luke’s School in New Canaan and for just as long a volunteer at Carver. In his retirement he is dedicating to Carver his deep knowledge of effective education and his unshakeable belief in the ability of every youth.
Supporting Mr. Whitcomb and Novelette Peterkin in this expansion of Carver is a Strategic Planning Group of community leaders, the new Carver President, Janis Curtis, and her Board of Directors, Carver staff, volunteers and parents.
In the next few weeks and months Carver’s communications will gradually begin to reflect the fact that Carver is already beginning to reach more youth in the community and specifically in Norwalk Public Schools than are served at the Carver Center itself; Carver’s budget is doubling in size; new measures are being taken to manage the ever increasing outcomes PLUS is bringing to the lives of Norwalk’s youth; and Carver is now even more reliant on the support and participation of Carver’s many friends and allies.
PLUS is the new Carver. PLUS is the bounty we invite you to help give to Norwalk’s youth.
