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AfterSchool Achievement Program (ASAP)
Started in 2004, ASAP is a partnership between the 11 elementary schools and local community agencies.
Before and after school care is provided by these agencies for a fee while academic enrichment known as Power Hour is provided free (due to funding by various donors) by certified teachers and instructonal aides from the school system who teach literacy using the AfterSchool Kidzlit® literacy program.
Based on the latest research on how to improve children’s reading competency, AfterSchool KidzLit® was designed specifically for the after-school environment to help children become better and more motivated readers.
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While the primary activity is reading, the program - through multi-cultural reading materials, discussions, and related activities - also helps young people gain a better understanding of themselves and others,
develop cooperative working skills, and build their understanding of and commitment to the core values upon which our democracy is based - values such as helpfulness, fairness, personal responsibility, and respect for others.
NEF helped design and fund ASAP, and manages the professional development training for teachers and staff working in the program.
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Funding partners: Norwalk Education Foundation; Norwalk Public Schools; Washington Mutual Foundation.
Number of children who benefit: 250+
Evaluation: Program and staff are evaluated semi-annually by students, teachers and parents.
Participating elementary schools: Brookside, Columbus, Cranbury, Fox Run, Jefferson, Kendall, Marvin, Rowayton, Silvermine, Tracey, and Wolfpit.
Middle School After School - Middle School in Action
Students of all abilities return to Roton and Ponus Ridge middle schools on Saturday mornings, and to West Rocks on weekday afternoons for academic support and enrichment, life skills sessions, extra technology time.
Middle School After School is free to families.
Funding partners: EMCOR Group, Inc.; GE Commercial Finance
Number of children who benefit: Over 120
Evaluation: Grades, attendance, and mastery test scores are evaluated for each student throughout the year. Students are surveyed for their evaluation of the program.
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Middle School University
MSU is a program for middle school students held at Norwalk Community College.
Students choose the topics and are engaged in their own education through fun and meaningful courses like Create Your Own Video Game, Movie-Making, Cooking, and Comedy.
MSU helps students make the connection between success in school today and their future success as adults through the study of dynamic, relevant subjects taught by inspiring instructors.
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Program Goals:
- Use student-relevant topics to strengthen weekday curriculum with an emphasis on strong thinking skills (problem-solving, communication, accessing information, ability to present work).
- Each student will realize individual improvements as assessed by a variety of quantitative and qualitative methods in academics, social/emotional (leadership) and character development areas.
- Develop courses that demonstrate an Integrated Teaching Approach and can serve as a model for future use in Norwalk classrooms by Norwalk teachers.
- Develop courses that exhibit & promote best practices in business: democratic process, collaborative environment and creativity.
- Foster individual hopes to pursue higher learning
- Expose students to collegiate environment to broaden experiences
Funding partners: EMCOR Group, Inc.
Number of children who benefit: 100
Evaluation: Track individual child growth through a variety of assessment methods to include academics, social/emotional (leadership) and character development components. Evaluation methods include student projects, grades, attendance, mastery test scores, teacher observation, self-reflection journals or oral questions, and surveys to students, instructors, and parents.
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Video Game: Luke Forshaw
Luke Forshaw is a teacher in the Darien Public School System.
He is a long time gamer who works as a technology integration specialist and is a doctoral student at the Teacher’s College of Columbia University.
You can find out more about him at www.lukeforshaw.com.
Click here to see some student games.
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Comedy: Tony Republicano
Tony Republicano has appeared in television commercials, daytime dramas, more than 35 theatrical productions, and several feature films.
He has more than 15 years of performance and teaching experience in artist-in-residence programs in pubic and private schools in the tri-state area,
and has instructed workshops for The New England Academy of Theatre and Curtain Call. He is a graduate of the New York Academy of Theatrical Arts.
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Cooking: Jeff Trombetta
Chef Jeff Trombetta is a culinary arts professor at Norwalk Community College who has been in the hospitality/culinary arts industry for more than 30 years.
He is a consultant to the team nutrition program of the Connecticut Education Department and was formerly executive chef of the Yale University Dining Services.
He also holds a culinary arts degree from the Culinary Institute of America and a business degree from Syracuse University.
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Movie Making: Kyle Seaburg
Kyle Seaburg has incorporated film work into his social studies classes for the past 14 years at Norwalk High School where he is an advisor to the student government
and the head coach of the field hockey and junior varsity baseball teams.
(check out this student PSA video)
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"We want to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, not knowledge in pursuit of the child."
--- George Bernard Shaw
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