Carver Center promotes education through STEAM programming
This past July, Carver Community Center Executive Director J.C. Barnett III hosted a community town hall where he shared a renewed vision for Carver, one centered on education. While Carver has long been known as a hub for recreation, Barnett reminded the community that since its founding, Carver has also been a place of learning, growth, and opportunity.
His goal is to bring education back to the forefront, particularly in the area of STEM, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math—with a creative twist that adds the Arts, transforming STEM into STEAM.
Barnett’s deep appreciation for the arts makes it natural for him to integrate creativity into every educational experience at Carver. This commitment is reflected in several collaborations and programs that merge academics, innovation, and artistic expression.
One long-standing partnership is with Cheryl Simmons’ Closing the Gap Summer Education Program, which emphasizes math, reading, and STEM projects. The program’s success has been so impactful that the Kokomo School Corporation recognizes it as an alternative to summer school, showing little to no learning loss between pre- and post-tests.
Another major contributor to Carver’s educational ecosystem is Undertone Music and Fine Arts, led by Pastor Wendell Brown, CEO of HART to Heart. This initiative offers music lessons to people of all ages, helping to grow musical talent across Kokomo, especially within the gospel community, but also embracing other genres. In addition, an art instructor from Undertone teaches weekly art lessons for students in the Carver Kids Afterschool Program, Carver’s flagship youth initiative.
Carver also partners with Purdue Extension through their Learn, Grow, Eat, and Go program. This engaging, hands-on experience teaches children about agriculture, how different foods grow, when to plant them, and why healthy eating matters. Purdue educators often include art activities and story sessions to help reinforce each lesson.
At the heart of Carver’s STEAM movement is the Carver Robotics Program, led by Jeff Marrah and a talented team of mentors. Using VEX IQ robotics kits, the students design, code, and compete at a high level. Recently, the team placed 4th overall at the 7th Annual Caston Cobweb Classic VEX IQ Robotics Competition.
Through these efforts, Carver is not only talking about educational transformation, it’s living it. The future of Kokomo’s youth is brighter because Carver is leading the way in STEAM education.