NEIGHBORHOOD OUTREACH CONNECTION
To establish a level playing field for all members of our community, so all may enjoy a better quality of life.
The Foundation for Educational Excellence, a non-profit organization and fund of the Community Foundation, has awarded its Peggy May Inspiration Award to Dr. Narendra P. Sharma, NOC’s Founder and Board Chairman. The award is given annually to a member of the local community who has worked with the public schools in an inspiring manner.
For details, click on the following links:
NOC works in several neighborhoods where crime is a reality in the daily lives of the students we serve. Crime is a problem in the schools they attend and even in the neighborhoods where they live, including Avalon Shores (formerly Bluffton House) and Hilton Head Gardens, which were mentioned in a recent Island Packet article. NOC’s 8 years of experience at the Oaks Apartments on Hilton Head have shown that crime occurrences can be changed by the presence of positive influences in the neighborhood. NOC, working with other service providers, has helped build stronger communities, which attract responsible families. NOC’s development model is a powerful way to build communities, which in turn can lead to reduced crime.
Follow the links below to read more:
“Three schools among top places in county for crime reports”
http://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/education/article59853916.html
“Apartment complexes rack up crime reports”
http://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/crime/article60096731.html
NOC is enjoying excellent growth in downtown Beaufort at its two Learning Centers (Parkview & Marsh Pointe). The Winter Newsletter (see link below) provides a brief summary of the results of NOC’s educational programs and progress as we build relationships with families living in these two neighborhoods.
Speaking at the annual BSCD State of the Schools meeting, Dr. Narendra P. Sharma discussed the NOC business model, focusing on outreach, results, and impact in the broader context of poverty and the significant “achievement gap” in Beaufort County. He emphasized the importance of public/private partnerships in educating children and providing after school learning opportunities and technology within the neighborhood to the more than 4000 high-risk students who come from poverty backgrounds and low-income households. He noted that NOC is making a difference by helping children develop learning skills in math, reading, and language arts at a low cost.
Click on the link below for Dr. Sharma’s complete Power Point presentation:
On a crisp Saturday morning (November 14, 2015), parents, children, friends, and supporters strolled to NOC’s Marsh Pointe Learning Center. This was a special day for the community and nothing would stop the children from participating. The atmosphere was festive.
Every day, more than 25 children come to this Learning Center, which operates outside regular school hours afternoons, weekends, and summer. NOC’s model of innovative partnership brings the school’s learning platform, curriculum, teachers, and technology, together with volunteers to improve children’s achievement, attendance, and behavior, and parent and family engagement. Children receive healthy snacks and juice as a component of this learning program. Incentives and regular consultations with parents and guardians are new features to improve academic performance.
Speeches were made by several leaders (Narendra P. Sharma, Founder & Chair, NOC; Jeffrey Moss, BSCD Superintendent; Bill Evans, Community Leader; Angela Childers, Director, Beaufort County Housing Authority; and Alice Howard, Councilwoman). Mayor Billy Keyserling led the ribbon cutting ceremony. He remarked that the children and parents ultimately will be the winners. Bill Evans noted that “the most essential and enduring piece of the NOC Model is the use of technology and local teachers who come into the child’s community to work with them.” Angela Childers said that she and her staff are already seeing evidence of the positive impact of NOC’s program on learning and behavior. Alice Howard remarked that we need to create similar opportunities for other children who come from a poverty background. Narendra Sharma concluded that the future of our country depends on how we invest in our children and how we prepare them to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.
