NEIGHBORHOOD OUTREACH CONNECTION

To establish a level playing field for all members of our community, so all may enjoy a better quality of life.

NOC Calls for Reduction in Achievement Gap

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Neighborhood Outreach Connection (NOC) calls for a Reduction in the Student Achievement Gap in the Beaufort County School District

 Board of Education , April 16

NOC Founder and Chair, Dr. Narendra Sharma, addressed the Beaufort County Board of Education on Tuesday, April 16, 2019 Also attending the meeting were NOC Executive Director, Cynthia Jackson-Jenkins, NOC Field Director, Corbin Stripling, and NOC Director of Development and Marketing, Daniel McKeown.  Dr. Sharma emphasized NOC’s business model and how NOC is addressing the needs of Beaufort County children and families through education, health, and workforce development programs.  He enumerated NOC’s accomplishments over the past 10 years and stated NOC’s goals and priorities over the next 10 years. Dr. Sharma’s presentation highlighted the following:

  • NOC successfully serves 650 high-risk students in six Neighborhood Learning Centers by going directly into underserved neighborhoods
  • NOC invests in BCSD teachers and works with them to provide tutoring and homework assistance in each Neighborhood Learning Center.
  • NOC brings technology and BCSD’s curriculum into the neighborhood in a cost-effective way.
  • NOC plans to strategically expand and open 4 new learning centers in Beaufort County, targeting 1,000 students
  • BCSD can be an active partner in NOC’s expansion, including recognition of teachers working in NOC’s programs.

Dr. Sharma concluded that we must address the achievement gap issue with a sense of urgency since 35% to 45% of minority students (African American and Hispanic) are not at grade level in either reading, math, or language arts.

View Dr. Sharma’s presentation: bcsd prestation, april 2019, final

NOC Appoints New Director of Field Operations

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Alice2014[lg2]NOC is pleased to announce the appointment of Alice Page as Director of Field Operations, overseeing programs and activities at all four NOC Program Centers in Hilton Head and Bluffton.

Alice retired to Hilton Head Island in July 2014 from Northern Virginia where, for many years, she was the Director of Human Resources and Administration for the Reston Association, a large-scale community association that manages Reston, one of the country’s largest planned communities. Prior to that, Alice held senior positions for health-related non-profit organizations in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area, overseeing HR/Administration departments for these organizations.

Alice has led teams in diverse assignments and has accumulated a wealth of knowledge and experience in mentoring staff and encouraging team work.  She has worked with many groups, including boards, volunteers, staff committees, and clients. She is accomplished in developing, implementing, and managing a variety of programs and activities, including information technology and workplace wellness programs.

Alice has also volunteered as a computer trainer for the Loudoun County Workforce Center in Leesburg, VA for five years and served as a volunteer Information Specialist for the Smithsonian Institution.  Alice holds a Bachelor’s degree from Trinity University, a Master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University, and a Management Certificate from George Washington University.  She is a health and fitness advocate, as well as an avid runner and bicyclist.  She also enjoys Victorian novels and cooking

Alice joined NOC as Program Manager at the Oaks Program Center in September 2014. She brings to NOC extensive leadership, management, and organizational skills, as well as experience in managing administrative and human resources functions and activities.  As Director of Field Operations, Alice will focus on results and operational efficiency.  She will ensure that NOC’s field operations reflect high quality and integrity in keeping with NOC’s mission and strategic priorities.  Finally, Alice will continue to build strong relationships with parents, teachers, and the community NOC serves.

Biography of Dr. Sharma

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Biography of Dr. Sharma
Narendra P. Sharma, PhD
Chair, Board of Directors

historyDr. Narendra P. Sharma is currently a consultant specializing in applied economic development and finance, public policy and project analysis, environmental management, and organizational effectiveness.  He has a PhD in economic development from Virginia Tech University, as well as an MS from Rutgers, an MEM from Duke University, and a BS from the University of Hawaii.  Dr. Sharma, originally from the Fiji Islands, is a US citizen and lives in Hilton Head Island with his wife, Martha.  They have one daughter who resides in Kings Mountain, North Carolina.

Dr. Sharma worked for more than 32 years at the World Bank in Washington, DC, where he was involved in finance and economic development in more than 50 developing countries in Asia and the Pacific, South America, Central America and the Caribbean, and Africa.   He has traveled widely throughout the world and has a broad international perspective on and understanding of social, economic development, and environmental issues at the global, regional, national, and local level.  He has over 30 years experience in management, and in dealing with high ranking government civil servants, international and regional policy forums, multi- and bilateral development agencies, non-governmental organizations, and businesses.

Dr. Sharma has also been involved in teaching and research.  He was Adjunct Professor in Duke University’s School of the Environment (1991-2005) and has more than 25 years of experience in training and mentoring of people.  For a brief period (2005-2006 academic year), he was Director of Community Outreach, University of South Carolina, Beaufort, (USCB). 

Currently, he is actively involved in the LowCountry community, serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Neighborhood Outreach Connection (NOC), a non-profit organization whose mission is to fight poverty by helping people in need to achieve the “American Dream.”  In the past four years, he has served as a member of the School Improvement Council of the Hilton Head High School, as the Vice President for programs of the Hilton Head World Affairs Council, and as a member of the Board of Directors of Port Royal Plantation. 

He has a special interest in addressing poverty and development issues in the LowCountry and South Carolina.
[email protected]

NOC’s Centurion Club Visits Sandbox Museum

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Several NOC student tutors – Emma Stanton, Katy Hinton, Kristin Trusz, Hannah Brink, and, Keelin Sanz – organized a field trip to the Sandbox Museum for younger members of NOC’s Centurion Club.

The Sandbox is an “interactive” children’s museum that offers many hands-on experiences. The student tutors presented their idea to Roberta Foss, NOC volunteer and Learning Coordinator in HHI. They then approached the management of the museum and worked out a program for the NOC children, including a waiver of the entrance fees. They developed a detailed plan of activities at the museum, including a picnic lunch for the children. Roberta Foss and the student tutors led the group and the Boys and Girls Club provided a bus to transport the children to and from the museum, bringing them back to NOC’s Program Center at Oaks.

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The end result was that children in Kindergarten to Grade 3 spent more than three hours at the museum where they had a great time. They participated enthusiastically in several activities, enjoying every moment that they spent there. They acquired new knowledge and enjoyed each other’s company in an environment with which they were not familiar. For many of the children, it was their first visit to the museum. On their return home, they were cheerful and anxious to recount their experiences with parents and friends.

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