Avalon-Carver Community Center (Avalon-Carver) respectfully requests an opportunity to partner with organizations to bring the joy of the holiday to underserved populations. Specifically, our partnership would aim to improve economic equity for low-income communities by introducing Black and Latinx youth to fun and emergent technologies that will shape the 21st-century workforce, create pathways to college, and cultivate an interest in STEM-focused (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) careers by raising funds in a silent auction and providing free meals.  We aim to reduce educational achievement gaps through culturally responsive and culturally relevant content and multicultural staffing with a goal of improving educational outcomes for vulnerable populations.
 
Avalon-Carver Community Center will host a Holiday Funday with 100 of our network of peers on December 23, 2023, and they will participate in a silent auction.  250 Members of the marginalized community we serve will receive free holiday giveaways, experience the joy of the holidays with free activities, a free meal and free gift cards to purchase holiday essentials for their families. Families will also receive a raffle ticket for additional free giveaways. The funds raised from the Holiday auction will be used to provide underserved youth in the community with a quality hands-on STEM education where students get to experience the joy of interactive and fun learning experiences.