The Newark Center for Creative Learning is a small, progressive K-8 school that has been helping since 1971 to foster incredibly talented, creative, and intelligent children (and also me). NCCL's  focus on small classes, enrichment, and hands-on learning emphasize the learning process, rather than rote memorization or standardized testing, and help cultivate values of empathy, volunteerism, and constructive problem-solving in its classrooms and its alumni. NCCL is proof that education doesn't need to be an assembly line and that school can be fun -- indeed, that school is most effective when it's fun.

On March 4 and 5, NCCL will be one of hundreds of Delaware nonprofits participating in Do More 24, a 24-hour fundraising marathon. This year, a generous circle of alumni and parents have joined together to give back to the school that gave so much to us: from 6:00 p.m. Thursday to 6:00 p.m. Friday, NCCL alumni are matching up to $1,500 in donations.

I "graduated" from NCCL 16 years ago. I continue to volunteer, donate, and promote this little school because I know how much it did for me. I'm not alone.

Even with its small size and modest budget, NCCL has succeeded for nearly 50 years, overcoming the adversity of two major economic crises and adapting to the unprecedented challenge of teaching kids during the COVID-19 pandemic. We owe that to its first-class staff and to a dedicated community of parents, alumni and current students, who know firsthand how much the school's mission matters. 

There are hundreds of worthy nonprofits to support this week. Thank you for considering ours.