4-Year Arts & Entertainment Pilot

NETS, Inc. began in 2006 as an outgrowth of MC² Technology, Inc., a 501c(3) organization, which starting in 2001 provided successful after-school and Saturday programming for “on-the-bubble” elementary and high school students in Hartford's toughest north end neighborhood, the Barbour Street area (between Tower and Capen streets). Partnering with north end minister, Apostle Wadie Lanier, and working out of her New Temple of God community church, the MC² program prospered. It was the first “after-school” tutoring program in the north end area. Upon the unexpected death of Apostle Lanier in 2011, the MC² Board of Directors determined that communities in the Greater Hartford area would be the focus of the program thereby changing the demographics from a neighborhood-based program to a broader community-based program. And to better define the essence of this growth within entire communities, the “4-Walls” project became the umbrella under which all programs were run.

NETS is a program of study which is 75% business and 25% performance. It affirms artistic ability in a vast range of fields - musical, painting, sculpture, drama, poetry, etc.- but goes further, to study in detail the business aspects of all these fields. It offers a high caliber of interactive education which targets a diverse student body from low-income areas; students who frequently are the “forgotten” students. Its goal to involve all NETS students in a program of study that will achieve their fullest potential as individuals and a specialist in their chosen field.

NETS is first a tutoring program for those students who are having trouble with academic achievement and social interaction leading potentially to truancy or dropping out of school altogether. Many of the students will be from a single parent, grandparent, or guardian home with possible contact with local or state social services including foster care. Tutoring is provided by college-age tutors on the 2 students to 1 tutor ratio.

The program, held after-school, three days per week, and on Saturdays, provides a minimum of 15 hours per week, over the four days, tutoring and course subject areas (the 3-Rs; reading writing and arithmetic), combined with specialized courses in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, Math Genius, STEM, business start-up and development, marketing, communications, critical thinking, etc., with internship options, all leading to successful vocational choices.

NETS provides the tools that will increase the student’s GPA, make high school graduation an attainable reality, and ensure a future of either advanced post high school study or gainful employment.

The Saturday workshops are devoted to “hands-on” work, both artistic and business focused, plus monthly trips to topic-related sites. All program participants must be fully enrolled students, from local high schools (private or public) within the given community, who desire to improve their individual test scores and GPA (2.0 or lower) by one point or more over the four years, thereby gaining confidence in their own abilities to graduate, and leading to either post high school education or gainful employment. This workshop environment is intended to foster excellent work habits and refine interpersonal skills. It also provides the opportunity to meet “professionals” from various artistic and business fields. Work is monitored and evaluated so that the highest possible growth can be achieved by each student.

Nutritious food/beverages will be provided at every session; Contracted transportation, as needed, will bring students to/from program sites to provide necessary safety; Parents or guardians may also be called upon for transportation when necessary. Scholarships for post high school education, as well as internships and apprenticeship opportunities, can be earned over the life of the project, beginning from year 1-4.

A supportive PTO/PTA apprised of parents, grandparents, guardians, and others who wish to assist with project objectives and goals will be formed from the very beginning. An Advisory Board-comprised of NETS representatives and community residents/corporate officials to oversee all operations of the program and ensure transparency, accountability, evaluations/ assessments, and a learning environment of high expectations for each student will be established before any other work is begun.

NETS is a statewide program revolving around Connecticut's 25+ most urban areas. In the communities that surround each of these cities are the two- and four- year colleges, the trade and technical schools, the governmental offices, as well as the businesses and corporations with which NETS can coordinate its programs and activities. NETS links these entities together:

Colleges and universities for foundational studies
Businesses/corporations for work/study or internships
Public and private entities of all sizes for employment options such as event management, or historical/educational/cultural employment, or the recreation or leisure fields; broadcasts/song technician, archivist, stage manager, fund-raiser, musician, curator, events booking, producer, maintenance, camera operator, etc.

NETS is a program of guidance and opportunity which leads to employment choices within an environment that is welcoming, inclusive, and supportive of all participants. Each ten month “regular” after-school and Saturday year (as described above) will be followed by a six-week, (5-days per week), hands-on summer session in which all participants will continue class work/tutoring, each morning, followed by individual work in their personal specialty each afternoon with professionals, from their field, available to guide and encourage from time to time.

Year 1 will enroll up to 30+ freshman students. Our summer program will serve 40+ students. All after-school and Saturday classes will be held at the centrally located site.

In summary, NETS is a program which attacks socio economic, as well as the educational, problems which confront Connecticut's low-income students on a daily basis, often serving as a “3rd parent” beyond the natural parents or guardians. Keeping these particular students in school by providing motivation and “fun” activities (competitive as well as educational), tutor and/ mentoring in the “3-R’s,” ensuring a safe-haven and good nutrition, increasing GPS leading to graduation, providing work-study opportunities, apprenticeships and internships, together with scholarships and awards that can be earned over all four years, and in total developing a targeted personal focus for each participant which sharpens their minds and leads to gainful employment or post high school education is the mission and goal of NETS.