The
Claus Academy

Having been in operation for over a year, there is still a long way to go to attain our vision. Regardless of your financial situation, background, or interests, you can help us make an impact on the lives of struggling students.

Our Goal

As Claus grows and becomes well known in the Norwalk area, we hope to move to a house that is readily accessible by public transit. The house will serve as a home to many different activities and people:

• Learning space will allow full-time teachers to work with students by day, coordinating activities and leading specialized classes that engage students in a wide variety of subjects, including some traditional ones such as math, reading, and writing.
• Technology center that offers computer equipment, including printers and specialized graphics hardware.
• A community room will be available for groups in the area needing a space to meet.
• A main kitchen will be home to cooking classes and to the student-run catering service that can cater to the community room and to events around Norwalk.
• A garage, stocked with tools necessary to offer automotive classes and to sell basic automotive services (e.g., oil changes, basic maintenance)
• Apartment units for rent by individuals ready to move out of their family homes but still in need of support.
• An apartment unit for the live-in coordinator, who will be responsible for running the facility.
• Garden and composting space used to grow fruits and vegetables, and to teach students about healthy food choices.
• Entertainment room, for students and community members to relax and interact.

Please consider joining us in our growth and expansion as we work towards our goals.

Donations

We welcome donations of any size, which you can deduct from your taxes under the 501(c)3 exemption. Use the form on this page to charge a donation to your credit card. Google Checkout handles all of our payment processing, which means that your personal information is secure. Claus Academy does not receive any private information or account data from Google.

We also gladly accept donations of equipment, furniture, and supplies. See the list on this page for the items for which we have a particular need. Contact us [LINK] to arrange for drop-off. We will be happy to provide you with a receipt for your tax return.

Volunteers

Claus is more a community than a traditional educational facility - here, members of the regional community contribute their time to teach and support our students. For example, we have hosted workshops in ceramic tile art and professional photography, taught by experts in the area. Please contact us if you are interested in any of the following volunteer opportunities:

• Teaching - We are constant looking for energetic and engaged individuals to help teach at Claus. If you are in high school, have graduated college, or are retired, we have a opportunities for you to make a difference in your community. Special skills or expert subject knowledge are not required, and in the case of Fast ForWord, we can teach you how to help students working through the program.
• Technical Support - Thanks to many small donations of equipment, we have a number of computers, printers, and a local area network that require maintenance. If you have worked with computers, or would like to learn more with hands-on practice, we could use your help. You could even work with students of ours that are interested in learning their way around technology.
• Website Administration - Anyone with experience designing and managing Web sites is encouraged to contact us regarding our site. Duties would include layout, design, and maintenance of the site as well as expanding the content areas and working with students or staff of Claus to generate new content.
• Administrative and Clerical - Want a comfortable and welcoming place to hang out? Come answer the phone, organize files, and hang out in our office!