NORTH ANDOVER SCHOOLS ENRICHMENT COUNCIL is a volunteer-run, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.  Founded in 1986, our mission is to support, strengthen and enrich the North Andover school curriculum by providing in-school cultural and educational programs in the Sciences and Humanities.

The North Andover Schools Enrichment Council (NASEC) meets the first Thursday of the month during the school year from 9:15-11:00 am at the Joseph N. Hermann Youth Center.  Our next meeting will be Thursday, October 7.  All are welcome to participate.

Thanks to a grant from Target, NASEC will kick off its 2010-2011 season with George W. Russell, Jr.'s original program "Clap Your Hands" in mid-October. All elementary and middle school students will explore gospel music, one of America’s most popular musical genres by highlighting its various styles throughout history. The program demonstrates the rise and changing roles of this music in the African-American community and describes its function as a mental release from bondage, a vehicle for communication in the Underground Railroad, and a "common ground" during the Civil Rights Movement. George Russell and his group feature everything from the Thomas Dorsey spirituals of the 1930’s to the 1960’s hit "Oh Happy Day" by the Edwin Hawkins Singers.