Fostering skills for lifelong learning in early childhood

Jumpstart’s program model is based on extensive research and best practices that show the amazing impact a committed, caring adult can have on a young child’s life.

Clear Vision: Jumpstart works because our goals are focused on serving children. We pair motivated college students and community volunteers with preschool students for an entire school year to foster:
		Community Collaboration: Partner with community stakeholders to strengthen and prioritize early childhood education and cultivate a new generation of early childhood educators and advocates;
		School Success: Build language and literacy skills while strengthening social and emotional competencies. Support family involvement with activities and resources for at-home learning.

Quality Time: Children benefit from Jumpstart because of the time our volunteers spend with them. Each college student or community volunteer spends an average of 10 hours per week in the classroom to provide:
		Small Group Reading: Promote vocabulary and comprehension by reading high-quality children’s literature together;
		Circle Time: Encourage social interaction through group activities designed to develop and promote language and literacy skills;
		Center Time/Let’s Find Out About It:  Share fun learning activities that let children experiment and practice with words and ideas to deepen their understanding of books that they read.

Visit our Information Center to learn more about how we developed the Jumpstart model and to view articles on the impact of early childhood education on individual children.