Jumpstart Brings 'Scribbles To Novels' Fundraiser to Chicago

    CHICAGO, April 7, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Jumpstart, a national nonprofit
 group that delivers innovative preschool programs for low-income children,
 will host its "Scribbles To Novels" benefit dinner in Chicago on Wednesday,
 April 23, at the Harold Washington Library.
 
     The event brings together nationally acclaimed authors and Chicago's
 elite for a special evening to raise money and awareness for helping
 at-risk preschool children excel in school. Each year, leaders from the
 business, civic and philanthropic communities attend to show their support
 for this effort and early childhood literacy in the Chicago area.
 
     "Preparing young children to succeed and become productive citizens is
 one of the most effective ways we can build our community," said James
 Borishade, executive director of Jumpstart's Central Region offices. "We
 hope this event sends a powerful message that education -- particularly
 during early childhood -- is of fundamental importance."
 
     Founded in 1993 at Yale University, Jumpstart pairs 3,500 trained
 adults one-on-one with preschool children in need of assistance. During the
 2007-2008 program year, Jumpstart serves 13,000 children across 20 states.
 
     During the event, William Barke, CEO of Pearson Arts & Science and
 chairman of Pearson Canada, will receive the inaugural Commitment to
 Excellence Award, which is named after him. Barke is a graduate of
 Northwestern University in Evanston and sits on Jumpstart's national board
 of directors.
 
     Tickets are still available. For more information, contact Jeremy
 Weinstein at 312-873-4054 or Jeremy.Weinstein@jstart.org.
 
     About Jumpstart
 
     Jumpstart is a national nonprofit organization that engages preschool
 children from low-income communities in an intensive early education
 program to improve their cognitive and emotional development, ensuring they
 enter kindergarten prepared to succeed at grade level. It accomplishes this
 by training adult mentors, primarily college students, to work in exclusive
 yearlong relationships with the children. Jumpstart currently serves more
 than 13,000 children through a corps of 3,500 college students and older
 adults. Jumpstart has earned a four-star rating from Charity Navigator and
 is a recipient of the Fast Company/Monitor Group Social Capitalist Award in
 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. For more information, visit
 http://www.jstart.org.
 
 

      For more information:
      Michael Dizon
      mdizon@tribune.com
      312.222.3165
 
 

SOURCE Jumpstart