Jumpstart Sets Vision for Continuing the Advancement of Educational Equity as It Celebrates 25th Anniversary

BOSTON, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Jumpstart, a national early education organization, is celebrating 25 years of providing language, literacy, and social-emotional programming for preschool children from underserved communities. To kick off the celebration, the organization launched the 25 Faces of Jumpstart campaign, recognizing individuals who have made significant contributions that shaped the growth and advancement of the organization throughout its 25-year history.

What started in 1994 as a pilot tutoring program out of Yale University that paired college students with preschoolers from underserved communities has transformed the lives of more than 123,000 children with the help of more than 50,000 college student and community volunteers. By leveraging partnerships with institutions of higher education, community organizations, Head Start programs, community-based preschools, and school districts, Jumpstart now has programs all across the country in 14 states and the District of Columbia. 

Evidence-based practices and evaluation have been strong components of Jumpstart's program from the beginning, and today over two decades of research support the critical impact that early development of literacy, language, and social-emotional skills can have on young children growing up in poverty. A recent evaluation found that 91% of Jumpstart children showed growth on specific language and literacy skills, while results from the Test of Preschool Early Literacy indicate that Jumpstart children are closing the gap and developing language and literacy skills that are important for kindergarten readiness. A recent pilot study also found that Jumpstart children were nearly 2x more likely than those in the normed sample to demonstrate stronger social-emotional skills, another important indicator of school readiness.

Jumpstart also recognizes that in order for our youngest learners to build a strong foundation for lifelong learning, their educators must be well-prepared, trained, and supported in order to succeed and stay in their profession. As a result, throughout the last decade, Jumpstart's programming has grown and evolved to include multiple aspects of early childhood education from workforce development to advocacy.

"We are inspired by the thousands of college student and community volunteers who build deep and lasting relationships with young children and provide critical programs that have a proven impact on school readiness," says Naila Bolus, President and CEO. "Many of our volunteers go on to pursue careers as early childhood educators, and all of our volunteers gain valuable skills that better position them to lead in their careers." 

Throughout 2019, in honor of its 25th Anniversary, Jumpstart will be shining a light on those who have played a major role in the organization's history with 25 Faces of Jumpstart. This campaign celebrates a wide variety of people including the founders of Jumpstart, volunteers, Jumpstart children and their families, higher education partners, and influential donors and supporters.

The 25 Faces of Jumpstart are as follows:

Raymond Buford
Eric Carle
David Carmel
Joseph Castro
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro
Kamalah Fletcher
Emily Haber and Massachusetts Service Alliance
Chris Hernandez
Vanessa Kirsch
Jess Lazzara
Aaron Lieberman
Jen Marrus
Jordan Meranus
Dianne Morales
Marta Moret
State Representative Tram Nguyen
Astriz Perez
Samantha Perez
Patrick Romero
Dale Atkins Rosen
Rebecca Weintraub
Sharon Scott-Chandler and Action for Boston Community Development
Chris Stadler
Jen Waldron
Rob Waldron

"While it was difficult to narrow the list of Jumpstart champions to just 25 Faces, we are eager to celebrate them and all those they represent who have shared our passion for closing the opportunity gap and putting children first. We are looking forward to continuing to make an impact on the lives of children and their communities for the next 25 years," shares Bolus.

Learn more about Jumpstart's 25-year history and read the first 25 Faces profile about Jumpstart's founders at https://www.jstart.org/25th-anniversary/.

ABOUT JUMPSTART
Jumpstart is a national early education organization working toward the day every child in America enters kindergarten prepared to succeed. Jumpstart provides language, literacy, and social-emotional programming for preschool children from underserved communities and promotes quality early learning for all children. Jumpstart is a proud member of the AmeriCorps service network. Learn more at jstart.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @Jumpstartkids.

SOURCE Jumpstart