Jumpstart

Jumpstart places highly motivated college students in preschool classrooms in low-income communities to help children build language, literacy and social skills. With a focus on school success, family involvement, and future teachers; Jumpstart helps create an environment of lifelong learning.

What is Jumpstart?

Jumpstart is a national early education organization that recruits and trains college students to serve preschool children in low-income neighborhoods around the Boston area. Our proven curriculum helps preschool children develop the language and literacy skills they need to be ready for kindergarten, setting them on a path to close the achievement gap before it is too late.

Children that come from low-income neighborhoods start kindergarten 60 percent behind their more affluent peers, setting them up early on for failure. When children fall behind in kindergarten, they are more likely to stay behind for the rest of their lives. In order to address this issue, Jumpstart is working toward the day when every child in America enters kindergarten prepared to succeed.

Who does Jumpstart hire?

Jumpstart at Suffolk University recruits caring and passionate students, called Corps Members, who commit to performing 300 hours of service during the school year. During their term of service, students receive over 60 hours of professional training on topics related to early childhood education and citizenship.

Benefits of Joining Jumpstart

Not only would you impact the children, families, and communities around Boston by participating in Jumpstart, but also you may be eligible to earn other benefits. As a Jumpstart Corps Member, you will have the opportunity to:

  • Earn your work study award (if you have one).
  • Earn a Segal Education Award (scholarship) from AmeriCorps, to pay for your tuition, student loans, and other educational expenses.
  • Satisfy the practicum requirement to earn your professional preschool licensure from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.
  • Build and strengthen your leadership, team work, and time management skills.

Where do Jumpstart Corps Members serve?

Corps Members spend the majority of their time in a classroom, implementing the Jumpstart curriculum. Students also have the opportunity to spend time in a preschool classroom outside of their assigned session called Classroom Assistance Time (CAT).

During CAT, Corps Members gain exposure to professional teachers’ strategies in classroom management and facilitating children’s learning, and assist the teachers and children in activities that promote language and literacy.

Corps Members also have an impact in the community by volunteering at various service projects throughout the year.

Contact Jumpstart

Jumpstart is located in the Sawyer building, Office Suite 824.

Address:
Jumpstart at Suffolk University
8 Ashburton Place, Sawyer 824
Boston, MA 02108

Heather Quigley
Program Coordinator

Ready to Apply?

If you think Jumpstart may be the program for you, apply today to become a Corps Member or a Team Leader.