The best part of working with children through Jumpstart has been watching them grow and learn over the course of the year. It makes me so happy to see children writing their name confidently in April who struggled with the same task in October.
Jumpstart
Tisch College houses the Tufts chapter of Jumpstart, a national early education organization that recruits and trains college students and community members to serve preschool children in low-income neighborhoods. Jumpstart's proven curriculum helps 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.
How to Get Involved
Tufts students can take on several different roles at Jumpstart:
Corps Member
Most participants serve as Jumpstart corps members who have the unique opportunity to inspire young children to learn, serve in a local community, work on a team, and build professional skills. All corps members receive professional-caliber training to help them implement Jumpstart’s outcome-based program, promote children’s school success, and build family involvement.
Team Leader
The team leader collaborates with a team of corps members to provide educational activities to young children and families. Responsibilities include planning and implementing effective sessions using the Jumpstart curriculum, facilitating team meetings, and coaching corps members to use developmentally appropriate practices with young children. The team leader plays a variety of roles, including coach, trainer and observer, and is essential to making Jumpstart a high quality program. The Jumpstart team leader position is open to Jumpstart corps members and alumni who have completed at least one year of service in the program. In some cases, it is also open to undergraduate or graduate students who have other experience in early childhood education.
Volunteer Coordinator
The volunteer coordinator recruits, manages, and assists in training volunteers for various Jumpstart service projects that address specific program and community needs. The volunteers recruited, oriented, and trained by the volunteer coordinator can include college students, members of local community service organizations, and others who wish to participate in volunteer service projects ranging from one-day programs to short- and long-term initiatives.
Program Assistant
The program assistant supports Jumpstart site manager throughout the school year. The program assistant plays a crucial role in providing programmatic support to ensure Jumpstart member and child outcomes are met. Program assistants support by organizing materials, setting up rooms for training, and much more.
For more information, contact Jumpstart Site Manager Evelyn Pedroza by email or 857-971-0005.