One of my favorite parts of being a part of Jumpstart has been seeing how much the people of the school we serve, including the parents, the staff, and the kids, truly appreciate us and the program. Jumpstart is a significant time commitment with the session days and the hours we have to put in to make session happen, especially for already busy college students, but it’s all worth it when we walk into the classroom and are greeted with smiling faces and a chorus of “Hi Jumpstart!” It’s exciting to see all of the work you’ve put in and all of the time you’ve spent on making the session the best it can be actually come to fruition. My station in particular is the “dramatic play station,” which is essentially playtime with a theme and something to be learned, and I can honestly say that it’s one of my favorite parts of the week. I spend hours and hours each week constructing doghouses and washing machines and elaborate animal themed masks (tonight I need to make an ice cream stand), but the kids seem to like each creation more than the next.

One of my favorites was the washing machine and dryer, which another corps member and I created over two days and ended up with a washer and dryer with doors that could open and close and press-able buttons that we were especially proud of. When we brought them to session, kids flocked to dramatic play to get the chance to “do their laundry.” It was pleasing to see how easily they seemed to get the concept of putting the clothes in the washer first with some “laundry detergent,” and sticking a dryer sheet in with the clothes in the dryer. If they dropped anything on the ground after unloading of it, they were quick to say, “Oh no! It’s dirty, we have to put it back in!” I was even able to teach some of them how to fold and put the clothes away.

This past session is the one where I made the masks, and it seemed to be one of their favorite props to date. They all wanted a mask, regardless if they were at the dramatic play station or not, and they all enjoyed trying on every single one. It also happened to be Parent’s Day, and the parents that came also loved the masks and wanted to take some home to their other kids. It’s wonderful to be appreciated for the work that you do.

-Laura Zartarian