Jumpstart: Changing the Lives of Children and Corps Members

We’re going into our third week of Jumpstart session now, and I couldn’t be happier with the experience I’m having as a Jumpstart Corps member and team leader.

The day of our first Jumpstart session, I was so nervous – it was as if it were my first day of school! But when Team Determination walked into that classroom (determinedly, of course), we were greeted with a barrage of hugs and exclamations of “Are you here to play with us?!”.

The students are genuinely excited to see us on Jumpstart days, and I think I can speak for my entire team when I say that we are genuinely excited to see them. Watching a student connect a lesson from a core storybook to an activity in Let’s Find Out About It, or correctly identify all of the letters in their name, makes me feel like I really am making a difference in a child’s education.

And although there have been some hiccups along the way - here’s a tip: never let children paint without smocks on - I know that we all have much to learn from each other, Corps members and students alike. I truly believe that I can learn as much from these preschoolers as they can from me. 

Is it too cliché to say that I love my students? Because I do! Each day, they are excited and eager to learn. Each day, they make me happy to be walking into that classroom. It may only be the third week, but I know that this is going to be a great year.

Sarah Floyd

Team Leader

Team Determination