Jumpstart is a national early education organization that recruits and trains college students and community Corps members to serve preschool children in low-income neighborhoods. Our 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. Jumpstart is not responsible for the content of any pages to which Jumpstart is linked.
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
It is so hard to sum up how my year
of service has been. But, in an effort to explain it, I’ll compare it to
something I know well: food. My Jumpstart experience has been like a delicious
chipotle burrito.
The first part of my burrito is the
tortilla, the kids. Just as without a tortilla, a burrito cannot exist, without
kids, Jumpstart cannot exist. They are the whole reason I participated in
Jumpstart. They were my motivation and my joy.
Next, we add rice to the burrito.
The rice is a staple in any delicious burrito and my team was a staple to my
service with Jumpstart. They held me accountable and pushed me to bring my best
self to Jumpstart sessions. Rice can really make or break a burrito, and I was
lucky to have a zesty and wonderful team to support me this year.
The beans are the part of the
burrito that add that good protein and heartiness that fills you up. Morgan,
the Jumpstart site manager, is like the beans of the burrito because she really
completed the experience. She is what really gave my experience in Jumpstart
fulfilling and satisfying.
The next part of my Jumpstart
burrito is the salsa. The teachers and helpers in my classroom are the salsa,
because they are necessary and add some nice spice and flavor. Without the
support of the teachers, this experience would have been bland and ineffective.
They added a delightful little kick to my Jumpstart experience, just as salsa
adds some delicious flavor to a burrito.
The final touch of my burrito is the
lettuce, which I will compare to the early mornings. Let’s be honest, nobody
really wants lettuce on their burrito. What’s the point? Even though the
lettuce is not very exciting, it is still part of the experience and adds to
the overall flavor. As hard as it was on some days to get up and deal with the
metro during rush hour, that is what made Jumpstart Jumpstart.
All of these ingredients mixed
together made a wonderful burrito that was both enjoyable and satisfying. Each
part of the burrito was necessary and added to the overall flavor. This year in
Jumpstart has left me feeling the same way. I am fulfilled and so glad I got to
have the experience of participating in Jumpstart.
-Julia Weigel
Friday, April 8, 2016
Making Adjustments in the Classroom, Personalized Approaches
Throughout the year there have been multiple cases where my team and I have had to
find creative solutions to problems that arise. One case stands out to me in particular. It was a
rainy day and most of our children were frustrated and restless from not being able to go outside
for recess earlier on in the day. Once we got the group settled into our Jumpstart reading group
assignments, the restlessness seemed wear off a bit. However, by center time one girl in
particular became disinterested and frustrated. She was at the writing center and I tried to
encourage her to create her own story. I should also mention that it was spirit week for our
students, and she was dressed in a ballerina tutu. Despite my encouragement she refused to
participate in writing and said that she did not want to move to another center. While my other
children were working to develop their own stories, I took five minutes to make a personalized
book for her. On the cover I drew a picture of a ballerina that wore a similar tutu to the one that
she had on. I wrote her name on the cover and entitled the book her “special ballerina book.”
Slowly but surely she regained interest in the activity. I gave her the book and told her that she
should write out stories and illustrations to tell her ballerina’s story. She began to smile and at
last picked up a crayon and began to write her own story and draw her own pictures within the
book. It five minutes to implement a personalized approach that dramatically refocused my
student’s engagement in the center time activities. Ultimately, she was able to receive the
proper enrichment during center time. I learned that sometimes it takes a personalized
approach to get your students engaged in the session curriculum, and sometimes all they need
is a little cheering up from you.
-Maureen Smith
-Maureen Smith
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
The end of Jumpstart
is approaching fast, as is the end of my freshman year. This year has been
quite an experience, with a lot of ups and downs. My team and the team working
with us hit quite a few rough patches, with many people leaving, including our
team leaders. However, these bumps along the road have actually made us
stronger. We bonded and became closer, which allowed us to set up a more
unified front for the students. That’s why we’re doing Jumpstart, after all.
The children are the most important part. Being able to see them improving
throughout our time with them has been the most rewarding thing about
Jumpstart. Sure, gaining skills as an educator has been good, and the grant is
a nice bonus, but seeing how much the children grew and started to love
learning is the best part. Overall, Jumpstart has been a great experience, and
I’m glad I decided to do it. While it made my freshman year quite busy, it also
made it quite fulfilling.
-Melissa Galvin
Monday, April 4, 2016
During my third time arriving at my school for our Jumpstart session, a little girl ran up to
me as she was leaving school. She was not one of my reading group students and she looked
like she was in third or fourth grade. She came up to me and confidently said “Excuse me miss,
what is college like?” I was surprised by her confidence and genuine interest in learning about
college. I looked at her and said “It’s my first year in college, and it’s amazing but it’s also a lot
of work, keep working hard now and some day you’ll be prepared to conquer it.” She smiled and
told me that she would work hard. When beginning my service as as Jumpstart corp member I
had no idea that any of my students or students at the school would be thinking about college,
let alone be interested in asking me about it. However, after that encounter I realized that the
impact of my presence within the school goes beyond the assistance and curriculum that I
provide within my preschool classroom. Other children within the school community see us as
role models. They are fascinated because we are older, accomplished students who were once
their age. They see us as adults who have overcame everything that they will someday go
through in school. As Jumpstart Corp Members we inspire every child we come in contact with,
one way or another. While the little girl who spoke to me may not remember our conversation
when she gets older, the encouragement that I provided when she asked me that question will
hopefully flourish within her. It will help her to stay focused, to set goals, and to value her
experiences within grade school. As for my team and I, the encounter allowed us to put our
service into perspective. We realized our overall commitment to acting as role models and our
duty to pay it forward by serving within the D.C. community.
-Maureen Smith
-Maureen Smith
As the end of this Jumpstart term comes to a
close, I have been reflecting on my experience as a first time corps member. My
first exposure to Americorps was for two weeks while I visited my cousin who
was completing a term in Colorado. From the outside looking in, the program
seemed amazing. You do service for a period of time, gain a valuable
experience, and meet amazing people. I knew that this was something I would
want to do. Upon coming to American University for undergrad, I was searching
for a sense of community and thought that I might be able to find this with
Jumpstart.
Though I joined a semester late, I was
immediately accepted by my amazing team and team leader. We all pull our
weight, help each other out, and have so much fun. When one of us is sick, needs
help, or is having a tough day, the other 3 pick up the slack and we move
together as a team. My team is my favorite part of Jumpstart, aside from time
in the classroom with the kids - by far the highlight of my weeks. I will
really miss them and my school next semester. My goal for these last few weeks
is to really enjoy the little things: making the kids laugh, seeing their
improvements, and spending time together.
-Lily Eagan
Friday, February 12, 2016
When I started Jumpstart, I did not know what to expect. I
grew up helping my mom in her classroom of first graders, and I had babysat
many time before, but Jumpstart sounded like nothing I had ever experienced
before. All of the children I have worked with before already had general
knowledge of the alphabet, even if it was very rudimentary. Working with
preschoolers, especially 3 year-olds, is quite the change of pace. Now most of
these children can only pick out the letters in their names, and even then they
have a hard time differentiating between letters that look similar, like y and
g.
I love it. I am an Education major (albeit, a Secondary
Education major with a focus on 9th-12th grade), and I
think that is why I love seeing the changes in the children. The ones who could
not pick their names out before can now recognize multiple letters in their
names, and point out who else has those letters in their names. Children who
did not want to participate in Read to Reconstruct have begun to answer
questions about the books and can recall events from their own volition. I can
tell that Jumpstart has helped the children tremendously, and I love that. I
love knowing that I helped foster a love of learning in a new generation.
Jumpstart has allowed me to not only help children grow, but
to help myself grow. I am now more confident in my ability to work with
children of all ages, and to be able to help the children learn. I also gained
valuable skills, like being able to work as part of a team and being able to
manage my time properly. I am so glad that I decided to join Jumpstart at the
beginning of the year. It has shaped me into a better person.
-Melissa Galvin
Monday, February 8, 2016
One Step Closer
Coming back to Jumpstart after almost two months of not going to Cedar Tree Academy has reminded me of what I was missing out over winter break. As soon as I set foot in the classroom, I was ready for another semester of Jumpstart. As our winter break was prolonged due to snow days, I was eager to get back in the routine of things again. Walking into the room, I instantly saw the smiles on all of the children’s faces. They waited patiently on the carpet as my team and I got our books ready to read. As I read the names of the students in my group, I watched as each of them came to the table I was sitting at and take a seat. Each and every student was overwhelmed that Jumpstart was back.
Not only have I learned so much from Jumpstart this past semester, but I have also grown as a person. I have learned patience, classroom management skills, and have learned that this is what I want to do when I am older. I want to help children excel in the classroom and reach their full potential. I would love to walk into my classroom everyday and see children who are willing to learn. After going through session the first day back after winter break, I noticed how much the students have grown. Students who never gave answers to my questions are beginning to talk, and students are beginning to ask questions back to me to check their understanding. Although these may seem small, they are giant steps forward in the right direction. I am excited to see what this semester has in store for us and I look forward to making many more advancements.
-Christine Mazzocchi
Thursday, February 4, 2016
Reflections
Team Imagination finished one whole session
together and I could not be more proud and astonished at how well the team
works together. After my experience with a small team fall semester, I felt
very grateful to have a larger team, yet the anticipation of fully taking on
the role as a team leader was intimidating. I had shared my leadership with a
fellow team leader and I think it was a very good preparatory leeway for me to
take on a whole group this semester, I think I would have had a much more
difficult time if I had not shared my responsibilities with another last
semester given the situation. Coming back to Cedar Tree Academy with four new
members by my side, I could not have been more excited. Snow days and Corps
Members unfamiliar with Jumpstart made me feel a little nervous at first;
however the extra time gave me the opportunity to allocate team planning
meetings in which I was able to fully go over Session. The best part about
being a team leader is seeing the work I did last year as a Corps Member being
undertaken by my new team. I had one of the best experiences last year as a
Corps Member and made two of my best friends at college through joining the
program. My team leader from last year is my inspiration in Jumpstart; she
conducted our team efficiently and really coordinated a bond that I will never
forget.
Although
a late start into Jumpstart with new members makes me doubt my ability to
create as strong of a team bonding experience as I had myself, I have different
goals. I have a personal goal to help my team reach 300 hours each and to have
them leave their service with Jumpstart proud of their service and commitment
to giving back to the community. I learned so much in Jumpstart, not just about
education policy and the early childhood environment, but also about myself as
a leader. Every one of my Corps Members have excelled in their degree of
participation and quality of work, I am looking forward to the rest of the
semester to see how our children further develop their literacy and classroom
skills.
-Ekaterina
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