JUMPSTART UC BERKELEY

"We know that every child is born with the potential to succeed in school and in life. We also know that the foundation for that success is established in the early years, before a child enters kindergarten." ~ Jumpstart for Young Children

At Jumpstart UC Berkeley undergraduates Cal are trained to mentor three to five year old preschoolers with the one on one attention that is all too often not available in early education classrooms. Jumpstart Corps Members train once a week with our Jumpstart Site Manager in the basics of Early Education, Community Engagement and Family Involvement throughout the year. They are placed on teams and assigned to one of six preschools located in Berkeley or Oakland. After they've received six weeks of pre-service training, they are paired with a partner child chosen by the head teacher of their assigned classroom and work with their child throughout the year. This one to one time is at the core of the Jumpstart model, during which close bonds are built and special attention is focused on strengthening each child's literacy, social skills, self confidence and love of learning.

In addition to the time spent working one on one with a chosen child, students spend time in the classroom as teacher's assistants bonding with the entire classroom. They are also required to be involved in their school's community, taking part in a variety of service evens throughout the year. In addition to building strong relationships with their children and communities, Jumpstart places high emphasis on connecting with families. For that reason, family involvement events are scheduled throughout the year welcoming Jumpstart parents and extended families to take part in their children's learning though literacy events and a variety of celebrations that highlight their children's learning and creative development.

Partnerships

Jumpstart at UC Berkeley partners with a number of communities on campus to reach our goals. Through our relationship with various Child Development Centers on campus as well as the schools of Education and Social Welfare, we are able to provide a variety of perspectives in the field of early education. We are also building partnerships with various community organizations and resources such as the Berkeley Public Library, the Woman's Daytime Drop In Center and Leapfrog to connect with the neighborhoods we serve in.

At UC Berkeley, Jumpstart continues to grow. We are working towards the day that every child enters school prepared to succeed.