Southern California

Jumpstart in Southern California

This year, more than 1,000 volunteers will make a difference in the lives of over 2,500 children in Southern California. To learn more about Jumpstart and about how you can make an impact in our community, email southerncalifornia@jstart.org

Basic Info

Number of Children Served: 1646
Number of University Partners: 11
Number of Corps members: 579
1200 volunteers serving 2750 children through all programming.

Local Advisory Board

Brad Barrett Vice President, Capital Group Companies
Manuel C. Camargo, Jr. Principal Advisor, Strategic Planning, Southern California Edison
Sue Gaon Vice President of Custom Solutions, Lakeshore Learning Systems
Whit Hayslip Consultant, The David & Lucile Packard Foundation
James Huang Principal and Founder, BRC Advisors, Inc.
Susan McMillan Consultant
Elizabeth Marcellino Writer & Journalist
Darline Robles, Ph.D Professor of Clinical Education, Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California (USC)
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In the News

Thanksgiving is almost here and the program is in full swing here at Jumpstart!

1. We Set a World Record!
Thanks to you, this year’s Jumpstart’s Read for the Record campaign, in partnership with Pearson, was the most successful in history! With 2,385,305 children reading Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad, we set a new world record for history’s largest shared reading experience. Children across the country and around the world joined our celebrity readers, university and preschool partners, and their own parents and caregivers in a celebration of literacy. Together, we stood up in support of a movement toward high-quality education for all! Head over to our Web site to see the highlights !

2. The Program is in Session!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year for Jumpstart Corps members and kids, because November means that our in-classroom sessions have started! Corps members and children are meeting for the first time and are beginning those important, mentoring relationships which will grow over the course of the school year. The first session is built around the theme “Family,” and centers on the book Oonga Boonga, by Freida Wishinsky. In this session, children sharpen their connection between sounds and letters, learn vocabulary words like “harmonica,” and even have the chance to make their own musical instruments! We would love to show you the program in action any time—let us know and we’ll visit a session together.

Visit us on Facebook to check out more updates and photos.

Early Education Partners

John Marshall Elementary School
Paul Revere Elementary
Head Start Program - Broadway Center (SAUSD)
Head Start Program - Kennedy Center (SAUSD)
Diamond Elementary
Lincoln Elementary
Lowell Elementary
Mitchell Child Development Center
Wilson Elementary
KEDREN Watts V
KEDREN Westlake I
Pace Early Childhood Education At Mariposa
Proyecto Pastoral's Centro de Alegría
Bethune Head Start
Immanuel Child Development Center
CDI Head Start Serving South LA County (Sullivan)
Roscoe Canyon Head Start (CCRC)
Sepulveda Head Start (CCRC)
Tulsa Elementary School (CCRC)
Lemay Early Education Center (LAUSD)
Maud Booth Family Center
VOA: El Corazon de la Familia
VOA: Pierce Park Head Start
Head Start: Arthur D. Avila (CCRC)
John Adams Child Development Center
Malibu Methodist Nursery School
Mar Vista Family Center
St. Joseph Center
Washington West School (SMMUSD)
Westside Children's Center
Dennis P. Zine Community Center (CCRC)
Easter Seals Child Development Center – Upland
Foundation for Early Childhood Education - La Verne
Foundation for Early Childhood Education - San Dimas
Bessie Pregerson Child Development Center
Las Doradas Children's Center
Will Rogers Preschool (SMMUSD)
Hoover Intergenerational Care
Hooper Avenue Early Education Center (LAUSD)
PACE Head Start at Burlington
PACE Head Start at Magnolia
USC Head Start - County Kids Center Child Development Center
USC Head Start - Trojan Development Center
USC Head Start - Troy Child Development Center
Greenleaf Headstart Child Care Center
Little Star
Head Start Magnolia
West Whittier Elementary School
Kings Canyon Head Start
Romain Head Start
Wesley Head Start
Yosemite Head Start
Joyce Huggins Early Childhood Education Center
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Nicole Rouse
Regional Coordinator
213.387.8484
nicole.rouse@jstart.org

Jennifer Childress
Director of Development
213.387.0765
jennifer.childress@jstart.org

Ben Katcher
Development Manager
213.387.5506
ben.katcher@jstart.org

Thea Quigley
Development Associate
213.387.5545
thea.quigley@jstart.org

Executive Director Bio

Thank you for visiting Jumpstart Southern California! We’re working every day to change lives, empower communities, and impact our future! There’s been so much attention in recent years to the fact that so much of a child’s mind is shaped and developed by the age of five. Jumpstart views this as an opportunity that cannot be missed. By working with children across Southern California, we are giving them the skills they will need to succeed in school and planting the seeds for a well-educated society and workforce. Jumpstart's program invests in children today to help create a thriving future. I hope that you will join me in standing up for Jumpstart’s mission to ensure that all children – regardless of their circumstances – enter kindergarten prepared to succeed.-- Gary Jimenez, Executive Director

Gary Jimenez joined the Jumpstart team in 2009 as executive director for the Southern California region, and quickly cultivated a strong base of local support while forming partnerships with two of Los Angeles’ leading education institutions: UCLA and USC. Gary has a wealth of non-profit leadership and senior-level fundraising experience in the Southern California education sector. He is an officer of the Rotary Club of Los Angeles and holds a BA from the University of Southern California and an MBA from Claremont Graduate University.