S. Mark Taper Foundation Invests in Jumpstart
LOS ANGELES, CA, March 23, 2011: Jumpstart, a national early childhood education organization, is proud to announce a grant of $175,000 from the S. Mark Taper Foundation for the expansion of its programming in Los Angeles.
The educational achievement gap begins widening before a child even enters kindergarten. Children who start kindergarten behind are likely to stay behind in school, drop out, require remedial services, and become involved with the juvenile justice system. Jumpstart intervenes early to close this achievement gap by recruiting and training college students and community volunteers to deliver a high-quality early education curriculum to preschool children in lowincome neighborhoods.
This investment from the S. Mark Taper Foundation will allow Jumpstart to reach more preschool children in Los Angeles than ever before. With this support, Jumpstart will also develop a partnership with California State University, Dominguez Hills–its seventh Los Angeles County higher education partner—enabling the organization to expand its work to the city of Compton. Funds from this grant will also allow Jumpstart to implement a new, researchbased
curriculum in each of its partner preschools throughout Los Angeles County. Currently, Jumpstart engages 330 Corps members and 130 community volunteers, reaching 2,000 preschool children in Los Angles.
“Our partnership with the S. Mark Taper Foundation is helping to take Jumpstart to the next level,” said Gary Jimenez, Executive Director for Jumpstart in Southern California. “This grant enables us to significantly expand our program and improve the literacy rates for children in communities where the need is greatest.”
To learn more about how Jumpstart is working to close the achievement gap in Los Angeles and Southern California, visit jstart.org/southerncalifornia.
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ABOUT JUMPSTART
Every child deserves the chance to succeed, yet studies show that children from low-income neighborhoods are at a greater risk of school failure. Jumpstart is a national early education organization that helps these children develop the language, literacy and social skills they need for school, setting them on a path to close the achievement gap before it begins. Since 1993, Jumpstart has trained more than 20,000 college students and community volunteers to deliver its program to more than 90,000 preschool children nationwide. Here in Southern California, Jumpstart Corps Members and community volunteers will reach more than 2,000 children during the 2010/11 school year. Jumpstart’s award-winning program holds a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and a “Best in America” seal from Independent Charities of America. Join us to work toward the day every child in America enters school prepared to succeed. Learn more at jstart.org.
Press Contact: Jennifer Childress
213-387-0765
jennifer.childress@jstart.org
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