Jumpstart For A Day Events Celebrate Literacy Across New York City

Literacy and community celebrations for young readers and families in New York City

NEW YORK (April 3, 2018) — Jumpstart, a national early education non-profit, will host its annual Jumpstart for a Day community events on Saturday, April 21, with events planned in the Lower East Side, South Jamaica, the South Bronx, and East New York. Over 800 young children and their families are expected to attend these popular events focused on helping children develop the key skills they need to succeed in kindergarten and beyond.

Jumpstart volunteers already serve in preschool classrooms across the city, supporting the development of language, literacy, and social-emotional skills that have been shown to help close the achievement gap for children in low-income communities. Jumpstart lowers the adult-to-child ratio in its partner classrooms, allowing for more individualized attention and support for each child.

With the help of other local community organizations, Jumpstart for a Day brings the program’s classroom activities out into the community, offering local children and families the opportunity to engage in fun reading and literacy activities together. Other participating organizations include the New York City Fire Department, SNAP, City’s First Readers, Queens Library, Brooklyn Public Library, the Early Years Collaborative, Bilingual Birdies, UGOT Active Kids, and the Reads Initiative. City Council members and New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera will also host story time for the young attendees.

Jumpstart for a Day encourages families and children to interact, explore, and learn together, and highlights the importance of families reading and learning together for children’s success. All children attending these events will receive a Jumpstart backpack filled with books and school supplies to take home. Community partner organizations will also provide resources and information on their accessible family services.

“Jumpstart for a Day is one of my favorite events of the year,” said Kerri Osborne, Jumpstart’s Vice President of Field Operations & Strategy. “These events allow Jumpstart to bring the magic of our program out of the classroom and into the community. We are able to work with our partners around NYC to engage children and their families in fun learning activities that strengthen language and literacy skills.”

Event Dates and Locations:

April 21st — 12pm to 3pm — Seward Park, Lower East Side
April 21st — 12pm to 3pm — Phipps Recreation Center, Bronx
April 21st — 12pm to 3pm — Rufus King Park, South Jamaica Queens
April 21st — 12pm to 3pm — Arlington Library, East New York

ABOUT JUMPSTART

Jumpstart is a national early education organization working toward the day every child in America enters kindergarten prepared to succeed. Jumpstart delivers a research-based and cost-effective program by training college students and community volunteers to serve preschool-age children in low-income neighborhoods. Through a proven curriculum, these children develop the language and literacy skills they need to be ready for kindergarten, setting them on a path for lifelong success. Jumpstart is also a proud member of the AmeriCorps national service network. Learn more at jstart.org and follow us on Twitter at @Jumpstartkids.