In the same way that Jumpstart is continuously working to improve our curriculum in the classroom, and the training and opportunities we provide for you — our members — we are also looking at how to improve the overall structure and operations of our Jumpstart programs. This summer, plans were finalized to pilot a new Jumpstart program structure in Boston, New York City, Atlanta, and Chicago over the course of the 2018-2019 program year.
If you are serving in these cities, this new structure will not change your service in the classroom, but we hope that it will provide you with improved support and a better Jumpstart experience. If you’re not in one of these cities, we are still excited to share this with you so that you can get a better understanding of how we are exploring new opportunities to improve all aspects of Jumpstart!
Why are we piloting this new structure?
Several years ago, Jumpstart implemented a study to better understand the Site Manager role. As a result of that study, we decided to gather additional feedback and suggestions from Site Managers, campus supervisors, and other staff. We collected data internally and externally, finding benchmark comparisons from other organizations. From this multi-year study of the Site Manager role, we learned that having one single point of contact, responsible for all aspects of Jumpstart’s program implementation – compliance, recruitment, college student support, early education knowledge and curriculum implementation – was not sustainable and didn’t best utilize the expertise of our staff in the most effective or efficient way.
What does this new structure look like?
For this pilot, we have decided to replace the existing Site Manager role with new specialized roles: Quality Coach, Volunteer Manager, and Program Coordinator. Campuses participating in the pilot will have the benefit of all three roles enriching the support to and service of Jumpstart members. Tasks for each of the specialists are:
Quality Coach
As an early childhood education (ECE) expert, this person will work directly with members in the classroom, providing observation and feedback and managing Team Leaders. They will steward our preschool program partner relationships and provide training to all members on child development, classroom practice, and the theory behind Jumpstart’s approach and curriculum.
Volunteer Manager
As the primary point of contact for each college/university and the college students who serve there, they will steward higher education partner relationships and provide training on service, program implementation, and Jumpstart operations for members. They will also support the unique needs of members and be a supportive partner with the Quality Coach to provide an enriching experience to everyone who participates in the program.
Program Coordinator
As the dedicated administrative support for the program, they will oversee and complete all compliance-related tasks, data entry into Jumpstart and university systems (as applicable), evaluation follow-up, program partner paperwork, and curriculum material coordination.
We look forward to understanding how our Jumpstart members in Boston, New York City, Atlanta, and Chicago experience this new structure. If you have questions, you can reach out to your manager to learn more.
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