In the Wake of Texas School Shooting, a Letter of Support from Jumpstart’s CEO

To our Jumpstart community –

I cried with my children last night as the news and details continued to unfold surrounding the school shooting that killed 19 children and 2 teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. I am sickened that we are dealing with another deadly shooting so soon after Buffalo and Laguna Woods – this time in a school.

For those of us in education, this time of year is a sacred one–we bid farewell to classrooms and friends, we anticipate upcoming transitions and celebrate milestones, and we look forward to all the joy that the summer brings. 

Instead, we are shattered by this senseless violence wreaked upon one of our most cherished institutions — a school. For children to thrive in school, it is fundamental that they and their educators are kept safe. 

As we grieve together, and hold the victims and their families and the entire Uvalde community close to our hearts, I encourage you to utilize the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s Coping with Violence resource guide with relevant materials to help during this difficult time. 

In solidarity, 

Naila Bolus

Chief Executive Officer, Jumpstart for Young Children

ABOUT JUMPSTART FOR YOUNG CHILDREN

Jumpstart for Young Children is a national organization based in Boston advancing equitable early learning outcomes for young children in underserved communities through direct service programming and policy advocacy. Jumpstart’s proven evidence-based curriculum serves thousands of children across 15 states and Washington, D.C., and has trained over 60,000 college students and community volunteers to deliver high-quality early childhood education programming.   Learn more at jstart.org and follow us on Twitter at @Jumpstartkids.