In his State of the Union Address in January 2002, President George W. Bush called on all Americans to dedicate at

least two years over the course of their lives to the service of others. Millions of Americans are answering the Call to Service by volunteering with nonprofit organizations that are a part of the USA Freedom Corps Volunteer Network. One member of the USA Freedom Corps Volunteer Network is Jumpstart, a national organization that engages college students in Head Start and other early childhood development programs.

To help more college students answer the President's Call to Service, Jumpstart has announced that its program will grow to serve 20 new communities in 2003. The expanded program will train and support 2,000 college students who will dedicate more than 700,000 hours of volunteer service to help 7,500 children who are struggling in their early childhood development programs.

Founded in 1993 by college students, parents, and Head Start staff, Jumpstart launched its first school-year program in New Haven, Connecticut with support from Yale University. Their goal was to address the economic, educational, and social problems of school readiness. The following summer, Jumpstart launched its first full-time summer program and received its first grant from the AmeriCorps National Service Network.

Jumpstart volunteers are now working in 15 states and 30 communities across the United States. The organization has partnered with 50 different colleges and universities, and reaches more than 110 early learning centers. In 2002, 1,200 Jumpstart volunteers worked with approximately 4,500 preschool children, and in the process developed skills that will enable them to become future teachers and leaders in early childhood education.

Jumpstart is an intensive enrichment program that uses college students to work one-to-one with three to five-year-old children who need additional attention. Jumpstart volunteers are Federal Work-Study eligible college students who enjoy a valuable off-campus community service opportunity. Jumpstart corps members were recently recognized for their service by President George W. Bush, who commended them for helping save America, "one person at a time." To read about the University of Pittsburgh students who greeted the President on a recent trip to Pennsylvania, click Here

For more information on Jumpstart, click here.