President George W. Bush will meet a group of University of Pittsburgh volunteers who are working to prepare low-income pre-school students for school through the Jumpstart Program when he arrives in Pittsburgh on Monday. Caroline Chupka of Harrison; John Ashcroft of Lititz; Michael Benton of Somerset; Julie Hartline and Amanda Priebe, both of Pittsburgh; and Jessica Friedrichs, the AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer who trained the students for their service with Jumpstart, will meet President Bush when he arrives at Pittsburgh International Airport.

In his State of the Union address, President Bush called on all Americans to dedicate at least two years of their lives—the equivalent of 4,000 hours—in service to their communities, our country and the world. President Bush is recognizing individuals around the country who are answering the call to service, and will recognize these students as examples of the dedication to service he is hoping to instill in all Americans through his USA Freedom Corps initiative.

Jumpstart, a program associated with AmeriCorps, places college students in tutoring relationships with children in preschool programs serving low-income populations. Through Jumpstart, tutors work with children one-on-one and serve as teaching aids in the classroom.

President Bush created the USA Freedom Corps office at the White House to foster an American culture of service, citizenship and responsibility. Through the USA Freedom Corps, President Bush wants to help every American answer the call to service by strengthening and expanding service opportunities to protect our homeland, support our communities and extend American compassion around the world. Interested volunteers can find information on the USA Freedom Corps at www.usafreedomcorps.gov or by calling 1-877-USA-Corps.

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