NYU’s Jumpstart Program Helps to Set New Reading Record

By Daniel Butterfoss, Anthony Souza, and Triana Urraca

    Last year, an impressive 150,000 children read with an adult role model in cities across the country during Jumpstart for Young Children’s first annual “Read for the Record” campaign. Last fall, that record was shattered as hundreds of thousands of participants—including a legion of student volunteers from NYU—helped raise more than $1 million for early childhood education programs in low-income areas.

      The historic day began with Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira reading to children on NBC’s Today Show, and continued across the country. Locally, NYU volunteers kicked off the school year by bringing this national campaign to two of Jumpstart NYU’s partner sites: Children’s Liberation Daycare in the East Village and Henry Street in Chinatown.

      Jumpstart for Young Children, the nation’s premier early education nonprofit organization, and its campaign sponsor, The Pearson Foundation, joined together to raise awareness of the national early education crisis that is rapidly reaching epidemic proportions. One-third of American children enter kindergarten developmentally behind their peers and without the skills necessary to succeed. Statistics show that middle-income homes average roughly 13 books per child, whereas the ratio in low-income neighborhoods is one age-appropriate book for every 300 children.

      “Read for the Record” is more than just a single-day contest; it is one part of  Jumpstart and Pearson’s year-round effort. With Jumpstart, highly trained college students form teams of corps members who serve children for a minimum of 300 hours over the school year. Corps members work with children one-on-one in Jumpstart sessions and also work as classroom assistants. All Jumpstart members earn federal work-study funds and work towards a $1,000 AmeriCorps award. NYU Jumpstart is in just its second year, and is headed by site manager Marianne Pascal Beerstecher. 

      More information is available online at www.readfortherecord.org and www.jstart.org or by contacting Beerstecher at 212-998-2216 or mpb7@nyu.edu.