When Temple students, alumni and staff talk about their experience with Jumpstart, they share a common refrain: “I don’t know where I’d be today if it weren’t for Jumpstart.”

Once these individuals learned about the program, they leaped at the chance to become involved.

“When I found Jumpstart my junior year in 2013, I was looking for a work study job in which I could be in the classroom and help the community,” said Emily Garcia, EDU ’15, ’16, associate director of strategic initiatives and student engagement in the College of Education and Human Development and Jumpstart campus champion. “At the end of that year, I felt like I hadn’t yet given everything I had to this program. When I came back my senior year, I still felt like I could do more. It’s been an endless journey of learning.” 

The national early childhood organization trains college students of any major to work with preschoolers in underserved neighborhoods. Jumpstart members help young children develop strong language and literacy in addition to socioemotional skills to prepare them for kindergarten and put them on a long-term path to academic achievement.

After graduating, Garcia served as a site manager and senior site manager for Jumpstart Philadelphia at Temple. “Jumpstart set me on a trajectory that I didn’t know existed in education,” said Garcia, who was originally a journalism major. “Everything that centers me at my core and drives me in my professional life I owe to this program and Temple.”

Jumpstart established a site at the university 20 years ago in the College of Education and Human Development, becoming the only one in Philadelphia and just one of two in Pennsylvania.

What began as a small office on the third floor of Ritter Hall has since grown and impacted many lives in North Philadelphia—students, families, teachers and administrators alike.

The program at Temple has partnered with numerous schools and early childhood centers in the community over the years including Gesu School, its longest-standing partnership, as well as William McKinley Elementary School, St. Malachy Catholic School, Somerset Academy Early Learning Center and Xiente, among others.

(Photography by Joseph V. Labolito)

One of its signature initiatives is Read for the Record—an annual, national campaign bringing children and educators together to read the same book on the same day to promote literacy education. At the event this past October, Jumpstart at Temple highlighted its 20-year anniversary as Chancellor Richard Englert and College of Education and Human Development Dean Monika Williams Shealey joined the celebration. The program is now gearing up for Read Across America in March, another yearly, national effort to encourage reading.

Additionally, the College of Education and Human Development recently launched an OwlCrowd campaign called Stories for Every Child to build a library of diverse books for Jumpstart and other similar programs.

“Jumpstart’s mission helps dismantle systems that hold children back from accessing quality education,” said Briana Sanders, EDU ’15, senior site manager for Jumpstart at Temple. “The root of being successful starts in early childhood, and we give preschool students the skills to advocate, problem-solve and build relationships. We also shape Temple students into leaders in education through hands-on experience.”

Temple’s Jumpstart members have found their time in the program invaluable.

“I decided to join Jumpstart my first year of college, and I loved it, so I did it every year,” said Morgan Wilson, EDU ’24, who is currently in Temple’s master of education in secondary education program. “Being part of a team with people who share similar goals and interests and who want to do this kind of work was so rewarding. And as someone who’s been in the classroom and worked with the students, I could see a difference in their learning and a big sense of community between Temple students and the preschoolers.”

In addition to teaching, Jacob Kurtz, TYL ’19, gained experience recruiting volunteers as well as budgeting for and planning events and projects through Jumpstart. He was even tasked with helping develop a monthlong program for Community Concern #13 Multipurpose Learning Center, developing curricula and training non-Jumpstart Temple students to teach in classrooms.

“Jumpstart provides lived experience, which has been beneficial in my current work in finance for childcare and early education programs,” he said. “When I meet with providers, there’s space for them to build trust with me because I understand where they’re coming from since I’ve been in the classrooms and done this work.”

As community engagement coordinator, Nevaeh Robinson, Class of 2025, feels fortunate to build her organizational and communication skills while working for Jumpstart, whose mission deeply resonates.

“I originally wasn’t thinking about working in education, but I’ve shifted my interest to advocating for young learners and their families,” said Robinson, a sociology major who’s enrolled in the +1 accelerated master’s program in adult learning, training and organizational development. “By maintaining Jumpstart for 20 years, Temple is developing a space to amplify the voices within to reach and support the voices of the greater community,” added the Allentown native. “Jumpstart actively works toward bridging the gap between Temple and the North Philadelphia community.”

In addition to providing volunteer and work-study opportunities, Jumpstart offers tuition assistance through the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award for eligible students. Within the College of Education and Human Development, early and elementary education majors can use Jumpstart as an early fieldwork opportunity, while school psychology graduate students are now using Jumpstart as their first-year practicum experience.

(Photography by Joseph V. Labolito)

Mentoring Temple students has been another meaningful aspect of Jumpstart for many—one that has made a lasting impact.

“While serving as a senior site manager, I learned how much I love supporting college students, which has led me to my current role,” said Christa Hunter, director of professional experiences in the College of Education and Human Development. “Jumpstart is a great opportunity to connect with the community and gain professional skills while in school. It’s powerful to watch students grow and learn about the educational systems and the role they can play in supporting the kids and their families.”

Similarly, Nicholas Adams’, EDU ’16, time as both a Jumpstart member and site manager steered him toward his current position as a graduate student advisor in the College of Education and Human Development. “I was able to teach Jumpstart members how they could make positive change,” he said. “Being that mentor has helped me in my work now as I’m able to understand what graduate students are going through and be empathetic.” 

His devotion to Jumpstart remains. “I still have gifts that my Jumpstart preschool and college students gave me and pictures of every classroom that I taught in,” said Adams. “I have a lot of mementos from the program because it meant so much to me.”

Throughout its 20 years at Temple, Jumpstart’s culture has stayed constant.

“I’ve seen the program transition in many ways, but it’s making the same impact,” said Sanders. “We’ve been able to sustain it and adapt because of the solid foundation of Jumpstart. We wouldn’t have a program without our members. I also have to pay homage to every individual who’s advocated, supported and invested in us. It’s exciting to see what the future holds because there are so many opportunities.”