Jumpstart Corps Member
Position Description
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About Jumpstart
Jumpstart's mission is to work toward the day every child in America enters school prepared to succeed. To this end, Jumpstart trains and supports college students to serve as part-time Corps members, working individually with young children to build skills crucial to school success.
Jumpstart focuses on three program areas: building School Success for young children by fostering their early language, literacy, social, and initiative skills; encouraging strong Family Involvement to help families support children's learning; and training college students to be Future Teachers and leaders in early childhood education. Jumpstart serves young children in more than 60 communities nationwide.
About the Position
Jumpstart Corps members have the unique opportunity to inspire young children to learn, serve in a local community, work on a team, and build professional skills. All Corps members receive professional-caliber training to help them implement Jumpstart's outcome-based program, promote children's school success, and build family involvement.
Corps members commit to the following for participation in Jumpstart:
- 300-hour term: serve part-time during the school year
Jumpstart School Year
Corps members complete 300 hours of service during the school year. This intensive commitment will make a substantial impact in the life of a young child. During the school year, Corps members participate in the following activities:
- Serve part-time, 8-12 hours per week, during the school year, including:
- Jumpstart sessions with team and partner child, 4 hours per week (two afternoons a week for two hours each)
- Team planning meetings, which include planning, reflection, and/or training, 2+ hours per week
- 2+ hours each week in a preschool classroom during the regular school day
- Communicate with partner child's family and share strategies for helping the child
- Participate in pre-service and on-going trainings
- Attend periodic service days, often held on weekends
Qualifications and Experience
Dedication to early childhood education
- Experience working with young children, and/or a desire to learn more about early childhood education
- Strong language and communication skills
- Ability to build relationships and collaborate with children's families
- Willingness to learn about session implementation and planning
Commitment to service
- Community service experience
- Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds
- Ability to fulfill a yearlong community service commitment
- Enthusiastic and positive attitude toward helping others
Professionalism
- Ability to work well on a team
- Availability, dependability, and willingness to be flexible
- Maturity and good judgment in relating to Jumpstart peers, partners, and families
Compensation and Benefits
- Invaluable opportunity to make a difference in the lives of young children
- Potential to earn Work-Study award during term of service
- $1,000 AmeriCorps education award (scholarship) upon completion of service term
- Opportunity to earn Academic Credit through seminars and general education.
- Extensive training in the field of early childhood education
- Unique opportunity to join a national network of individuals serving young children
- Community engagement- work within UW and the larger community and develop strong relationships with classroom teachers and families.
- Qualify for Pearson Teacher Fellowship, a program designed exclusively to inspire and assist high-caliber college graduates to become full-time early childhood education teachers. Pearson Teacher Fellows receive intensive training; ongoing professional support; a $12,500 stipend over two years (in addition to teaching salary); résumé, interviewing, and employment-seeking assistance; and professional and classroom resources. Visit www.jstart.org/pearson for more information.
Jumpstart is an equal opportunity organization and encourages applications from all individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, amnesty, political affiliation, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with all applicable federal, state and local laws. Qualified individuals with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Jumpstart will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals. Accommodation requests should be directed to the Jumpstart office to which you are applying. Jumpstart is a proud member of the AmeriCorps national service network. Please note that not all Jumpstart sites are directly supported by AmeriCorps. Please contact the site to which you are applying for more information.
