Jumpstart is working toward the day every child in America enters school prepared to succeed.

The Early Literacy Initiative was formed to build strong partnerships with both City departments and key community stakeholders to increase literacy services and resources to children ages 0-5 and their families and caregivers in the Visitacion Valley and Bayview Hunter’s Point neighborhoods.

Description:
Every child enters the world with potential. Yet without the involvement of a caring adult, there is no guarantee that he or she will reach that promise. Enter Jumpstart. For over a decade we’ve been bringing at-risk preschool children and caring adults together through one-to-one relationships that focus on building literacy in combination with social and emotional readiness. Working alongside their parents and a strong community, we’ve seen how consistent, committed and caring one-to-one relationships between children and adults help to realize success not just in school, but also in life.

The Early Literacy Initiative builds on Jumpstart’s commitment to supporting literacy efforts that can better prepare young children for school and life. The Early Literacy Initiative benefits the communities of Bayview and Visitacion Valley by pooling resources through partnerships with Jumpstart, the Department of Children, Youth, and Their Families (DCYF) the Mayor's Office of Community Development, First 5-San Francisco, the Child Development Programs of the San Francisco Unified School District, and the San Francisco Public Library to host literacy events for families with children ages 0-5 years.

History:
Jumpstart was founded in 1993 at Yale University at the intersection of two national trends: the public need for quality early childhood programs and the emerging national service movement recruiting thousands of college students to community service. During the first year of the program, 15 college students worked one-to-one with 15 preschoolers at New Haven Head Start.
Since 2002, the number of children we reach has grown by 30% each year (on average). We now connect thousands of Corps members from colleges and universities with nearly 12,000 children across the nation. Jumpstart is proud to demonstrate that our our impact in the field of early childhood education continues to grow each year!
Please check our website for additional information on Jumpstart for Young Children.

Contact people:

Menesha Mannapperuma, (phone), (email) Elizabeth Wilkinson, SF Early Literacy Associate, (phone), (email)

Main office number: (415) 536-5867
Office fax number: (415) 536-5869

Address:

965 Mission Suite #300 San Francisco, CA 94103 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.jstart.org

Directions:

Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: Powell St. BART,   Walk distance (in minutes): 10   Nearest Bus Stop: 14, 26, 9, 10 minute walk

Miscellaneous Information

Besides English, which languages are spoken at your agency?
	Japanese, Spanish
What is the minimum age for volunteers at your agency?
	18
Is your agency wheelchair accessible?
	Yes
Does your agency have the capacity to host groups of more than 10?
	No
Does your agency have the capacity to host groups of more than 20?
	No