Jumpstart Student Positions

Working toward the day every child in America enters kindergarten prepared to succeed, Jumpstart is a national early education organization that recruits and trains college students and community Corps members to serve preschool children in underserved communities. Our proven curriculum helps children develop the language and literacy skills they need to be ready for kindergarten, setting them on a path to close the achievement gap.

Jumpstart Corps members implement the Jumpstart curriculum in preschool classrooms in Central and South Seattle. Corps members serve on a team with peers and work directly with local Jumpstart Site Manager Sarah Hernandez-Torres for training, session planning and leadership development. The goal of Jumpstart is to support children in building skills at an early age, including language, literacy, and social-emotional tools for kindergarten readiness.  

Jumpstart Corps members allows programs to reduce the student-to-teacher ratio to 3:1 in almost every Jumpstart classroom, enabling children to receive an individualized learning experience and develop nurturing relationships with caring adults.

Jumpstart is a great way to give back to community and make a lasting impact.

• Gain professional experience working directly with children in preschool.
• Build your resume and become a well-rounded applicant for future employers.
• Receive ongoing training and work alongside a team passionate about doing work that matters.

Jumpstart with Seattle University begins with a selective application process during the first week of the Fall quarter. Most students working with Jumpstart are hired via federal work-study funding, but volunteers are also welcome to apply. All Jumpstart Corps members who complete 300 hours of service are eligible to receive an annual educational award for each year of completed service.

What can JumpStart members expect?

• 300 hours of service throughout the school year
• 4+ hours every week in the classroom (two sessions per week for two hours each)
• 3+ hours of team planning every week
• 1-5 hours in the classroom (outside of the Jumpstart program) supporting teachers during the normal school day every week
• Earn federal work-study funding
• Earn an educational award upon completion of each full academic year of service

Being a Jumpstart staff member means you are part of a larger team with shared resources and peers helping one another. These two resources are a great start to what you'll need to know as Jumpstart staff.

• Enter Hours on America Learns
• SU Resource Site: My Jumpstart