Jumpstart receives $1.25 million grant to expand reading program for children

The program, which pairs college students with at-risk preschoolers who may not be getting the reading skills they need at home, will add Georgetown to its list of volunteer schools this September as well as additional preschools. Jumpstart currently works with about 100 volunteers at Howard and George Washington universities and eight District preschools. Jumpstart is aiming for a total of 380 volunteers by the time the grant, which will be distributed in $250,000 increments over the next five years, is up, said Katie Rahm, senior director of external affairs for Jumpstart.

“Children from low-income families are read to an average of 25 hours before entering kindergarten,” Rahm said. “In middle- to high-income families, that number can be as much as 1,700 hours. Of course, children are going to be behind if that’s the case.”

On Thursday, Jumpstart will hold an event in Washington to boost awareness for the organization’s local work as well as its efforts across the country. Anchored by an event at the Library of Congress, thousands of children in the Jumpstart program will break the record for reading the same book on a single day through reading events across the country.

“What we’re really trying to do is engage community leaders as to why it’s so important to get children early,” Rahm said. “If a child is not reading by their level by third grade, they’re essentially marked as never catching up.”

Participants will read “The Little Engine that Could” at 12 major events in cities throughout the U.S., as well as smaller events in the 22 states where Jumpstart, which works with about 2,500 volunteers, has a presence.

Read for the Record

» Jumpstart’s reading event will be one for the record books. Representatives from the Guinness Book of World Records will be on hand at the New York City reading to witness the event and ensure it qualifies.

» For more information,visit www.readfortherecord.org.

[email protected]