Since 1997, the AE Foundation has supported Jumpstart, a national early education organization that works toward the day every child in America enters school prepared to succeed. Through extraordinary attention in yearlong one-to-one relationships, Jumpstart inspires children to learn, adults to teach, families to get involved, and communities to progress together. Headquartered in Boston, Jumpstart pairs over 3,000 trained college students one-to-one with preschool children in need of assistance. During the 2006-2007 program year, Jumpstart served nearly 12,000 children in 64 communities across 20 states, in partnership with 225 Head Start and other early learning centers across the country. To learn more, visit Jumpstart.
AE first joined forces with Jumpstart as the founding sponsor of Jumpstart Pittsburgh and Jumpstart's official outfitter, supplying the organization's college student mentors, called Corps members, with their Jumpstart uniform – hats, t-shirts, and hoodies – as well as providing t-shirts for children enrolled in the program.
AE has since developed several campaigns to involve Jumpstart Corps members, including the annual AE Spirit of Service Awards, which pay tribute to the outstanding leadership demonstrated by Jumpstart Corps members and recognize select students with a college scholarship and dedicated in-store and online visibility. By showcasing the young people who make a difference in their community, AE hopes to honor Corps members for their commitment, communicate Jumpstart's partnership to customers, and inspire young people to be active and responsible citizens.
AE is also a founding national sponsor of Jumpstart's Read for the Record, a campaign to raise awareness for the importance of early education while setting a world record for the largest shared reading experience ever. The second annual campaign will take place on September 20, 2007. Learn more at www.readfortherecord.org.
