#Kindergarten jump start seattle for free#

Many of the families we serve in Jumpstart qualify for free or reduced lunch. However, the COVID-19 pandemic brought changes to our programming. Events like card making for Seattle Children’s Hospital patients, STEM activities at Seattle Children’s Museum, serving meals with Youth Care and Read for the Record focused on serving kiddos through promoting early childhood education and development.

When I was introduced to the volunteer coordinator role, I saw that it combined my passion for serving children with what I hoped to do: Engage college students and build relationships with community members to help young children learn and grow. Teaching as an AmeriCorps member in the classroom fueled my enthusiasm about Jumpstart’s mission and desire to share the work we do. Yuna had a strong preschool education foundation and was now ready to succeed in kindergarten. I saw that a seed of excitement to learn took root in her and shaped her to grow as an eager student. When I tested Yuna, she passed with flying colors! Not only did she understand vocabulary at a kindergarten reading level, she had confidence in her knowledge. The next year, I transitioned into Jumpstart’s volunteer coordinator role where I administered the end-of-year literacy tests. But in our last few months of teaching, I got to see her new excitement to learn and read new books.

In the fall, I met Yuna as the most energetic preschool kiddo … who seemed to be disinterested in books. It was 2018, my first year at the University of Washington and my first year serving at the Denise Louie Education Center in South Seattle as one of five Jumpstart Corps members whose jobs are to help kids be kindergarten ready. I thought back to the beginning of the year. Kylee-Ann Tawara in the Quad, pre-pandemic.

Kindergarten jump start seattle