Jumpstart

Student Name
Tajwar Taher
Experiential Learning Category
Service Learning
Associated UW Course (if applicable)
-Summary
Jumpstart is a program where students from the University of Washington go to preschools throughout the city and help children get a head start with literacy. Each corps
member is responsible for a group of students to whom they read a new book each
week, teaching children concepts and vocabulary. In addition to reading time, there is a
"center time" in which corps members each run a station with a different theme
(writing, dramatic play, puzzles, etc). The supervisors expect at least 10 hours of service
each week, including two classroom sessions, two team planning meetings, trainings,
and extra service in the classroom.
Explain how your project fits the provided Honors Program definition of the
Experiential Learning area you selected:
Jumpstart is a program that requires a lot of commitment. In the entire year, each corps
member is required to serve 300 hours, so it is an ongoing program that requires a
great deal of work from week to week. But it is also highly rewarding. The pre-school I
work at is in Capitol Hill, and there is a great sense of giving back to the local
community there as I help the children engage in literacy boosting activities every day.
How and why did you select this engagement?
I knew I wanted to do some kind of community service when I came to the UW, but what
was unique about Jumpstart as opposed to membership in Circle K was that it was an
ongoing structured experience. I liked the fact that it was almost like a job. But probably
the greatest allure of Jumpstart is that it allows me to have direct engagement with
children. I've always wanted to be a pediatrician, and Jumpstart seemed to be the best
place to work on my child interaction skills (ie. patience, communication, etc.) Teaching
and getting to children is significantly different from interacting with adults, so I hope to
come out of Jumpstart more aware and prepared to interact with children.

How does this project connect to your concurrent or past coursework? How
does it speak to your broader education goals and experiences?
I plan on attending Medical School some day, and since I've loved working with children
in the past,this kind of consistent interaction would mimic to a certain extent the kind of
ongoing interaction that a pediatrician would have with their patients. In addition,
Jumpstart is simply a great cause. Poor literacy is such a huge issue, and as someone
who grew up reading and writing at a young age and garnered a love for literature, I've
witnessed the chasm that academically separated me from my peers that were not able
to read as well. I'd like to ensure that fewer children are disadvantaged like that.
How will your project contribute to the larger goals of the organization or
those of your partners?
As a corp member, I will be directly involved with the goals of Jumpstart, which is to
promote literacy. Not only will I be reading to the kids, but I will also be a part in helping
the children engage in activities that reinforce concepts and vocabulary that will help
them not only in school, but also in every day life. The age that we are targeting is
critical in establishing good study habits and learning skills. Literacy sits at the core of
almost everything these children will ever learn, and I hope that I can help the children
take the first step in the right direction.
Estimated hours per week:
10
Estimated project start:
04/01/2013
Estimated project start:
06/14/2013

Supervisor
First name
Daniel
Last name
Carrillo
Title/Affiliation
Associate Site Manager
Organization (if applicable)
Jumpstart Seattle

UW NetID (if applicable)

-Email
carrill0@uw.edu