Cambridge College - Lawrence and JumpStart announce Community Corps to begin soon!

We are pleased to announce the beginning of a new collaboration, one that speaks to the mission and vision of Cambridge College - Lawrence and our desire to insure access and opportunity to all learners.

We will be working with Jumpstart to create a “Community Corps” in Lawrence. Since 1993, Jumpstart has trained 28,000 college students and community volunteers to transform the lives of 50,000 preschool children nationwide. These Corps members help children cultivate a life-long love for language and learning and ultimately provide a foundation for future success.

Jumpstart is the only national supplemental program that leverages the power of community and adult-child relationships to build the key language and literacy skills children need to take on the world. From an early age, children should be exposed to activities that encourage a love of language and learning and a sense of wonder about the world. For far too many children from low-income communities, though, this never happens. And once children from low-income backgrounds start behind, research shows that they’re very likely to stay behind.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. And that’s where Jumpstart comes in. And that is why Jumpstart is becoming a part of our Cambridge College campaign for educational equity. 

The Community Corps allows Jumpstart to work with adults who are returning to their degrees later in life, outside community members, and older adults, which opens this opportunity to adults ranging in age between 35-75 years old—the Cambridge College - Lawrence student!

Jumpstart will provide a site manager to recruit, train, manage, and coach volunteers to participate in its program. Cambridge College will provide office space and specific undergraduate courses that can be utilized by the participants in the program toward licensure; to make a difference for children in low-income neighborhoods.

Our two organizations share so many common core values: from theory to practice, learning, determination, joy, kindness, and connection. 

Yet, our values are only meaningful when they’re lived out each and every day. So, you will see our Jumpstart partners at the College; you will hear from them in our classes, you will be asked if you wish to be a part of making a difference in the lives of our Lawrence children. We are excited to deliver our collaborative literacy program to low-income children in an effort to prepare them for kindergarten.

We are here because you are here. 

We are Cambridge College – Lawrence.