Milford's Amber Lewandowski Helps Children Through Program

Eastern Student Amber Lewandowski of Milford Supports Windham Children through 'Jumpstart' Program

WILLIMANTIC, CT -- Several Eastern Connecticut State University students are volunteering with local preschool children through Jumpstart, an AmeriCorps program that supports the language and social skills of children from low-income areas.

Among the Eastern volunteers is Amber Lewandowski '19 of Milford, who majors in Physical Education. Eastern students who apply for Jumpstart are interviewed and then divided into teams that work together in local classrooms. Every team follows an assigned curriculum and designs stimulating activities to engage the children.

Jumpstart recruits and trains college students and AmeriCorps members to serve preschool children in low-income neighborhoods. Children who grow up in under-resourced communities often enter kindergarten 60 percent behind their peers from more affluent areas, a statistic which Jumpstart hopes to correct.

By providing language, literacy and social-emotional activities, Jumpstart ensures that preschoolers get an equal start in life regardless of zip code.