Jumpstart at UMass Boston is once again hosting its annual donation drive for school supplies. In past years, the organization sought clothes as well as supplies, but this year, the program is focusing on stocking up classrooms.
Preschool teachers that are partnered with Jumpstart created an Amazon wishlist of classroom needs, which includes items like Clorox spray, sidewalk chalk and dry erase markers. Anything bought off the wishlist should be shipped to Tiara Cobb, one of the UMass Boston Jumpstart site managers, using the address provided next to each wishlist item.
A general list of items being requested, aside from the Amazon wishlist, are #2 pencils, crayons, markers, sensory toys, tissues, paper towels, Lysol wipes and jumbo pencils. Items not bought through Amazon can be dropped off at three donation bins located at the Jumpstart office at Campus Center 2nd floor, Room 2300, the political science department student lounge on the fifth floor of Wheatley Hall, and the Office of Housing and Residence Life in the Residence Hall East.
Jumpstart is a nationwide non-profit organization that works to close the learning gap among preschool age children through emphasis on literacy and social skills. They help ensure that each child goes into kindergarten with the skills they need to succeed.
This past October, for the 19th year, they held an annual event called Read for the Record.
During this event, UMass Boston athletes from the men’s hockey team, the men’s baseball team and the women’s soccer team go to preschools in South Boston and read to the children. Every participating child nationwide reads the same book with the student they’re paired with and does a supplemental activity about the book.
“They get to see people they don’t usually see on a day-to-day,” said Cobb, adding, “I think that’s the real passion of the coaches and the athletes — taking the time to do this small thing that could make a bigger impact on these kids.”
This year’s book was “Piper Chen Sings” by Maris Pasquale Doan and Broadway actress Phillipa Soo.
The story is about a girl who loves to sing and is asked by her teacher to sing a solo in her school choir. Piper gets butterflies in her stomach, and asks her grandmother for help. She tells Piper that when she had to play piano in front of people, her butterflies went away when she started performing. Piper sings her solo perfectly and the butterflies in her stomach go away, encouraging kids to face their fears and have courage.
Children then made a collage of colorful butterflies out of tissue paper and butterfly-shaped cutouts.
The Jumpstart program at UMass Boston serves over 200 children across seven preschools, which is where the supplies from the donation drive will be going. The drive is active now and ends on January 20th.
