Surpassing the Goal!

The Foster Grandparent Program of Southwestern PA sponsored by the Private Industry Council partnered with Jumpstart Pittsburgh, Read for the Record celebration on October 27th, 2016.

Jumpstart’s Read for the Record is a national campaign that was launched over a decade ago to address the education inequities that leave too many children unprepared for kindergarten.

Jumpstart Pittsburgh’s hope was to reach close to and potentially exceed 2000 children in Southwestern PA, one of the biggest celebrations in our nation.

Not only did Jumpstart Pittsburgh provide books and activities for our Allegheny County stations but all stations located in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene and Washington counties.

Our volunteers were provided training in their October In-service training meetings by Jumpstart Pittsburgh staff on how this celebration would be fulfilled. They were given a book, The Bear Ate Your Sandwich by Julia Sarcone-Roach to read to all of the children in their designated stations. They also facilitated a “Bear Charades” Activity and they made a Paper Bag Teddy Bear craft with their children that day.

The approximate number of children impacted by this initiative due to the Foster Grandparent Program of Southwestern PA participation is as follows:

• Allegheny: 844
• Beaver: 247
• Butler: 91
• Fayette: 114
• Greene: 80
• Washington: 315
• For a total of 1691 Children!

With our help Jumpstart Pittsburgh exceeded their 2000 children goal and reached 3,297 children this year!!!!