BHS Students Craft Page-turners for City’s Schools

Robin Kaminiski Bulletin staff

As a group of Brighton High School (BHS) students began the process of meticulously crafting more than 40 books for low-income preschool children, they knew they were doing something special.

Through the Jumpstart early education program, which strives to ensure that low-income preschoolers enter school with the skills necessary for their future success, high school students are paired with college-age volunteers. Joanna Bell, volunteer coordinator for Jumpstart and a student at UMASS-Boston, worked alongside students from two separate classes at BHS to create the reading materials.

"I went to the school about four or five times and worked with the students to print materials, to create artwork for the books, and to bind them," Bell said. "The books will be delivered to inner-city pre-schools that need these resources for their students."

The mostly alphabet and number books were created in bilingual forms as well as English for Spanish and Chinese-speaking students.

The books will be delivered to the Escuelita Boriken School in the South End, Dorchester Head Start, and Nazareth Child-Care Center in Jamaica Plain.

Bell said each student made one book, varying from 10 to 40 pages in length.

"Some of the students hand drew images for the books and some found them on the computer," Bell said. "The books are really important because sometimes parents don’t have the resources at home, plus it was great to work one on one with the students."

BHS teacher Peggy Conn said students from her Child Growth and Development and TeachBoston 2 classes spent time creating the reading materials. A graphic arts class, taught by fellow BHS teacher, Pam Foley, also participated.

"I was approached about this project, and, from that point, it just sort of mushroomed, going beyond my classes as well," Conn said. "We ended up with some wonderful books, and it was a really nice joint effort."

Conn also said that several of her students walk over to Saint Elizabeth Hospital’s day-care center once a week to read to children whose parents work at the hospital.

"Once the books are complete, I hope to start the process over again with another class—I hope this will be on ongoing project for us," Conn said.

Meghan Schumacher, site manager for Jumpstart at UMASS-Boston, said nine students from the BHS book program came to the college and participated in a day of shadowing other students of the school.

"We took them to classes and showed them around—they really had a blast that day," Schumacher said. "All nine of the students ended up applying to UMASS for college, so it was nice to have them volunteer to make books, and then for us to help them take the next step towards their future, since a lot of them will be first generation college students."

BHS student Jasmine Weaver said she really enjoyed taking part in the program, "I think that it has impacted the community because for the people who cannot afford to buy books, they can have a book that somebody took their time creating."

Aside from working with high school students, Bell said corps members also hold twice-weekly two hour Jumpstart classroom sessions at pre-schools to devote attention to children following the traditional school day.

"Being involved with Jumpstart allows me to work with children all year long. Being an important part of their lives is something that I look forward to," Bell said.