JUMPSTART PROGRAM
In very poor families, parents’ number one priority is feeding their children. Often education is not prioritized - 15% of poor Filipino children never attend school at all. Impoverished children don’t enjoy such luxuries as children’s books, educational toys and computers. This lack of educational stimuli combined with early childhood malnutrition leaves poor children at a disadvantage when it’s time for school.
ICM’s Jumpstart Program gives children living in poverty an academic “jumpstart” on their lifetime of learning. The Asian Development Bank says that the longer a child stays in school, the less likely they will live their lives in extreme poverty. ICM’s Jumpstart Program seeks to instill graduates with a love of learning and an expectation of academic success that gives them positive footing when entering first grade. Older out-of-school children are given priority when selecting students.
Program Components:
Full preparation for year one of public school
A lunch and a snack, prepared by mothers
Deworming, immunization checks, and health monitoring
Uniforms, stationery, backpacks, shoes, chairs, tables, chalkboards, books
Weekly practical lessons on Values, Health, and Livelihood
