HAMMOND – Gearing up for the 2002-2003 academic year, Southeastern Louisiana University’s Jumpstart program is recruiting 46 Southeastern students to work with area three- to five-year-old children on pre-school readiness.
      Through the national non-profit program, which got underway at Southeastern last year, students can earn a $1,000 AmeriCorps education award by working one-on-one for a minimum of 11 hours a week with preschoolers at Southeastern and Hammond Head Start programs and Midway Elementary, Jumpstart’s newest local partner.
      Coordinator Vaunne Blossman-Hand said that during Jumpstart’s first year at Southeastern 31 Jumpstart Corps members performed approximately 11,300 hours of community service at Southeastern and Hammond Head Start. All 31 students successfully “graduated” from the Jumpstart program, she said.
      To prepare preschoolers to succeed in school, “Jumpstart Corps members read stories, sing songs and play games that support young children's school readiness,” Blossman-Hand said. 
      In addition to the $1,000 education award, Jumpstart also has 10 openings for $1,250 stipends that require 600 hours of service extending into summer 2003, Blossman-Hand said. 
      Education award are dispersed at the end of the term of service, but Blossman-Hand said students who qualify for federal work-study can also earn up to $6.30 an hour while working in the program.
      College students interested in applying may visit www.jstart.org/apply, or contact Blossman-Hand at (985) 549-5273 or jumpstart@selu.edu. Interviews are now being scheduled and all xorps members will be hired by September 13.