HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES TO GATHER FOR A FESTIVAL ON PITT'S STUDENT UNION LAWN

PITTSBURGH, March 24 -- Jumpstart KidsFest, a fun and educational learning festival for preschool children and their families, will be held on the lawn of the University of Pittsburgh William Pitt Union on Saturday, April 15, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will engage over 700 children and families from around the city with Pitt student volunteer mentors and celebrity guests.

KidsFest will feature 20 learning stations allowing students to participate in an array of activities including face painting, instrument making, and puppet making. Also, Mr. McFeely, everyone's favorite mailman from "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood," will pay a visit to the festivities from 10 to 11 a.m.

Jumpstart, which runs a part-time school year program and a full-time summer program, provides qualified college students with the opportunity to mentor and tutor a preschool child, one-on-one. The program focuses on school success, family involvement, and fostering future teachers. It enables the children to develop literacy and social skills and trains college students to be effective leaders in early childhood education. KidsFest is one of the programs that Jumpstart hosts to continue its mission.

Jumpstart, a nonprofit organization sponsored by national and local partners, enables hundreds of volunteers, such as fire departments, children's museums, libraries, police departments, and zoos, to participate in the future development of our children.

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