Jumpstart

For 11 incredible years, our partners in Broward County have been a cornerstone of Jumpstart's Read for the Record celebrations in Florida. This year, they showed up bigger than ever, and so did See Marcus Grow author Marcus Bridgewater🎒📖

In honor of the 20th anniversary, the Children's Services Council of Broward County distributed over 63,000 books across the county, their biggest commitment yet, putting See Marcus Grow and Read for the Record books directly into the hands of every Pre-K and Kindergarten student in Broward County.

Marcus showed up, in person, to read to the children of Broward County, joining community leaders like CSC President & CEO Cindy Arenberg Seltzer and Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Howard Hepburn and volunteer readers. The message was clear: when the whole community rallies around children, everyone thrives.

A heartfelt thank you to CSC Broward, Broward County Public Schools, and the Early Learning Coalition of Broward County. This is what 11 years of commitment looks like, and this is why Broward is our inaugural Full Backpack Award winner. 🎉

Every year, communities from Brazil to Boston show up for children by opening their doors, rallying their neighbors, and putting books into kids' hands. This year was no different. These four communities went above and beyond, and we are so proud to celebrate them.

🏫 First-Time Participant Award: Wallace A. Smith Elementary School in Ooltewah, TN

🌟 Best Community Celebration Award: The Griffin-Spalding County School System, Griffin GA

🏆 School District of the Year: Portsmouth Public Schools

🎒 Full Backpack Award (brand new this year!): Broward Community Schools

All four winners joined an exclusive virtual read aloud with See Marcus Grow author Marcus Bridgewater himself where kids got to ask him questions live and soaked up his legendary life wisdom. It was one of the most magical moments we've ever hosted. 📖✨

Stay tuned - over the coming weeks, we're spotlighting each winner. Follow along and get to know the communities proving that when everyone shows up for reading, children thrive.

Congratulations to all four winners, and thank you to every person, school, and community who participated this year.

Early childhood educators don't just shape classrooms, they shape futures. 🌟

This , Jumpstart is celebrating every teacher who sparks a love of reading, builds confidence in a young child, and creates a space where every single student in their classroom feels like they truly belong.

Your commitment to these early years doesn't go unnoticed. It echoes for a lifetime, and we are honored to stand alongside you in this work. ❤️