Juvenile Urban Multicultural Program (J.U.M.P. Nation)

The Juvenile Urban Multicultural Program (J.U.M.P. Nation) was founded in the fall semester of 1991 by ten Binghamton University students of various cultural and ethnic backgrounds. These students felt the need to address the desperate situations urban youth encounter within secondary educational systems. J.U.M.P. Nation's mission is to decrease the high school dropout rate, while increasing their enrollment into institutions of higher education. To accomplish our mission, each year, a group of "at-risk" eighth grade students from various junior high schools throughout New York City and the greater Binghamton area, are selected to participate in the annual JUMP Weekend. The protégés, as we call them, are brought to Binghamton University's campus for a four-day, all expenses paid weekend full of forums and interactive workshops. Protégés are paired with mentors from Binghamton University, with the aim of forming a network of support and encouragement that we hope will assist in overcoming obstacles throughout their high school careers, while introducing them to higher education. J.U.M.P. Nation provides each student with the tools necessary to overcome socioeconomic issues including: drugs, violence, and domestic abuse; along with other problems that might hinder the goal of enrollment into college.