Mission & History
Operation Jump Start has proudly served the Long Beach community and its students for decades. In fact, 2024 marks our 30th anniversary!
About us
What we are doing
Our Mission
We help low-resourced, high-potential first-generation students get in, stay in, and graduate from a four-year college. We do this by providing academic support, mentoring, and exposure to a broader world.
About us
Our Purpose
Since 1994, OJS has provided the comprehensive resources and mentoring needed to enable youth in underserved communities to reach their full potential through a college education. Our organization has an established and successful track record of success in providing access to higher education for low-income students – a demographic group significantly underrepresented on four-year college campuses locally, throughout California, and across our nation. OJS serves between 250-350 youth annually – all Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) students, ranging from 13 to 23 years old.
Our Values
Gratitude | Education | Mentoring | Transparency
What We Do
Not every community has the same resources, the same opportunities, the same support. OJS reaches out to Long Beach’s underserved communities to create awareness of higher education opportunities and help interested youth achieve their educational goals. We work with first-generation, college-bound youth from low-income households in Long Beach.
How We Do It
Our mentoring program offers each OJS student an incredible five years of extensive and involved support. Beginning in 8th grade, OJS students get a super‐charged team of mentors, tutors, and counselors to provide them with the resources they need to graduate from high school, get into and graduate from a four-year college, and get a ‘jumpstart’ on a productive and rewarding path forward.
Who We Are
Our staff, board, and volunteers are diverse individuals who come together to mentor, provide financial support, teach, and volunteer to help Long Beach’s underserved youth. Regardless of their circumstances, we believe everyone deserves the resources and support needed to succeed in college.
Why We Do It
At OJS, we share a collective vision that all students in our community have equal access to college success.
We believe all students deserve access to a college education regardless of socioeconomic status. We strive for a day where any Long Beach student will have equal access to a college education.