SF State's Jumpstart program is trying to help break the record for the number of people reading the same book on the same day on Oct. 8.

The event, Read for the Record, is part of an international campaign by Jumpstart programs across the country to highlight the importance of childhood literacy. Organizers are aiming to get more than a million adults and students reading this year.

For the fourth annual event, children will be reading "A Very Hungry Caterpillar," published by the Penguin Group, which put out a special edition of the book for the event.

Along with Jumpstart, Read for the Record is sponsored by the Pearson Foundation, which is covering the price of the book for Jumpstart, allowing all proceeds from the sale of the special edition to go to the program.

Although Read for the Record is only four years old, the Jumpstart program has been around for 16 years. Created at Yale University, the program was first introduced at SF State 11 years ago.

Nichole Schultz has been a member of the program since her freshman year at the University. At 26, she now works as the senior manager of Jumpstart's SF State branch.

"I didn't realize how much I'd get out of the program," Schultz said.

The Jumpstart program works to give children, particularly those in low-income homes, access to early education.

"Some people may come from homes like the ones the children we work with come from, but it really opens your eyes to the challenges and issues these children go through," Schultz said.

"Most children in low-income communities," said Jumpstart's president, James Cleveland, in a press release, "miss out on reading experiences that form the foundation for success in school and life."

Because the program works with low-income students, it also tries to get as many of the books out to students from these homes as possible. The books are given to the students free of charge, courtesy of donations. Five thousand of these books have been given out in San Francisco as of Oct. 2.

At SF State, 130 students are hired for Jumpstart through a work-study scheme, although more than twice that apply each year, according to Schultz. Most students sign on as what are known as "Corps" members, spending 10-15 hours a week at preschools around the city to help educate three- to five-year-olds. Currently, the program works with 14 different preschools in the city. The program also takes volunteers.

To promote the Read for the Record event at preschools, some Jumpstart members have volunteered to dress up as a very hungry caterpillar for the children. Senior William Tran, an Asian American studies major, was one of the volunteers.

Tran works with students at the Frandelja Enrichment Center in Bayview Hunters Point. The 20-year-old joined Jumpstart as a way of getting work-study credit three years ago and is now one of two team leaders for the program.

"I've really grown to love working with the kids," Tran said.

"You get them at a certain stage and you get to see their progress and the way they grow. You get to be part of that change."

Sophomore Mario Mejia is in his second year with the Jumpstart program. A double major in industrial art and child and adolescent development, Mejia is the other team leader for the group. He helps other college students train for the job.

Mejia joined Jumpstart after seeing an ad for the program online.

"I really believe in their mission statement, that every child should go into school prepared to succeed," the 19-year-old said.

Mejia works with students at the Good Samaritan Child Development Center in the Mission district. He helped organize the Read for the Record event there.

Last year, the event set the world record for the most people reading the same book at the same time with 688,000 people reading the book "Corduroy." The event raised $2 million for the organization, and 220,000 books were donated.