• Comprehensive High School

• Suburb of Buffalo, NY

• 2100 students

• 3 Career Academies (1 NAF)

• 3RD Year AOF

Lancaster High School Lancaster, NY (Buffalo)

OUR GOAL IS TO DEMONSTRATE HOW YOU CAN:Give back to your community

Get business partners involved

Enhance your AOF curriculum

WHAT IS VITA? Give back to your communityGive back to your community

NO tax preparation fees Average savings of $100-$200

EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) Unclaimed by many low-income

earners

Increased Tax Filing Reduces the fear and uncertainty

Give back to your communityGive back to your community NO tax preparation fees

Average savings of $100-$200

EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) Unclaimed by many low-income

earners

Increased Tax Filing Reduces the fear and uncertainty

WHAT IS VITA?

Get your business partners involvedGet your business partners involved Lancaster-Depew Federal Credit Union

Site Administrator Verifies all returns prior to e-file

Significantly reduces the administrative function for teachers and school administrators

Relieves district of liability

Get your business partners involvedGet your business partners involved Lancaster-Depew Federal Credit Union

Site Administrator Verifies all returns prior to e-file

Significantly reduces the administrative function for teachers and school administrators

Relieves district of liability

WHAT IS VITA?

Enhance your AOF curriculumEnhance your AOF curriculum Students learn tax law in AOF:

Accounting (Grade 11) Students become certified IRS

volunteer tax preparers No liability risk since students are IRS

volunteers

Enhance your AOF curriculumEnhance your AOF curriculum Students learn tax law in AOF:

Accounting (Grade 11) Students become certified IRS

volunteer tax preparers No liability risk since students are IRS

volunteers

Student Produced Student Produced VideoVideo

1) Consider how you can start VITA in your community.

2) What outreach programs can be used to effectively market VITA?

3) What methods can be used to improve student problem solving skills?

1) Consider how you can start VITA in your community.

2) What outreach programs can be used to effectively market VITA?

3) What methods can be used to improve student problem solving skills?

GOALS & NEEDS

GOAL: Taxpayers to file and get EITCGOAL: Taxpayers to file and get EITCNEEDS:Volunteer Tax Prep LocationsNEEDS:Volunteer Tax Prep Locations

GOAL: Relevant PBL for studentsGOAL: Relevant PBL for students

NEEDS:Volunteer PreparersNEEDS:Volunteer PreparersGOAL: Provide VITA locationGOAL: Provide VITA location

NEEDS: VITA site managerNEEDS: VITA site manager

WIN, WIN, WIN

Taxpayers file & receive EITCTaxpayers file & receive EITC

Volunteer preparers and Relevant PBLVolunteer preparers and Relevant PBL

VITA location SITE MANAGERVITA location SITE MANAGER

MonthlyEarnings

FederalReturn

Saved Fees

Average Household Earnings $14,901

Lancaster Residents assisted by VITA for 2006 (2005 taxes)Lancaster Residents assisted by VITA for 2006 (2005 taxes)

39 Super Saturday Taxpayers39 Super Saturday Taxpayers

MonthlyEarnings

FederalReturn

Saved Fees

Average Household Earnings $16,066

Lancaster Residents assisted by VITA for 2007 (2006 taxes)Lancaster Residents assisted by VITA for 2007 (2006 taxes)

87 Super Saturday Taxpayers87 Super Saturday Taxpayers

Preparation Student Instruction (Link & Learn)

Marketing Media, Flyers, Posters

Tax Day “Super Saturday” Community Tax Preparation

Auditing and Reflection IRS submission

PROJECT ELEMENTS

AOF: AccountingTax Law

www.irs.gov

“link & learn”

AOF: AccountingTax Law

www.irs.gov

“link & learn”

CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION

Target: StudentsTarget: Students In-school announcements, flyersIn-school announcements, flyers

Target: Community at largeTarget: Community at largePress Releases, chamber of commerce Press Releases, chamber of commerce

mailing, advisory board flyersmailing, advisory board flyers

Target: Low Income residentsTarget: Low Income residentsDoor Hangers, community center flyersDoor Hangers, community center flyers

Target: StudentsTarget: Students In-school announcements, flyersIn-school announcements, flyers

Target: Community at largeTarget: Community at largePress Releases, chamber of commerce Press Releases, chamber of commerce

mailing, advisory board flyersmailing, advisory board flyers

Target: Low Income residentsTarget: Low Income residentsDoor Hangers, community center flyersDoor Hangers, community center flyers

MARKETING VITA

Flyers (click for more)

Student Produced VideoStudent Produced Video Local News stationsLocal News stations

Local BusinessesLocal Businesses Posters (click for more)

IDEAS?IDEAS?

MARKETING VITA

TAX DAY “Super Saturday” High School “Super Saturday” Credit Union

After School Hours Community Center

Low-income area of Buffalo, NY

High School “Super Saturday” Credit Union

After School Hours Community Center

Low-income area of Buffalo, NY

Click for more

Site ManagerAuditing Process (Verify)E-file submission

StudentsReflection Journals

Site ManagerAuditing Process (Verify)E-file submission

StudentsReflection Journals

AUDITING & REFLECTION

Necessary, relevant skill Interacted with Adults in a

leadership/assistance role Community volunteerism Interdisciplinary, multi-class project Board of Education and IRS

recognition

Necessary, relevant skill Interacted with Adults in a

leadership/assistance role Community volunteerism Interdisciplinary, multi-class project Board of Education and IRS

recognition

PROJECT SUCCESSES

Advisory Board Participation Positive Economic Impact on

Community Positive publicity

Advisory Board Participation Positive Economic Impact on

Community Positive publicity

PROJECT SUCCESSES

Getting word out to taxpayers Software integration to network Initial student “buy-in” Taxpayers with incomplete or

complicated information Initial alignment of curriculum Verifying student volunteer hours

Getting word out to taxpayers Software integration to network Initial student “buy-in” Taxpayers with incomplete or

complicated information Initial alignment of curriculum Verifying student volunteer hours

PROJECT CHALLENGES

Availability of teacher training Non-participation by advisory

board members that complete taxes as part of their business

Questions of reliability and confidentiality due to students’ age

Availability of teacher training Non-participation by advisory

board members that complete taxes as part of their business

Questions of reliability and confidentiality due to students’ age

PROJECT OBSTACLES

Connect to established VITA sites. Offer students as volunteers Regional IRS VITA representatives

Logistics of going it alone Logistics of partnering the school

and credit union

Connect to established VITA sites. Offer students as volunteers Regional IRS VITA representatives

Logistics of going it alone Logistics of partnering the school

and credit union

HOW TO GET STARTED

QUESTIONS/QUESTIONS/COMMENTSCOMMENTS1) Consider how you can start VITA in your

community.

2) What outreach programs can be used to effectively market VITA?

3) What methods can be used to improve student problem solving skills?

4) Questions/comments

1) Consider how you can start VITA in your community.

2) What outreach programs can be used to effectively market VITA?

3) What methods can be used to improve student problem solving skills?

4) Questions/comments

Academic Rigor Authenticity Active Exploration Applied Learning Adult Relationships Assessment Practices

Academic Rigor Authenticity Active Exploration Applied Learning Adult Relationships Assessment Practices

SIX A’S OF PBLStudents combine marketing, customer service, economics and accounting

Academic Rigor Authenticity Active Exploration Applied Learning Adult Relationships Assessment Practices

Academic Rigor Authenticity Active Exploration Applied Learning Adult Relationships Assessment Practices

SIX A’S OF PBLStudents make a positive economic impact for the community by taking a leadership role with adults.

Academic Rigor Authenticity Active Exploration Applied Learning Adult Relationships Assessment Practices

Academic Rigor Authenticity Active Exploration Applied Learning Adult Relationships Assessment Practices

SIX A’S OF PBLStudents become certified by the IRS, volunteer in low-income community centers and regularly present the program to the community.

Academic Rigor Authenticity Active Exploration Applied Learning Adult Relationships Assessment Practices

Academic Rigor Authenticity Active Exploration Applied Learning Adult Relationships Assessment Practices

SIX A’S OF PBLStudents prepare themselves for a lifetime of tax preparation and use teamwork, problem solving skills, effective communication, time management and customer service skills.

Academic Rigor Authenticity Active Exploration Applied Learning Adult Relationships Assessment Practices

Academic Rigor Authenticity Active Exploration Applied Learning Adult Relationships Assessment Practices

SIX A’S OF PBLStudents are held to the same standards as adult volunteer preparers. Not only do students work with adults, they assist adults.

Academic Rigor Authenticity Active Exploration Applied Learning Adult Relationships Assessment Practices

Academic Rigor Authenticity Active Exploration Applied Learning Adult Relationships Assessment Practices

SIX A’S OF PBLStudents are held to the same standards as adult volunteer preparers and therefore understand that they are being held to real world standards.

Contact Information

www.lancasterschools.org/finance_academy

Scott Dixon (AOF Director)sdixon@lancaster.wnyric.orgLynn Fisher (VITA Coordinator)lfisher@lancaster.wnyric.org Ann Sweeney (Lancaster-Depew FCU)ASweeney@lancaster-depewfcu.org