Comprehensive High School Suburb of Buffalo, NY 2100 students 3 Career Academies (1 NAF)

2. Lancaster High SchoolLancaster, NY (Buffalo) • Comprehensive High School • Suburb of Buffalo, NY • 2100 students • 3 Career Academies (1 NAF) • 3RD Year AOF

3. VITA Volunteer Income Tax Assistance OUR GOAL IS TO DEMONSTRATE HOW YOU CAN: • Give back to your community • Get business partners involved • Enhance your AOF curriculum

4. WHAT IS VITA? • Give 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

5. WHAT IS VITA? • Get 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

6. WHAT IS VITA? • Enhance 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

7. Student Produced Video 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?

8. GOALS & NEEDS GOAL: Taxpayers to file and get EITC NEEDS:Volunteer Tax Prep Locations GOAL: Provide VITA location NEEDS:Volunteer Preparers GOAL: Relevant PBL for students NEEDS: VITA site manager

9. WIN, WIN, WIN Taxpayers file & receive EITC VITA location SITE MANAGER Volunteer preparers and Relevant PBL

10. Lancaster Residents assisted by VITA for 2006(2005 taxes) Average Household Earnings $14,901 39 Super Saturday Taxpayers

11. Lancaster Residents assisted by VITA for 2007(2006 taxes) Average Household Earnings $16,066 87 Super Saturday Taxpayers

12. PROJECT ELEMENTS • Preparation • Student Instruction (Link & Learn) • Marketing • Media, Flyers, Posters • Tax Day “Super Saturday” • Community Tax Preparation • Auditing and Reflection • IRS submission

13. CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION • AOF: Accounting • Tax Law • www.irs.gov “link & learn”

14. MARKETING VITA • Target: Students • In-school announcements, flyers • Target: Community at large • Press Releases, chamber of commerce mailing, advisory board flyers • Target: Low Income residents • Door Hangers, community center flyers

15. MARKETING VITA • Flyers (click for more) • Student Produced Video • Local News stations • Local Businesses • Posters (click for more) • IDEAS?

16. TAX DAY “Super Saturday” • High School “Super Saturday” • Credit Union • After School Hours • Community Center • Low-income area of Buffalo, NY Click for more

17. AUDITING & REFLECTION • Site Manager • Auditing Process (Verify) • E-file submission • Students • Reflection Journals

18. PROJECT SUCCESSES • Necessary, relevant skill • Interacted with Adults in a leadership/assistance role • Community volunteerism • Interdisciplinary, multi-class project • Board of Education and IRS recognition

19. PROJECT SUCCESSES • Advisory Board Participation • Positive Economic Impact on Community • Positive publicity

20. PROJECT CHALLENGES • 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

21. PROJECT OBSTACLES • 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

22. HOW TO GET STARTED • 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

23. 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

24. SIX A’S OF PBL • Academic Rigor • Authenticity • Active Exploration • Applied Learning • Adult Relationships • Assessment Practices Students combine marketing, customer service, economics and accounting

25. SIX A’S OF PBL • Academic Rigor • Authenticity • Active Exploration • Applied Learning • Adult Relationships • Assessment Practices Students make a positive economic impact for the community by taking a leadership role with adults.

26. SIX A’S OF PBL • Academic Rigor • Authenticity • Active Exploration • Applied Learning • Adult Relationships • Assessment Practices Students become certified by the IRS, volunteer in low-income community centers and regularly present the program to the community.

27. SIX A’S OF PBL • Academic Rigor • Authenticity • Active Exploration • Applied Learning • Adult Relationships • Assessment Practices Students prepare themselves for a lifetime of tax preparation and use teamwork, problem solving skills, effective communication, time management and customer service skills.

28. SIX A’S OF PBL • Academic Rigor • Authenticity • Active Exploration • Applied Learning • Adult Relationships • Assessment Practices Students are held to the same standards as adult volunteer preparers. Not only do students work with adults, they assist adults.

29. SIX A’S OF PBL • Academic Rigor • Authenticity • Active Exploration • Applied Learning • Adult Relationships • Assessment Practices Students are held to the same standards as adult volunteer preparers and therefore understand that they are being held to real world standards.

30. Contact Information Scott Dixon (AOF Director) sdixon@lancaster.wnyric.org Lynn Fisher (VITA Coordinator) lfisher@lancaster.wnyric.org Ann Sweeney (Lancaster-Depew FCU) ASweeney@lancaster-depewfcu.org www.lancasterschools.org/finance_academy