The Campaign for Working Family recently recently participated as part of the Code for America Conference in Washington D.C.

The workshop title was: Innovative Expansion of VITA: Advancing Equity through High School Youth Empowerment and Community Engagement.

At the event, CWF officials showcased its high school program, which had received rave reviews nationwide in the past.

Through CWF, the School District of Philadelphia’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) VITA Program was created to provide students with industry-recognized certifications and real-world experiences while making a difference in their communities.

The program is designed to give students the skills to find employment or pursue higher education upon graduation.

As part of its past achievements, CWF IRS certified 87 students that completed over 1000 returns, worked over 630 hours in tax preparation, and helped put over 24 million dollars back into the pockets of individuals and families.

Dr. Nikia Owens, CEO/President, and Melissa Jackson-Schmidt, Chief Program Officer of CWF gave the program’s background, history, and impact.

Attendees were brought to tears when Youssef Ichou, a Student at Abraham Lincoln High School, and Stacie Johnson, a Business and Accounting Teacher, spoke eloquently about the program, student experience, and student impact.

The attendees were impressed with the program and asked many questions about how they could replicate the same in their states and communities.