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ProJeCt is approved by the Department of Community and Economic
Development for participation in the Pennsylvania Educational Improvement
Tax Credit Program as both an Educational Improvement
Organization and a Pre-Kindergarten Scholarship
Organization. This program provides a wonderful opportunity
for businesses to direct their tax dollars locally for support of
ProJeCt’s approved programs. Upon application and approval by DCED,
corporations may receive tax credits for their contributions to ProJeCt’s
SIZZLE!® summer literacy camp or Family Literacy Early Childhood
Education program.
Any authorized Pennsylvania
business that pays one of six business taxes and agrees to make the
required contribution to an approved organization may apply to DCED for
Educational Improvement Tax Credits and/or Pre-Kindergarten Tax
Credits.
- For the Educational
Improvement Tax Credits, businesses may receive a tax
credit equal to 75% of its one-year contribution to an approved
organization, up to a maximum of $200,000 per taxable
year. That credit may be increased to 90% of the contributions,
up to a maximum of $200,000 per taxable year, if the business makes
the same contribution in each of two consecutive tax years.
- For the Pre-Kindergarten
Tax Credits, businesses may receive tax credit equal to
100% of the first $10,000 contributed to a pre-kindergarten
scholarship organization during a taxable year, and tax credits
equal to 90% of any additional amount contributed up to a maximum of
$100,000 of tax credits per taxable year.
The application process for both Educational Improvement and
Pre-Kindergarten tax credits is a fairly simple one involving the
completion of a one-page application. There are limited pools of tax
credits available for each program, and applications are processed by
DCED on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications will be
accepted beginning June 30, 2006.
Last year, all Educational Improvement Tax Credits were issued on the
first day applications were processed. All applications received on
a specific day are processed on a random basis before DCED moves on to
the next day’s applications.
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ProJeCt’s
approved programs:
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For the past twelve years ProJeCt has offered our SIZZLE!®
summer literacy camp to at-risk, low income Easton area children in grades K-6.
This free, six-week program is designed to augment the school district
curriculum and prevent summer learning loss, while teaching children
critical life skills and providing them with safe recreation
opportunities. SIZZLE!® focuses on measurable academic
outcomes and activities aligned with the Pennsylvania State Department of
Education (PDE) standards for reading, writing and mathematics.
ProJeCt has delivered SIZZLE!® in collaboration with the Easton
Area School District since 1999, serving as many as 350 children at three
school district sites in 2005. SIZZLE!® won the 2005 Colonial Alliance
for Public Schools Excellence in Education Award.
It has been a designated “educational improvement
program” eligible for funding under the Pennsylvania
EITC Program since 2002.
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Family Literacy Early Childhood Education
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Since 1993, ProJeCt has provided Family Literacy
services to the greater Easton
community. Family Literacy addresses the intergenerational
cycle of poverty and low literacy through a comprehensive set of services
including adult literacy education, high quality early childhood
education, parenting education, Parent and Child Together (PACT) Time,
case management and home visitation.
In December 2005, DCED approved the early childhood education component
of ProJeCt’s family literacy program for receipt of Pre-Kindergarten tax
credit contributions by approved businesses. Our early childhood
education program operates five days per week, providing a high quality,
literacy-rich preschool for children while their parents attend classes.
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Additional
Information, Forms and Instructions are available on the DCED Website at www.newPA.com.
For more information, contact Noreen Davis,
ProJeCt’s Director of Development, by phone (610.258.4361) or email (ndavis@projecteaston.org);
or contact the Department of Community and Economic Development at
717.787.7120
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