VITA Education Services tells Centennial SD it serves 1,100+ and relies on donated school space

Heather Gianpapa, executive director of VITA Education Services, told the Centennial board that VITA is a Bucks County adult-education nonprofit offering ESL, GED preparation, family literacy, job-readiness and correctional-education programs. Gianpapa said VITA has been operating for more than 50 years and that last year the organization served "over 1,100 individuals and families".

Gianpapa described multiple program sites and offerings: two office/classroom locations in Doylestown and Bristol; family-literacy classes (parents with children birth through age 8) that include free daycare during classes; evening ESL classes at William Tennant High School with four ESL levels and 84 students at Tennant this year; and volunteer-tutor adult-basic-education groups. "All of our programs are free," Gianpapa said, and she thanked Centennial for donated space, IT support and other in-kind assistance that allows VITA to document local community support to the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Gianpapa said some families served by VITA include children who attend Willowdale Elementary, Klinger Middle School and William Tennant High School and that students originate from a range of countries. She invited board members to an April 9 reception and said fund-raising and grant funding complement state and federal support.

The board thanked Gianpapa and acknowledged the district's role in hosting VITA programs and facilitating adult education in the community.