
About FLITE
The Foundation for Learning in Tredyffrin/Easttown (FLITE), is a tax-exempt, non-profit educational foundation that serves preschool through high school students year-round in Tredyffrin/Easttown.
FLITE’s overall purpose is to help to assure the continuation of educational excellence for all public school children in Tredyffrin and Easttown Townships. FLITE targets much of its funding toward programs that reach groups and individual students who are unable to take full advantage of the curriculum and activities that the District offers.
FLITE raises money to fund programs designed to ensure that students with financial or environmental barriers have the tools and support they need to meet academic expectations.
FLITE works with the T/E School District and community to identify areas of need and support programs that increase the opportunity for academic success.
The School District is very supportive of FLITE. FLITE is independent of the T/E School District, but works very closely with the District in evaluating program grant requests.
Community support helps to guarantee FLITE’s success. The T/E community expects excellence in our schools and supports assistance for students who need extra help. Everyone benefits when everyone succeeds academically. The generosity of T/E residents ensures that FLITE programs are available for those who need them.
FLITE’s Mission
Mission Statement
FLITE funds programs to help ensure that all students in the T/E schools, especially those who face barriers to their educational success, have the academic tools, opportunities and support they need to succeed in school.
The Foundation measures its success by:
- the degree to which it raises and effectively utilizes resources;
- the extent to which it contributes to greater student achievement, particularly among those groups and individuals who have historically been less successful;
- the extent to which it enhances positive relationships between and among the school community and the community at large.
Nondiscrimination Policy
It is the policy of FLITE to provide its services and supports to qualifying children residing in the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District regardless of race, color, age, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ancestry, national origin or handicap/disability.
FLITE’s History
The Foundation for Learning in Tredyffrin/Easttown (FLITE), an all-volunteer non-profit educational foundation, was formed in 2006 to serve preschool through high school students year-round in Tredyffrin/Easttown.
Founding FLITE
A group of community members met on September 19, 2005, to plan and organize the establishment of FLITE, the Foundation for Learning in Tredyffrin/Easttown. The group consisted of John Beatty, Tom Colman, Wendy DiRico, Sandi Gorman, Mike Heaberg, Hank Lloyd, Rev. Dick Streeter, Sheilah Vance, and Stodie Watts.
The group was motivated by the desire to ensure that the T/E schools would continue to provide an excellent education for local children, with a specific focus on assuring that all students in the school district have access to the many excellent programs offered by the T/E schools.
The group was also concerned that some children in the school district face economic, environmental, or similar barriers to their full participation in many T/E programs. In many cases, this lack of access can have lifelong negative impacts on our children and on our community.
The planning team recognized that T/E residents have a well-deserved reputation for responding to community needs. The team also believed that if the community was made aware of this somewhat “invisible” problem, it would respond in its typical generous fashion. An educational foundation, such as FLITE, would be an ideal vehicle to inform the community and to raise funds to help address the dual concerns of maintaining educational excellence and assuring access for all T/E students.
The first meeting of the FLITE Board of Trustees took place on January 5, 2006. At the meeting the founding Board of Trustees approved an organization structure, elected officers, and approved a series of legal filings. The establishment of FLITE was formally announced at the February 27, 2006 meeting of the Tredyffrin/Easttown School Board. Below are a few key of our historical milestones:
- FLITE approved by the IRS as a 501 (c) (3) organization on March 10, 2006
- FLITE’s first grant, $8000 to provide for transportation for the Homework Oasis Project at Valley Forge Middle School, was approved at FLITE’s Board meeting on May 18, 2006. The Homework Oasis Program was the forerunner of FLITE’s After School Homework Program.
- First community appeal “Help FLITE Help Kids” Campaign (Fall 2006)
- Establishment of our Advisory Board of Directors (2007)
- Expansion of the After School Homework Program to all children in T/E elementary and middle schools who need extra help (September 2007)
- First PA EITC grant received (2010)
FLITE Today
FLITE funds programs to help ensure that all students in the T/E schools, especially those who face barriers to their educational success, have the academic tools, opportunities and support they need to succeed in school.
FLITE is independent of the T/E School District, but works with the District and community to identify areas of need and support programs that increase the opportunity for academic success. FLITE also works very closely with the District in evaluating program grant requests.
Since its inception, FLITE has provided assistance to students nearly 7,000 times by funding academic programs. FLITE provides academic support and services to about 300 students each year.
Each year, teachers, parents, local business people and others who care about public education in T/E support FLITE’s mission.
Officers 2022-2023
Chair – Pritam Potnis
Vice Chair – Kate Miller
Secretary – Karen Reaume
Treasurer – Cyndi Stains
Asst. Treasurer – Andy Leibowitz
Communications Chair – Robin Briggs/Jim Briggs
Programs Chair – Nicole Scherer
Development Chair – Michael Barnes
Finance Chair – Andrew Leibowitz
Nominating Chair – Kate Barry/Cory Townend
Operating Chair – Pritam Potnis
Anne Bondi
Michele Burger*
Tom Colman
Deb Dion
Stacy-Ann Douglas
Julie Ferguson
Sandi Gorman
Rich Gusick*
Amber Levy
Kathy Lieb
Nina Lotfi
Alyson Lotman
Art McDonnell*
Dena Meres
Lorri Ricci
Jacy Rider
Paige Skelly
Oscar Torres, Jr.*
*non-voting members
Advisory Board of Directors 2022-2023
Vijay Aggarwal
Meg Born
Jen Bracco
Janet Burton
Bobbie Campbell
Tracie Costello
Dr. Milind Dhamankar
Wendy DiRico
Aubrey Dirkes
Tara Donnelly
Paul Douglas
Jed Grobstien
Kim Harris
Mike Heaberg
Greg Jeffrey
Tola Jordan
Maria Kalilec
John Larkin
Beth Lee
Steve Lotfi
John J. Marren
Dennis C. McAndrews
Debbie McKetta
Dawn Mohr
Scott Naiva
Fran Pettit
Avis Rueger
Margaret Ruschmann
Niki Salata
Elizabeth Soderberg
Joanne Sonn
Kathleen Thomas
MikeTroy
Dave & Sharon Willis
Emeritus Board of Directors 2022-2023
Hank Lloyd
Donors
The Foundation for Learning in Tredyffrin/Easttown thanks all of its donors for their support. FLITE recognizes the following businesses and organizations for their generous gifts.
(Gifts received from July 2019 through December 2020 of $1,000 or above)
Corporations, Foundations and Other Organizations
Supporting Donors
Arcadia Tredyffrin LLC
C&N Bank
Centric Bank
Deep Waters Ministry
Devon Orthodontics
Fulton Bank
Kades-Margolis Corporation
Malvern Bank, National Association
Navigate
Recovery Centers of America
The BSJ Foundation
The Hallie Leighton Tikkun Olam Fund
The Sarian Group
The Upper Main Line Rotary Charitable Fd
Valley Forge Middle School Student Account
WaWa Foundation, Inc.
Wayne Presbyterian Church
Annual Summary
Each fall FLITE publishes an Annual Summary Report detailing types of programs funded, the impact of the programs and FLITE’s fundraising efforts.
Annual Summary, Year-end June 30, 2021
2020/2021 was a great rebound year for FLITE, with all students back in the buildings. We continue to work closely with the school district to identify ways to close the achievement gap and fund educational programs that address the most critical challenges faced by our students.
View the Full Report: FLITE Annual Summary, Year-end June 30, 2021