Adam and Matthew Falcone first discovered Falk Laboratory School when they toured with their eldest daughter in 2019. They knew it was the right place for their family when they discovered the joyful energy of the student body and the philosophy that learning occurs through curiosity and play. 

“Falk seemed to have it all. It was just a totally fun, totally different way of approaching education,” Matthew shares. “Since then, we have just had the most wonderful experience.” 

Having grown up in families where giving back was not only encouraged but expected, Adam and Matthew soon felt called to share such a unique educational experience with others. 

“For us, it’s not enough that we can enjoy something so wonderful—we want others to be able to enjoy it as well,” says Matthew. One of the ways this desire took shape was through the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) program, or what Adam calls “redirecting [their] state taxes to Falk scholarships.” 

“We saw it as a wonderful way to be able to provide funding for a scholarship so that others can take advantage of something that we feel so fortunate to have found for our own children,” says Adam.  

It was an easy thing to do, he adds, both morally and practically speaking. “We’re going to pay state taxes anyway, so why not have those taxes benefit Falk and its scholarship funds?” 

The Falcones’ participation in the EITC program isn’t the first time they’ve made significant contributions to the school. This year, Matthew is serving his fourth year on the Falk School Board, and in 2020, an idea came to him while sitting in Rodef Shalom’s Falk Library—one that laid the groundwork for Falk’s plan to continue in-person education during the pandemic by leasing classroom space at Rodef Shalom. 

“At Falk, it's more than just a school,” Matthew reflects. “It very much is like a community in and of itself.” To support Falk in as many ways as possible and to participate in the EITC program make perfect sense, Adam adds, and “our community is all the better for it.” 

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) program is administered through the Central Pennsylvania Scholarship Fund. Anyone who pays Pennsylvania state taxes can participate by executing a one-page joinder agreement, providing a capital contribution for anticipated taxes, and informing Falk of the contribution. 

For more information about getting started with the EITC program, contact Laurie Hess, manager of constituent relations, at [email protected] or +1-412-624-7301.