Steve Vinton has served for more than two decades as a missionary in Africa, first as a teacher, and then as an advisor to his former students as they worked together to establish primary and secondary schools, a teacher training college, a theologial college, churches, medical clinics and various community development projects.

                                    Susan Vinton was a Peace Corps volunteer before she met Steve, served with the Salvation Army World Service office for 3 years and later as a missionary has been involved in curriculum development, helping women start small businesses, teacher training and most recently in mobilizing people to address the problem of HIV/AIDS in the villages where VSI is building schools.

                                    Godfrey Hiari was one of Steve and Susan Vinton's students who was born and raised in a small village in western Tanzania.  Having gotten the chance to go to school through a community development project Steve & Susan launched, he participated in founding VSI with the goal of giving other young people the same opportunity he had. He presently serves as Director of Village Schools Tanzania.

                                 Emmanueli Masumbuko was also one of Steve and Susan Vinton's students.  He is presently serving as the General Secretary of Village Schools Tanzania, spending most of his time in overseeing the large team of more than 80 American and Tanzania teachers.  He helped start one of VSI's schools in his home village in southwestern Tanzania. 

                                     Sarah Bickel served as a missionary teacher in a small school in Tanzania before joining Steve, Susan, Godfrey and Emmanueli in launching VSI in Tanzania.  She serves as a trainer for new missionary teachers, teaches full-time, and will be heading up the college that VSI is building in central Tanzania.