Technology Access Foundation

TECHNOLOGY ACCESS FOUNDATION (TAF) BUILDS COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH PUBLIC EDUCATION TO CREATE ACCESS TO TRANSFORMATIVE SYSTEMS OF LEARNING FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS OF COLOR TO ELIMINATE RACE-BASED DISPARITIES IN AN INCREASINGLY DIVERSE SOCIETY.

TAF ACADEMY IS A 6TH TO 12TH GRADE PUBLIC SCHOOL WITH A MISSION TO PREPARE EVERY STUDENT FOR COLLEGE AND LIFE THROUGH A RIGOROUS AND RELEVANT SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH (STEM) FOCUSED CURRICULUM. THE GOAL IS TO ENLIST STUDENTS AS ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN THEIR EDUCATION AND CULTIVATE A KEEN AWARENESS OF THEIR IMPORTANT ROLE WITH-IN THE WORLD. THE FIRST TAF ACADEMY OPENED IN FEDERAL WAY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT IN SEPTEMBER 2008 WITH 130 STUDENTS. ENROLLMENT CONTINUED TO GROW AND IN 2017-18 SCHOOL YEAR TAF MOVED TO A NEW LOCATION IN FEDERAL WAY, NOW CALLED TAF@SAGHALIE, MORE THAN DOUBLING CAPACITY. ENROLLMENT FOR 2020-21 WAS 566. TAF ADDITIONALLY ADDED WASHINGTON MIDDLE SCHOOL IN SEATTLE, NOW NAMED TAF@WASHINGTON WITH 553 STUDENTS IN THE 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR. TO ACCLIMATE INCOMING 6TH GRADERS INTO OUR PROGRAM, TAF ALSO OFFERS STEMBYTAF JUMP START DAILY CAMP FOR TWO WEEKS IN THE SUMMER AT BOTH SCHOOLS EACH YEAR.

STEMBYTAF SCHOOL TRANSFORMATION IS A PROGRAM FOCUSED ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH (STEM) CURRICULUM WHERE TAF SUPPORTS PUBLIC SCHOOLS (KINDERGARTEN THROUGH 5TH GRADE) THAT ARE INTERESTED IN TRANSFORMING THEIR ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT TO MODEL THAT OF OUR AWARD-WINNING TAF ACADEMY SCHOOL. IN 2020-21 THERE WERE 1,048 STUDENTS AT THE FOUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS TAF SUPPORTED WITH THIS PROGRAM. TAF IS IN PLANNING TO EXPAND THE PROGRAM TO OTHER SCHOOLS AND DISTRICTS.

NETWORK FOR EDWORK (NWEW) IS TAF'S TEACHER DIVERSITY ENTITY AND COMPRISES OF THE MARTINEZ FELLOWSHIP (EARLY-CAREER COACHING, ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEW TEACHERS OF COLOR), EDUCATION ENCOUNTER (PRACTICAL LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY BUILDING THROUGH THE LENS OF DECOLONIZATION FOR CURRENT AND ASPIRING EDUCATION LEADERS OF COLOR) AND ALLY ENGAGEMENT (CONNECTING, DEVELOPING, AND EMPOWERING ANTI-RACIST WHITE LEADERS IN EDUCATION). THE WORK STARTED WITH THE MARTINEZ FELLOWSHIP, ESTABLISHED BY EDGAR AND HOLLI MARTINEZ IN 2008, PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS THE MARTINEZ FOUNDATION, WITH A MISSION OF IMPROVING TEACHER DIVERSITY. IN DECEMBER 2015, THE MARTINEZ FOUNDATION ENTRUSTED TAF TO CONTINUE ITS EFFORTS OF DIVERSIFYING THE TEACHER POPULATION AND IMPROVING ETHICALLY CORRECT EDUCATIONAL CURRICULUM WITHIN SCHOOL DISTRICTS. THROUGH MARTINEZ FOUNDATION, WE SERVED 262 FELLOWS THIS YEAR. IN 2020-2021, TAF EXPANDED THE NWEW PROGRAM WITH FOCUS ON EDUCATION LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY BUILDING WITH THE EDUCATION ENCOUNTER AND ALLY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS. TAF ALSO FOCUSES ON TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH ITS STEMBYTAF TEACHER INSTITUTE WHICH IN WHICH 84 TEACHERS ATTENDED THIS YEAR.