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 2023-24 WAS 574. 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 2023-24 THERE WERE 2,336 STUDENTS AT THE FIVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS PLUS A MIDDLE SCHOOL IN THREE DISTRICTS (TACOMA, FEDERAL WAY AND HIGHLINE SCHOOL DISTRICTS) THAT 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 MARTINEZ FELLOWSHIP WAS ESTABLISHED BY EDGAR AND HOLLI MARTINEZ IN 2008 AS THE MARTINEZ FOUNDATION, WITH A MISSION OF IMPROVING TEACHER DIVERSITY. IN 2015, THE MARTINEZ FOUNDATION ENTRUSTED TAF TO CONTINUE ITS EFFORTS. TAF'S MARTINEZ FELLOWSHIP SERVED 392 FELLOWS THIS YEAR. IN 2020, TAF EXPANDED THE NWEW PROGRAM WITH FOCUS ON EDUCATION LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY BUILDING WITH THE EDUCATION ENCOUNTER AND ALLY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS, WHICH SERVED 98 EDUCATION LEADERS THIS YEAR. ADDITIONALLY, TAF'S ACADEMY FOR EDVANCEMENT FOCUSES ON TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, TRAINING AND SUPPORTING 78 EDUCATORS THIS YEAR BY HOSTING THE 12TH ANNUAL STEMBYTAF TEACHER INSTITUTE AS WELL AS SERIES OF VERTICAL COURSES FOCUSING ON FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY AND PROJECT-BASED LEARNING.