About Tap In
Tap In Leadership Academy was created by Sally K. Carter in 2010 as a summer enrichment program in McKinley on the UIUC campus. Since then, Tap In has developed other enrichment programs such as After-School Enrichment Programs, Summer Enrichment Programs, Family Enrichment Programs, a Kickback Lounge (for digital literacy), and the Tap In Prep Academy. Tap In’s goal is to provide resources for students of all ages in the community for academic and social success, such as after school tutoring and activities that build leadership and communication skills.
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Meet the Staff
Leila El-Badawi
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What was your motivation working at Tap In?I first joined Tap In as a volunteer. Then, bit by bit, my role grew. Due to varying needs within organization, I transitioned from a Site Leader to the Office Manager. And now, as the Director of Support Services, I see my role as being that glue that holds things together. It took me some time to see that the "behind the scenes" work is just as important as what happens on stage. Ultimately, I chose to work with the organization because I liked working with youth. Over the past three years, my department has gradually formed, and at this point, we've grown so much from a team of one to nine.
The Population Tap In ServesWe serve Scholars based on an academic need, a social development need, and a financial need. We provide high quality programs at affordable rates to ensure that money is never a barrier to attend our programs. Our Afterschool Enrichment Program serves seven schools funded under our 21st CCLC grant: four elementary, two middle, and a high school. As we serve within the school buildings, all students from those schools can enroll. Unfortunately, we can’t bring in students from other schools (for liability purposes), but as for our Summer Enrichment Program, we can.
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The Purpose of Tap InTap In Leadership Academy was founded in February 2010 as a Summer Enrichment Program, which is still a core program today. Sally Carter, Executive Director, knew that she wanted an affordable, high quality program for her children, but there were limited options available. So, Tap In was founded to fill that gap. The majority of our programs are grant funded, so we’re able to provide scholarships for all those in need of them.
Tap In's Biggest AccomplishmentI would say that our biggest accomplishment is that we have grown exponentially over the past six years. In the last year, we served around 460 Scholars. Being able to serve that many Scholars and manage such a variety of programs is really amazing. We work so hard every day to ensure that all goes smoothly, and it's so worth it. We have the Afterschool Enrichment program, the Summer Enrichment Program, Tap In Prep Academy, the Family Enrichment Program, and the Kick Back Lounge.
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Goals: Students, Staff, and Leila
I can’t speak from a programs perspective because I don’t work as much on that side, but I can say that in terms of the Support Services Department, our short term goal is to have a full staff. We are currently hiring for a few different positions. Throughout the past few years, we've more than doubled the number of staff members that we have, and are still bringing more on! It's awesome to see the growth of our organization, and I can't wait to see what is next for us!
Student Voices with Madeline Corbett
On Her Plans Upon Graduation
I have often thought about where I want to teach and often end up being more confused and frustrated than when I first considered teaching. I think my confusion stems from my background: being French-American, living in the U.S. but attending a French school. I used to think I would return to France and teach there, however having an American teaching certificate doesn't allow me to teach in public schools there. Therefore, I oriented myself to teaching in the United States. Yet, that also seems difficult seeing as I know almost nothing about how the American educational system works or what the curriculum entails. However, working at SOAR last semester was a new way for me to teach in a bilingual school setting. Working with bilingual schools is really fun, especially when you get the full experience of being emerged in two cultures no matter where you live. There are more and more of these kinds of schools emerging and I feel as though I would fit in well in this kind of setting, because of my bicultural background. However, Tap In has also shown me how important it is to have dedicated teachers in disadvantaged schools and districts, and perhaps my energy would be better appreciated in those areas. I also lived in Chicago, and I know many schools in that city struggle; therefore, I feel somewhat of a personal responsibility to return to my community and help there as well.
In general, I think my motivation for wanting to teach is to make kids want to learn and for them to be passionate about something. I remember having teachers who really helped me to love a given subject and made it easier for me to go to school every day, because I was looking forward to discovering new information. Therefore, I want to have the same impact on my students. I want them to come to class eager to know new things and apply them, not just come to school and watch the classroom clock. I also hope that I can learn things from my students as well. Although they may not teach me anything theoretical, I believe they must have some "life lessons" that I might discover and grow from.
In all, I am not very certain of where I want to teach just yet; I still have much more to consider before I set my mind on anything, but I feel as though no matter where I go, I will do my best in that community.
In general, I think my motivation for wanting to teach is to make kids want to learn and for them to be passionate about something. I remember having teachers who really helped me to love a given subject and made it easier for me to go to school every day, because I was looking forward to discovering new information. Therefore, I want to have the same impact on my students. I want them to come to class eager to know new things and apply them, not just come to school and watch the classroom clock. I also hope that I can learn things from my students as well. Although they may not teach me anything theoretical, I believe they must have some "life lessons" that I might discover and grow from.
In all, I am not very certain of where I want to teach just yet; I still have much more to consider before I set my mind on anything, but I feel as though no matter where I go, I will do my best in that community.
Tap In Leadership Academy
Tap In Leadership Academy Headquarters
2011 N. Round Barn Road Champaign, IL 61821 www.tapinacademy.org Phone: (217) - 403 - 3710 Tap In After-School Program Monday — Thursday 2:35 p.m. — 5:30 p.m. To enhance educational achievement, support leadership development, and raise cultural awareness so that all of our scholars are college and career ready upon high school graduation. - from the Tap In Mission Statement |