Lavender + Rose + Grapefruit
Technology Access Foundation (TAF) is a Seattle-based nonprofit leader redefining K-12 public education throughout Washington State for all students and teachers, particularly those who identify as a person of color and are from traditionally underserved communities. The current public education system was not designed for everyone to succeed and simply doesn’t work. A true-to-life blend of ripe, tangy grapefruit and mangosteen- an exotic fruit that is citrusy and sweet with a hint of peach. This candle has a bright, punchy character and reaches equilibrium while burning, with both fruits and lavender melding into a strong, bright aroma. This fragrance is infused with natural essential oils, including orange.
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
TAF is the first and only nonprofit in WA state to co-manage public schools in partnership with school districts.
In 1996, co-founders Trish Millines Dziko and Jill Hull Dziko opened TAF’s doors. Serving as TAF’s Executive Director, Trish left her 17-year career in the technology industry to start TAF in an effort to ensure students of color had access to the skills needed to compete in the growing technology scene. The first programs launched in 1997 were designed to prepare teenagers for tech-focused summer internships in programming, network engineering, web development, media production, and college preparation.
Recognizing the limitation of after-school programming, TAF built a five-year strategy in 2004 to reach as many students as possible by partnering with public school districts to offer support during school for students. In 2008, TAF Academy (now named TAF@Saghalie) became the only public school in Washington State to be co-managed by a nonprofit and a school district.
In 2014, TAF launched the STEMbyTAF School Transformation program to fully transform public schools with the STEMbyTAF model. In 2015, TAF was asked to take over the Martinez Fellowship Program which provides and supports multiple pathways to teaching, early career coaching, and ongoing professional development, in order to improve teacher diversity and the retention of teachers of color in Washington State.
Today, TAF is a thought leader and valuable asset to our students and teachers in the Washington State public school system and beyond. We impact over 24,000 diverse students and report a 95% on-time high school graduation rate and a 100% college acceptance rate. We are building capacity to scale our programs throughout the state to redefine public education by transforming entire classrooms within schools and supporting educators and administrators to create environments where all students can thrive.