This public, urban performing arts charter school opened in 2010, serves 220 students in grades 7-12, and receives XQ support for the high school grades. Students experience interdisciplinary learning that aligns the arts with core subjects like math, science, and literacy. They learn to use self-reflection, continual practice, creation, collaboration, critical thinking, and community-making skills to become artists and scholars. They also learn resilience through a “show must go on” mentality that teaches them to see setbacks and failures as opportunities for growing and strengthening their craft. 

Social-emotional skills and capacities are at the core of TAPA’s curriculum. Through caring, trusting relationships, the TAPA program gives each student the academic preparation needed to thrive in college and career while building strong and deep relationships between students and educators. Educators at TAPA are committed to supporting students to process their emotions productively with the guidance of trusted adults—especially students who may experience trauma outside of school. Part of TAPA’s high love approach includes seeing the school community as an ensemble, with parents, siblings, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, caregivers, and beyond as critical parts of the whole and important decision-makers. A family-community liaison at TAPA consistently goes the extra mile for families, including taking calls and texts late at night and on the weekends, connecting families with resources and human services, and dropping off meals and toiletries.