Tap In Leadership Academy

Tap In Leadership Academy (Tap In) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit academic enrichment organization serving youth in pre-k through high school. Tap In was founded in February 2010 by Executive Director, Sally K. Carter, as a Summer Enrichment Program housed at the McKinley Foundation, on the University of Illinois campus. A relationship-centered, intentional learning community, Tap In offers Afterschool Enrichment Programs (AEP), Summer Enrichment Programs (SEP), Family Enrichment Programs (FEP), a Kickback Lounge (KBL), and Tap In Prep Academy (TIPA) throughout Central Illinois and Chicago. The mission of Tap In Leadership Academy is 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. The Tap In Way® affirms the existing knowledge, skills, and potential of student-scholars and creates equitable opportunities for intellectual, social, and emotional growth. The vision of Tap In Leadership Academy is to educate, equip and empower scholars to become the next generation of leaders. By serving scholars as young as 4 years old, Tap In Leadership Academy provides youth with early opportunities to grow and learn in a multi-age environment. Through interactive lessons, hands-on learning activities, and engaging field studies, Tap In scholars are exposed to a holistic and culturally diverse assortment of options. Peer mentoring and one-on-one tutoring give scholars the time and attention they need to achieve excellence in academics and learn healthy ways to navigate relationships. Our team consults directly with scholars’ teachers and parents in order to maximize scholar success. As our scholars blossom into leaders through these experiences, Tap In Leadership Academy strives to maintain and sustain communication as our scholars travel through multiple levels of learning.