Empowering High-Potential Students.
Advancing U.S. Teacher Diversity.
TAFT Foundation
A 501(c)(3) Public Charity
A non-profit dedicated to serving underserved high-potential students, advancing educational equity, and strengthening diversity within the U.S. teaching workforce.
TAFT Foundation is a research-informed nonprofit cultivating underserved high-potential Grades 8–12 students to become peer tutors, learning leaders, and future educators through the TAFT Program and the SPFL framework.
Why TAFT Exists
Across the United States, millions of high-potential students — especially those from underserved communities — lack access to meaningful leadership opportunities and pathways into education careers.
At the same time, America’s teaching workforce remains significantly less diverse than the students it serves.
TAFT Foundation was created to address both challenges simultaneously by cultivating underserved high-potential students in Grades 8–12 to become peer tutors, youth mentors, learning leaders, and future educators through research-informed peer leadership and mentoring models — while helping strengthen the future diversity of the U.S. education workforce.
How TAFT Works
TAFT Foundation identifies and supports underserved high-potential students in Grades 8–12 and helps them grow into peer tutors, youth mentors, learning leaders, community leaders, and future educators.
Through the TAFT Program and the Scalable Peer Flux Leadership (SPFL) framework — TAFT’s research-informed peer leadership and mentoring model — students are not only provided with academic and leadership development opportunities, but are also empowered to support younger peers and contribute to their communities.
By combining peer learning, mentorship, leadership development, and educational support, TAFT seeks to build scalable pathways that strengthen both student outcomes and the future diversity of the U.S. teaching workforce.
Educational Support
TAFT provides leadership and mentoring training for underserved high-potential Grades 8-12 students, while also creating peer-based academic support opportunities for younger students and those who need additional learning support.
Through these experiences, students strengthen leadership capacity, build learning confidence, expand access to meaningful enrichment opportunities, and help reduce educational opportunity gaps within their communities.
Peer Tutoring & Mentoring
TAFT connects students through structured peer-learning experiences in which advanced learners serve as tutors and mentors to peers who need academic support.
Through cross-age tutoring, mentorship, and collaborative learning experiences, students not only strengthen academic skills but also develop leadership capacity, communication skills, empathy, confidence, emotional awareness, and a stronger sense of community responsibility.
By empowering underserved high-potential students to become learning leaders and role models for younger peers, TAFT seeks to create supportive peer-learning ecosystems that promote educational growth, mentorship, belonging, and long-term leadership development.
Scholarships & Financial Support
As TAFT grows, the Foundation hopes to provide scholarships, stipends, and other forms of financial support that expand access to advanced learning opportunities, leadership development experiences, enrichment programs, and future educator pathways for underserved high-potential students.
By reducing financial barriers, TAFT seeks to help more students participate in meaningful academic, mentorship, service-learning, and leadership opportunities that may otherwise remain out of reach.
Future Educators Program
TAFT encourages students to explore education not only as a profession, but also as a pathway for leadership, mentorship, and community transformation.
As the program grows, TAFT hopes to collaborate with colleges, universities, and educator preparation programs to expand access to mentorship, educator pathways, enrichment opportunities, and scholarship support for TAFT student tutors and mentors.
Through peer leadership experiences, educational service, and future partnership opportunities, TAFT seeks to help underserved high-potential students envision themselves as future educators, mentors, and changemakers within their communities.
Why Choose TAFT
TAFT is not simply a tutoring program.
It is a research-informed youth leadership model that transforms peer learning into pathways for educational opportunity, student leadership, and future educator pathways.
TAFT focuses on underserved high-potential students whose leadership potential and educational opportunities are often overlooked within traditional educational systems. Through peer tutoring, mentorship, leadership development, and collaborative learning experiences, students are encouraged to grow not only as learners but also as mentors, leaders, and future contributors to education and their communities.
Research & education Innovation
TAFT Foundation is developing the Scalable Peer Flux Leadership (SPFL) framework — a research-informed youth leadership framework that explores how peer learning environments can cultivate leadership development, mentoring capacity, and future educator pathways among underserved high-potential students.
TAFT is actively building partnerships with researchers, schools, and community organizations to explore how peer learning, mentorship, and youth leadership initiatives can expand educational opportunities and strengthen pathways into future education careers.
Impact Vision
TAFT envisions a future where underserved high-potential students develop as peer tutors, learning leaders, mentors, and future educators — helping strengthen educational opportunity, community leadership, and diversity within the U.S. teaching workforce.
Leadership & Governance
TAFT Foundation is guided by educators, researchers, and cross-sector leaders committed to educational equity, youth leadership, and the development of future educators. Our team brings together a wealth of experience in the education sector and is committed to empowering students and transforming communities.
Dr. Yajuan Ding, Founder|Board Chair|CEO| |Director of Education Research
Dr. Yajuan Ding founded the TAFT Foundation to bridge the gap between academic research and educational equity. As CEO, she guides the foundation’s vision, research initiatives, and community programs.
Dr. Ding’s 30-year journey in education encompasses classroom teaching, gifted student advocacy, and program development. Having completed gifted education and school leadership programs at Johns Hopkins, Drake University, Harvard, and Stanford Graduate School of Education, she combines deep academic training with a practical understanding of talent development and school dynamics. Today, her work centers on youth-led development and future educator pathways.
Through TAFT, she is pioneering the Scalable Peer Flux Leadership framework, helping underserved high-potential students from historically underserved communities develop as peer tutors, mentors, community leaders, and future educators.
Xiaoye (Grace) Yang | Independent Director Cross-sector Leader in Technology Innovation & Educational Governance
Grace Yang brings over 20 years of executive leadership spanning technology, biotechnology, and school governance. As President of Beijing Liangye Biotechnology and the founder and principal of Beijing Miyun Huixue Training School, she has spent two decades steering cross-sector initiatives that integrate STEM learning, organizational management, and student development.
At the TAFT Foundation, Ms. Yang leverages her dual expertise in corporate leadership and school administration to strengthen strategic governance. Her focus centers on bridging technological accessibility with human-centered learning to expand educational opportunity. Guided by the philosophy that “true education transformation lives at the intersection of technological accessibility and human-centered design,” she helps shape TAFT’s scalable framework and organizational vision.
Laura Seminario-Thornton | Independent Director
Education Policy Advocate & Champion for Educational Justice
Laura Seminario-Thornton brings more than 25 years of experience advocating for equity, justice, and opportunity for marginalized communities. Her work is grounded in gifted education, special education rights, public policy, and systemic advocacy. With graduate training in gifted education from Johns Hopkins University, she contributes expertise in supporting students whose talents are often overlooked because of socioeconomic, cultural, or structural barriers.
At TAFT Foundation, Laura provides independent governance oversight and helps strengthen the organization’s commitment to educational justice, inclusive opportunity, and mission-aligned public benefit.
In a world of competition, choosing the common good is revolutionary.
Join the TAFT
There are many ways to get involved with the TAFT Foundation and support our mission of advancing educational equity. Whether you’re interested in volunteering, donating, or partnering with us, we welcome your support and involvement.
Volunteer
We are always looking for dedicated volunteers to support our programs and services. Whether you’re interested in tutoring, mentoring, or administrative support, we have a range of volunteer opportunities available. Volunteers support students through tutoring, mentoring, outreach, or program operations.
Donate
Your generous donations help us provide scholarships, free tutoring, and other educational support services to students in need, and fund the TAFT pilot and expand access to peer learning, leadership development, and future educator pathways. Every donation, no matter how big or small, makes a difference.
Partner
We are proud to partner with schools, community organizations, churches, researchers, businesses, and funders to expand our reach and impact. If you’re interested in partnering with us, we’d love to hear from you.
Contact Us
We welcome conversations with schools, families, funders, volunteers, researchers, and community partners who share our commitment to educational equity and the development of future educators.
Email: info@taftfdn.org
Phone: 678-275-1001
Business Hours: Monday to Saturday: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
We appreciate your interest in the TAFT Foundation and look forward to connecting with you.
TAFT Foundation Corp.
8735 DUNWOODY PL STE N,
ATLANTA, GA 30350-2995
United States
Email: info@taftfdn.org
Phone: (678) 2751001