Our Story, Our Mission

The TAFT Foundation was established by Dr. Yajuan Ding to secure funding for and implement the TAFT Program, conceived under the guidance of Dr. Tawheedah Abdullah during a Zoom coaching session at the Stanford University School Leaders Program.

The idea for the TAFT Program was inspired by the facts and data presented in the report titled “Miles To Go” by Dr. Max Altman, Director of Research and Policy at the Southern Education Foundation (SEF).

TAFT, which stands for Tutor and Future Teacher, represents our core mission of empowering students from diverse and low-income backgrounds to provide free peer tutoring, earn scholarships, and become future educators.

The name TAFT was created by the founder of the TAFT Foundation on March 21, 2025, during a visit to Aranya, a beautiful beach community located in Hebei, China, alongside two mothers of Dr. Ding’s son’s high school classmates. This name captures the essence of our initiative concisely and memorably.

Our slogan, ‘Relying on myself is more reliable than relying on others!’, embodies the self-reliant spirit of the program. Through mentorship, tutoring opportunities, and leadership training, we instill this principle in our students.

As we move forward, the TAFT Foundation is committed to expanding the reach and impact of the TAFT Program, fostering a new generation of educators who will champion equity in education and drive transformative change within their communities.