TAPA's Mission
Building on our nationally-recognized performing arts program, TAPA utilizes a combination of relationships and rigor to implement strong academic programming and support college and career readiness. Located in the center of downtown Providence, RI, TAPA is woven into the diverse and creative fabric of "The Creative Capital", fostering students as they become engaged, well-rounded and artistic leaders. We leverage the strengths of our community by inviting visiting artists to teach, and cultivating the “artist mindset” as a means to drive students’ academic, career, college, and social-emotional success. TAPA's interdisciplinary learning aligns the in-depth study of an Arts Pathway in Film, Dance, Music or Theatre with core academic subjects, including dual-enrollment classes at local colleges and universities. Students use self-reflection, continual practice, creation, collaboration, critical thinking, and community-making to become artist-scholars who use their voices, talents, and a lifelong love of learning to fight for social justice and transform their communities and the world.
At TAPA we aim to cultivate a community that not only accepts, but values and respects diverse perspectives. While we cannot erase the institutional, ideological and interpersonal oppression that is embedded in our society’s culture of schooling, we can strive for something more inclusive, empowering, and loving. As a community of artists, we believe in art as a catalyst to unite, to understand, and to heal. We also believe that resilience is central to the mentality of “the show must go on”, which builds in students the ability to see setbacks and failures as opportunities to grow and strengthen their craft. The greatest measure of the TAPA’s success is our lifelong impact on our students. We strive for positive student outcomes not only in higher education, employment, and economic stability, but also in the areas of civic leadership, social conscience, and emotional intelligence. We will have succeeded if, by continuing to shape creative and compassionate artist-scholars, we affect positive change in the city we serve and the community at large.
At TAPA we aim to cultivate a community that not only accepts, but values and respects diverse perspectives. While we cannot erase the institutional, ideological and interpersonal oppression that is embedded in our society’s culture of schooling, we can strive for something more inclusive, empowering, and loving. As a community of artists, we believe in art as a catalyst to unite, to understand, and to heal. We also believe that resilience is central to the mentality of “the show must go on”, which builds in students the ability to see setbacks and failures as opportunities to grow and strengthen their craft. The greatest measure of the TAPA’s success is our lifelong impact on our students. We strive for positive student outcomes not only in higher education, employment, and economic stability, but also in the areas of civic leadership, social conscience, and emotional intelligence. We will have succeeded if, by continuing to shape creative and compassionate artist-scholars, we affect positive change in the city we serve and the community at large.
TAPA’s Anti-Oppression Creative Community
TAPA strives to be an Anti-Oppression community that reflects and responds to the diversity of our school community, city, and local arts community. Just as our approach to academic learning is based on an arts-integrated curriculum, our approach to responsible citizenship and allyship is accomplished by cultivating a mutually “warm/demanding” tone from/to students, families, and employees. We have high expectations for each other as a community and we work to support each other in our journeys by practicing inclusion in our curriculum, instructional practices, and our school climate.
TAPA's creative community is enriched by the cultural, religious, racial, ethnic and linguistic diversity of our neurodiverse families, students and employees. TAPA welcomes the full spectrum of sexual orientation, gender identity, and differing abilities brought to our school by our students, employees and families. Our families’ varied compositions — traditional or single parent or same-sex parent, nuclear or extended, adoptive or chosen or blended — reflect the larger community in which the TAPA Ensemble lives, and illustrates for our students the many different ways in which families can be built. In TAPA’s commitment to creating a safe, caring environment where everyone can be themselves without fear of harassment, ridicule, or rejection, we know that the work is messy, the work is never done, and the work is worth doing.
TAPA's creative community is enriched by the cultural, religious, racial, ethnic and linguistic diversity of our neurodiverse families, students and employees. TAPA welcomes the full spectrum of sexual orientation, gender identity, and differing abilities brought to our school by our students, employees and families. Our families’ varied compositions — traditional or single parent or same-sex parent, nuclear or extended, adoptive or chosen or blended — reflect the larger community in which the TAPA Ensemble lives, and illustrates for our students the many different ways in which families can be built. In TAPA’s commitment to creating a safe, caring environment where everyone can be themselves without fear of harassment, ridicule, or rejection, we know that the work is messy, the work is never done, and the work is worth doing.
History
At its core, TAPA is a product of the SouthSide of Providence, RI. In 2007, TAPA's founders pulled together a series of community charrettes, asking the people of the SouthSide what the neighborhood most needed. The group who met that day took it as their mission to break the cycle of “parents from economically distressed districts" who "just take what they can get or are given by the [school] system" rather than "feel empowered to demand the best educational preparation for their children, or to influence the depth, breadth and variety of academic offerings within their children‘s schools or classrooms (Stevos, 2008).”
The idea for TAPA was wildly ambitious: opening a new school in a community that had seen its neighborhood school shuttered, with a focus on the Arts, which were all-but-ignored by Providence Public Schools. The plan was derided in some RI education circles: Without a heavy-lifting power-player or substantial outside backing, how could this pie-in-the-sky community project get off the ground? However, with hard work and determination, Team TAPA persevered and Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts opened in the fall of 2010 with our first class of 34 seventh-grade students. Now at capacity, TAPA serves 220 students in grades seven through twelve.
The idea for TAPA was wildly ambitious: opening a new school in a community that had seen its neighborhood school shuttered, with a focus on the Arts, which were all-but-ignored by Providence Public Schools. The plan was derided in some RI education circles: Without a heavy-lifting power-player or substantial outside backing, how could this pie-in-the-sky community project get off the ground? However, with hard work and determination, Team TAPA persevered and Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts opened in the fall of 2010 with our first class of 34 seventh-grade students. Now at capacity, TAPA serves 220 students in grades seven through twelve.
Founder and Board President Emeritus: Dr. Joyce Stevos
TAPA is the brainchild of Dr. Joyce Louise Caldwell Stevos. Dr. Stevos is a Rhode Island native, a graduate of Classical High School, and has earned a Bachelor and Masters degree from Rhode Island College and a doctorate from the University of Rhode Island/Rhode Island College Joint Program in Education. She is also an adjunct professor in Educational Studies at Rhode Island College.
As a teacher and supervisor of Social Studies in the Providence Public Schools, Dr. Stevos was a leader in implementing the study of Black History, the Holocaust, the Armenian Genocide, and law-related education. She was the primary designer of the Government and Law Magnet at Central high School and the Teacher Academy at Mt. Pleasant High School. Dr. Stevos was the Director of Strategic Planning and Professional Development in the Providence Public Schools where she worked with teachers and administrators to begin and implement the first wave of educational reform in the District.
For 25 years, Dr. Stevos worked with different publishing companies in writing and critiquing history and civics texts for middle and high school students. After retiring from the Providence School Department Dr. Stevos worked as a consultant with Trinity Restoration, Inc to develop and incorporate Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts Charter School. Dr. Stevos was president of the Board for 7 years.
In giving back to the community, Dr. Stevos has served as President of the Urban League of RI, was an incorporator and officer of the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society, and has served on the Boards of the Providence Public Library, the Providence Preservation Society, the Heritage Harbor Board and the Rhode Island Board of Education. She is a member and past Regent of the Narragansett-Cooke-Gaspee Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Boards of the Heritage Hall of Fame and the Heritage Harbor Foundation.
Dr. Stevos has been recognized by many community groups for her contributions to education and the Rhode Island Community. In 1992 she was named a Milken National Educator from Rhode Island and in 2014 received the Classical Distinguished Alumni Award.
As a teacher and supervisor of Social Studies in the Providence Public Schools, Dr. Stevos was a leader in implementing the study of Black History, the Holocaust, the Armenian Genocide, and law-related education. She was the primary designer of the Government and Law Magnet at Central high School and the Teacher Academy at Mt. Pleasant High School. Dr. Stevos was the Director of Strategic Planning and Professional Development in the Providence Public Schools where she worked with teachers and administrators to begin and implement the first wave of educational reform in the District.
For 25 years, Dr. Stevos worked with different publishing companies in writing and critiquing history and civics texts for middle and high school students. After retiring from the Providence School Department Dr. Stevos worked as a consultant with Trinity Restoration, Inc to develop and incorporate Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts Charter School. Dr. Stevos was president of the Board for 7 years.
In giving back to the community, Dr. Stevos has served as President of the Urban League of RI, was an incorporator and officer of the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society, and has served on the Boards of the Providence Public Library, the Providence Preservation Society, the Heritage Harbor Board and the Rhode Island Board of Education. She is a member and past Regent of the Narragansett-Cooke-Gaspee Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Boards of the Heritage Hall of Fame and the Heritage Harbor Foundation.
Dr. Stevos has been recognized by many community groups for her contributions to education and the Rhode Island Community. In 1992 she was named a Milken National Educator from Rhode Island and in 2014 received the Classical Distinguished Alumni Award.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does "TAPA" stand for?
TAPA stands for Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts. We are a public charter school located in Downtown Providence, Rhode Island. Our namesake is from the Trinity Theatre, where TAPA was originally located. Interestingly enough, Rhode Island's Official State Theatre, the Trinity Reparatory Company shares this birthplace and namesake. So, while we are not affiliated with fabulous Trinity Rep, our programs share the same roots. - What grades does TAPA serve?
TAPA is a 5-12 public charter school. We accept between 34-40 students per grade level, and serve a total of 265 students. - Does TAPA cost anything to attend?
No: As part of the public education system charter schools do not charge tuition. - Who is eligible to attend TAPA?
Any student who resides in Providence, RI and has successfully completed grade six at an accredited school or home-schooling program may apply to attend TAPA. Our students come from the many neighborhoods of Providence and reflect the city's diverse population. - How do I become a student at TAPA?
We accept enrollment applications throughout the school year. Our enrollment lottery takes place on April 1st of each year. Please see the Application section of our website. - Do I have to audition to attend TAPA?
No and Yes: You do not have to audition to enroll in TAPA. To enroll, you must fill out a short application and then have your name chosen during our admissions lottery. However, you will be required to audition for an Arts Major at the end of 8th grade or upon enrollment in the Upper School. - What is a charter school?
Charter schools are public schools. They are authorized by Rhode Island to operate independently from some state and local district rules and regulations. As a result of this flexibility, charter school operations are allowed to pursue innovative educational strategies designed to meet specific student achievement goals and the objectives stated in their charter. Charter schools are publicly-funded, therefore they are tuition free. - What district does TAPA belong to?
TAPA is an independent public charter school and does not belong to any district. It is considered its own district and because of this is listed as an LEA (Local Education Agency) by the RI Department of Education. TAPA has its own Board similar to the towns' and cities' school boards. - Does TAPA follow the same regulations as other public schools?
TAPA follows all of the regulations that the Department of Education requires of public schools. This means that, among other things, TAPA's teachers are all qualified to teach their subject in the state of RI and TAPA students take the state PARCC exams. - Is there transportation available for students?
A school bus is provided for Lower School students meeting the distance requirement of 1 mile (grades 5-6) and 1.5 miles (grades 7-8). A RIPTA bus pass is provided for Upper School (grades 9-12) students who live 2 miles or more from TAPA. - Does the school provide lunches?
Lunch and Breakfast are provided free of charge to all students. Families must complete an Income Survey/Meal Benefit Form at the beginning of each school year. - I have a question that's not listed here. How do I get it answered?
Easy! Just fill out the form on the "contact us" page of this site.
