Meet Our Staff

Tara Morgan is an educator and advocate whose career has been dedicated to expanding educational access for people navigating systemic barriers. With 15 years of experience in community education, civil rights teaching, and student advocacy, Tara brings a relational, equity-driven approach to CIU. She holds a B.A. in Cultural Foundations of Education and an M.A.T. in Social Studies Education, grounding her work in an understanding of how history, policy, and community shape opportunity.

Throughout her career, Tara has worked at the intersections of education, equity, and justice, supporting youth and adults impacted by incarceration, poverty, and systemic inequity. She is committed to creating learning spaces where people feel seen, respected, and empowered. Tara’s work emphasizes honoring lived experience, building critical thinking through dialogue, and helping students navigate both academic systems and the broader social forces that shape their lives. She brings experience collaborating with local nonprofits, educators, organizers, and community members to strengthen networks of support.

As a first-generation college graduate, survivor, and sole parent who navigated higher education while facing systemic obstacles, Tara believes that people who have lived through hardship bring essential wisdom to both our communities and our academic environments. She is honored to be part of CIU’s work as an alternative-to-incarceration program, joining students, volunteers, and partners in building pathways to opportunity, dignity, and justice.