Urban Gateways is focused on providing teens with easy and affordable access to the rich art and culture landscape in the City of Chicago. To make it easier for teens to participate, they needed to use a medium in which they spend most of their time. A recent Pew Research study found that over 95% of all US teens regularly use mobile phones regardless of income, while only 88% have access to a computer or laptop. This research helped Urban Gateways realize they needed to move beyond the abilities of a dedicated website and develop an app to eliminate obstacles and maximize this program’s impact amongst teens.

Urban Gateways and Thierer Family Foundation partnered to leverage technology to enhance the TAP experience with the development of an interactive, multifunctional app that provides a user centric approach to increase teen engagement with the TAP program. The app was designed and informed by feedback from the TAP Teen Council, ensuring that the target user base was central to its development. In addition to financial assistance, Thierer Family Foundation provided critical advice and professional recommendations which allowed the Urban Gateways team to address issues, receive feedback in real-time, and react quicker to the needs of the project. Additionally, launching the app to a smaller group of teens first to test its reception and usability allowed any issues that surfaced to be addressed before the full launch.

Teens can now access their Teen Arts Pass from their smart phones via the TAP mobile app. Key to its success is the free, quick, and easy registration process for all teens who wish to participate. They can then navigate their arts experiences using a calendar of events, maps, venue information, directions and CTA/Metra options, FAQ’s, and other helpful tips. The TAP mobile app allows Urban Gateways to virtually keep TAP in the pockets of teens, reminding them to engage in the arts. The organization is using data such as usage, member satisfaction surveys, member statistics, and demographics from the app to gauge and improve the experience of TAP participants and respond to any trends.