All children are born with unique talents and extraordinary capabilities to lead happy successful lives. However, certain barriers exist that deter youth from developing to their fullest potential. Some may not have adequate healthcare, a stable home, supportive parents, or a proper education. The Making Waves Education Program addresses some of these barriers that subsist in the lives of youth. The program seeks to offset the disparities in education, in hopes that all Making Waves students will be given the necessary tools to succeed. There are two Making Waves offices, one in Richmond and one in San Francisco. Each location reaches out their local community, targeting uniquely impoverished areas. However, the program aims high and hopes to one day spread throughout the nation.

The philosophy behind the program is that all children have the capacity to learn, but some urban low-income students face significant obstacles that make a college education a difficult goal to accomplish. To help alleviate the economic and social circumstances of many urban youth, Making Waves offers students a plethora of services. However, not everyone is given access to these services. Students must apply and get accepted to enter the Making Waves “family,” as so many “making-wavers” call it. The application process consists of a series of interviews with teachers, parents and students. The program does not aim to admit over-achieving students. In fact, they look for students who might struggle in the academic realm or have an apathetic attitude towards education. Acceptance into the program is highly competitive; they must pool from over 200 applicants to select only 50. Once students are accepted, the program works to make a college education realizable.

The students enter the program in the fifth grad and leave upon completion of their high school senior year. Students must demonstrate dedication and commitment, as they are required to fulfill certain tasks. They must attend tutoring sessions for at least three days a week, and on occasional Saturdays. During the summer, they are required to attend five days a week. Students are also given a rigorous curriculum on top of their normal schoolwork, and they are given test-prep and college workshops.

In return, the students have numerous benefits. They are given qualified trained tutors, many of which go to UC Berkeley. The students also have access to psychological and counseling services if needed. Since many of the public high schools in the students’ area are Title One struggling schools, they do not have to attend. Instead, they are given a free private high school education. Upon completion of the program, the students are guaranteed a full scholarship to college. The Making Waves Education Program has achieved incredible success. They have a 100% graduation rate amongst their students, and all of them fulfill the UC and CSU qualifications, in areas where a 5% qualification rate is the norm. With such success, why not have these programs spread throughout the nation? Literacy rates and math skills among underprivileged youth would significantly increase. College wouldn’t seem like such an unrealistic goal, and entire communities could benefit from generations of educated making-wavers.