The urgency of AI literacy for young people and Making Waves programs that are meeting the moment
Artificial intelligence, or AI, is rapidly reshaping the workplace and the skills required to succeed. For low-income students of color, this transformation brings both exciting opportunities and urgent challenges. As a nonprofit committed to expanding educational and economic opportunities, Making Waves Education Foundation is exploring how we can prepare the next generation to thrive in an AI-powered world.
What’s the potential impact of AI on economic mobility for young people?
AI tools and other emerging technologies are dominating the headlines, sparking debates among educators, policymakers, and employers. Will AI deepen existing inequities by automating jobs disproportionately held by marginalized workers? Or will it unlock new pathways for innovation, productivity, and career growth?
For our high school and college students, the answer to these questions may determine whether AI widens or narrows the economic mobility gap.
The risks of AI in the workplace: equity gaps, job displacement, and misuse
Job automation and deteriorating entry level jobs
Many entry-level jobs are most vulnerable to automation, threatening an already fragile first rung on the career ladder. According to the New York Federal Reserve, labor conditions for recent college graduates have “deteriorated noticeably” in recent months. LinkedIn’s Aneesh Sharma warns that he “sees the bottom rung of the career ladder breaking.” Employers are raising the bar for new hires at the same moment AI is eroding the skill development traditionally gained through college and early work experiences.
Access gaps to learning how to use AI
The challenge extends beyond exposure to AI tools. It lies in equipping young people to collaborate effectively with them. We don’t expect students to write well without instruction. Why should we expect them to collaborate with AI well without it? Without clear models or feedback opportunities, many default to shallow usage patterns — a point underscored by Sarah Dillard, my instructor for an AI skill course I’m currently enrolled in.
▪️ Transactional users who rely on AI for speed.
▪️ Companion seekers who mimic peers’ casual use.
▪️ Restrained rule-followers who limit use for fear of mistakes.
▪️ Conscientious objectors who avoid AI out of ethical concern.
The real opportunity with AI lies in cultivating strategic collaborators who can use AI as a lever and tool, not a crutch. Doing so requires:
▪️ Explicit permission to explore AI thoughtfully. Rather than bar it from the classroom, we can encourage students to learn how to use it as a tool.
▪️ Modeled fluency from trusted adults. By modeling fluent AI use as trusted adults, we demonstrate to students how AI can be thoughtfully integrated into our workflow. (AI assisted me in generating ideas and refining my points for this blog post, with valuable feedback from Sarah Dillard.)
▪️ Use case workshops that highlight deeper, more valuable interactions. Inviting examples into the classroom will help students to showcase their AI skills, rather than clandestinely having AI do the thinking part of the work.
AI shortcuts replacing learning problem-solving skills
As Benjamin Walsh reported in New York Magazine, some students now see college as “just how well you can use ChatGPT.” If AI shortcuts are replacing authentic learning, we risk producing graduates with underdeveloped abilities in reading, writing, problem-solving, and self-management — the very skills employers say they need most.
Without intentional design and training, AI systems risk reinforcing systemic inequities and spreading false information that disproportionately affects communities of color.
Together, these risks show how the two AI stories dominating headlines — students shortcutting their education, and employers pulling back on entry-level hires — are really one story: an accelerating gap.
The opportunities with AI: preparing high school and college students for the future of work
Despite these challenges, AI offers real potential to expand opportunity when paired with intentional support:
New career pathways where there is job creation because of AI
AI is generating demand for roles in data analysis, ethics, design, and technology integration — fields that barely existed a decade ago.
Skill amplification with AI
Students who learn to harness AI effectively can amplify productivity, creativity, and problem-solving across industries. Rather than using AI to do the task for you, students can utilize AI to better learn and personalize their learning journey.
AI can democratize access to knowledge and resources
When equitably distributed, AI-powered tutoring, career guidance, and workplace tools can close gaps in learning and opportunity.
AI and the future of work: what we can learn from the healthcare industry
The MIT Sloan School of Management offers a preview of how AI is enhancing – not replacing – human work in healthcare:
Earlier detection, sharper insights
AI catches disease signals earlier than the human eye, just as it can help workers identify career opportunities and solve problems with new precision.
Reduced administrative burden
By automating documentation, clinicians spend more time with patients. Similarly, AI can free workers in any field to focus on higher-value, human-centered work.
Personalized guidance
AI tailors treatment plans for patients; it can also personalize learning and career development for students and workers.
How we’re exploring AI literacy at Making Waves
At Making Waves, we see AI as both a challenge and an opportunity to double down on our work supporting students from 5th grade to career.
We see AI not as a passing trend but as a fundamental shift in how work will be done. Every high-quality job will require fluency in AI tools.
For our students, many of whom are the first in their families to pursue college and careers, being left out of this transition is not an option. That’s why we’ve made a clear commitment: AI fluency will be a core part of our programs. This means a few things:
AI as a tool, not a replacement
We teach students how to use AI to sharpen their problem-solving, communication, and technical work. From drafting lab reports to analyzing data, students are learning to see AI as an assistant rather than a crutch.
Curriculum in progress
We are not pretending to have all the answers. Right now, our team is testing different curriculum models to see what works best. That includes short workshops on AI literacy, integrated modules in dual-enrollment courses, and project-based applications during internships.
Durable skills meet digital skills
Just as we prioritize communication, teamwork, and critical thinking, we now treat AI fluency as a durable skill — one that students will carry with them regardless of their chosen industry.
Upcoming career-connected learning programs
We are committed to sharing openly as we learn and invite partners to collaborate with us. In our upcoming pilots, we will be equipping students with digital literacy and critical thinking to navigate AI responsibly, exposure to AI-driven tools, like School Joy, that mirror those in the workplace and provide personalized coaching for students to refine their own elevator pitch and networking skills.
We are testing how AI fluency can be integrated into our programs including in these innovative pilots that bridge education, technology, and job readiness.
Career Spark: Helping students explore future careers with personalized guidance.
HealthX: Creating paid, hands-on opportunities for students interested in high-demand, high-wage health careers.
Pathways to Health: Preparing young people for sustainable, in-demand healthcare roles.
A chance to reimagine education
For too long, education has been a series of hoops students dutifully jump through to reach a first job. Now, we can choose what we rebuild around. At Making Waves, we’re centering questions like:
▪️ What are the ideas and durable skills that matter most for the jobs of today and tomorrow?
▪️ How do we cultivate intellectual agility and personal agency?
▪️ How can we spark and nurture students’ interests?
▪️ How do we incorporate the science of learning and human development into effective program design? Are they prepared to make career decisions at this point in their life?
If we can answer these questions and create programs that meet the moment then we can narrow the gap instead of widening it.
There’s no doubt that AI will continue to transform the workplace whether we’re ready or not. The question is: will this transformation deepen inequities or advance economic mobility? At Making Waves, we are committed to ensuring it’s the latter. Through initiatives like Career Spark, HealthX, and Pathways to Health, we’re helping Contra Costa County youth not only adapt to the AI era but lead in it.
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