/
CEO Patrick O’Donnell shares how the HealthX program is the start of connecting career exploration, work-based learning, and credential attainment into a coherent sequence as a part of a new grades 11-14 model.
We are reimagining what it means to prepare students across Contra Costa County for the future, ensuring they have both the education and the experience to achieve economic mobility and fulfilling lives. Learn more in our 2024-25 Making Waves Impact Report!
Making Waves CEO Patrick O’Donnell shares a leadership update on a strategic visioning process with an emerging model focusing on the critical transition years between high school, college, and career.
You’ll hear which jobs in the Bay Area are in the highest demand, what employers really look for, and how to prepare for success starting in high school. You’ll hear about new career development opportunities at Making Waves – ones that offer students in the Bay Area’s Contra Costa County opportunities to gain hands-on experience and grow their network, all while getting paid!
This new six-month work-based learning program connects Contra Costa County teens with the skills, certifications, and mentors needed for in-demand healthcare jobs.
This summer, Making Waves CEO Patrick O’Donnell joined leaders from Climb Hire, Handshake, Rooted School, and SkillUp for a candid conversation on the future of education and career programs. “We explored approaches, partnerships, and system-level changes that are needed to create pathways to economic mobility. I’m excited to share some key takeaways and look forward to continuing the discussion.”
Making Waves Education Foundation’s Career Spark: Explore Your Future is now accepting applications. Career Spark is a free three-day program happening this fall to support 9th and 10th grade students in the Bay Area’s Contra Costa County as they explore career opportunities and build workplace skills.
Experts from K–12, higher education, and workforce development share five key takeaways to bridge the education to career gap.
We need to bridge the gap between education and employment — and we need to do it differently than before. That’s why we’re testing new approaches as we develop a long-term vision to create accelerated pathways from high school to high-wage, high-demand careers.
This pilot program led to 100% of students gaining increased information about career pathways, increased social capital connections, stronger durable skills, and renewed motivation for their future.
Making Waves Education Foundation and Kaiser Permanente School of Allied Health Sciences are partnering to launch the Hands-On Health: Paid Career Exploration Fellowship. The pilot program is designed to provide young adults with a paid opportunity to explore, gain skills, and make connections in the healthcare industry.
Making Waves has excelled at supporting students from 5th grade through college graduation, but in today’s landscape a degree alone no longer guarantees economic mobility. CEO Patrick O’Donnell shares why he’s excited to reimagine what’s possible in expanding educational opportunity AND expanding career opportunity for our students.
