Waves Prep

Purpose or Promise

Waves Prep is a phased, competency-based learning model designed to support young people from approximately ages 14 through the mid-20s as they move from foundational learning into their first real attempts at adult pathways. Rather than treating graduation as a fixed endpoint, Waves Prep is intentionally designed as a developmental bridge that extends learning, coaching, and belonging into the period when young people are actively testing college, work, service, entrepreneurship, or other forms of contribution.

The model addresses a common gap in progressive education. Young people are often expected to self-direct, specialize, or make high-stakes postsecondary decisions before they have the academic foundations, durable skills, confidence, and relational support to do so well. Waves Prep offers a clear developmental pathway that intentionally sequences learning from highly scaffolded experiences toward increasing independence, responsibility, and real-world contribution at a pace that varies by learner.

Learning is rooted in authentic problems from the start. What changes over time is the balance between structure and autonomy. As learners demonstrate readiness, responsibility gradually shifts from adult-led instruction to learner-owned work while remaining held within a strong, multi-generational community. Distinctively, Waves Prep rethinks where school ends by extending institutional support into young people’s first real experiences of adulthood, when identity, direction, and confidence are still forming.

Key Measurable Outcomes

Waves Prep defines success through demonstrated growth across academic foundations, durable skills, identity development, and real-world readiness. Progress is measured through performance and evidence rather than seat time.

Key outcomes include:

Foundational literacies: Mastery of core math, literacy, scientific, and civic concepts applied within problem-based challenges, supported by adaptive diagnostics and performance tasks.
Problem-solving and reasoning: Ability to design, test, and iterate on solutions to complex, open-ended challenges through projects, prototypes, and real-world problem solving.
Agency and self-direction: Increasing ownership over learning goals, pacing, and evidence as learners move through phases, supported by competency maps and planning artifacts.
Collaboration and communication: Effective participation in teams, feedback cycles, and public presentations with peers, mentors, and community members.
Identity and direction: Growing clarity about interests, strengths, and preferred forms of contribution, supported by structured reflection and narrative portfolio development.
Real-world readiness: Successful participation in community-based projects, internships, paid work, college coursework, service roles, or entrepreneurial ventures aligned to graduation-level competencies.

Student Journey

Listen to another student’s journey: Javi’s journey

Learning Environment

Waves Prep is organized around a three-phase developmental progression: Discovery, Exploration, and Experiencing. These phases are not age-locked. While typical age ranges overlap, learners move forward based on demonstrated readiness rather than seat time.

Across all phases, learners engage with real-world problems. Foundational instruction gradually tapers as learners demonstrate competence and confidence. Autonomy increases as readiness is shown. Movement between phases is marked by rites of passage that signal readiness for increased responsibility and independence.

Phase 1: Discovery (typically ages 14 to 18)

Learning is primarily homebase-based and adult-designed. Learners engage in shared, problem-based challenges supported by clear mini-lessons, frequent check-ins, and structured reflection protocols. Adults are highly present, modeling how to plan work, break down problems, collaborate, and reflect. AI tools support adaptive practice and gap identification, but the environment remains intentionally structured to lock in core literacies, habits, and confidence while learners experience meaningful work.

This phase feels structured, explicitly scaffolded, and community-anchored. Some learners move through Discovery quickly, while others benefit from extended time consolidating foundations.

Phase 2: Exploration (typically ages 15 to 20)

Learners begin co-designing challenges and pathways aligned to emerging interests. Learning becomes more hybrid, blending homebase, remote work, and community-connected spaces. Adults shift from constant instructors to competency coaches who help learners interpret progress data, choose focus areas, and connect with mentors. Reflection remains required but becomes more flexible and learner-driven, emphasizing pattern-spotting, interest development, and ownership.

This phase is intentionally elastic. Some learners enter Exploration early, while others arrive later after deeper foundational work.

Phase 3: Experiencing (typically ages 16 to mid-20s)

Learners spend significant time in real-world roles such as college coursework, work, service, entrepreneurship, or advanced projects, generating authentic value alongside experts. Learning is largely self-directed within clear guardrails, with rigor ensured through portfolios, coaching conversations, and public rites of passage.

Phase 3 is intentionally designed as a transition space between school and adulthood, not a final year or capstone. For many learners, this phase extends beyond traditionally conceived high school, continuing into their first years of adult pathways with ongoing coaching, reflection, and belonging. Learners may move more quickly or more slowly depending on readiness, life context, and pathway choice.

See sample schedules by phase here.

Multi-Generational Community, Circling, and Rites of Passage

Waves Prep is built as a multi-generational learning ecosystem. Each learner is surrounded by an intentional circle of support that may include educators, near-peer alumni in their early 20s, mentors, family members, elders, coaches, and community partners. This web of relationships remains connected across phases, providing continuity, accountability, and care.

Circling is the core relational practice that holds the model together. Through regular reflection, coaching conversations, and communal gatherings, learners articulate what they are learning, who they are becoming, and what they need next. At key moments, especially phase transitions, Circles expand into Rites of Passage where learners present their work, learning, hopes, and next steps to a wider community of witnesses. These moments function not only as assessments, but as affirmations of readiness and invitations into deeper responsibility.

Near-peers play a reciprocal role by supporting younger learners while continuing to receive guidance themselves, creating pathways of mentorship, contribution, and belonging that extend beyond graduation.

Time, Space, and Resources

Key Design Features

Phased progression from Discovery to Exploration to Experiencing, with explicit shifts in structure, choice, and learning location.
Homebase cohorts that provide stable learning communities across phases.
Problem-based challenges that are adult-designed early and increasingly learner-designed over time.
Competency maps and rubrics that guide learning focus and progression toward graduation-level benchmarks.
Rites of passage that mark readiness for increased autonomy and responsibility.
Circling and learning webs that provide multi-generational support and continuity.
AI-supported tools for adaptive practice, gap identification, and on-demand learning support.

Conditions Required to Implement