KARLY HOU
UNITED STATES, 19
Project: Wave Learning Festival
Basic Human Needs: Education
In March 2020 schools shut down as the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the world. In-person classes were canceled and the transition to remote learning was challenging for many students and educators. Parents tried to balance homeschool with work, and childcare and after school programs were shut down, which disproportionately impacted low-income families. In April 2020 Karly formed Wave Learning Festival – an initiative to combat the educational inequities exacerbated by COVID-19. They are committed to creating a world where any student, regardless of their socioeconomic background has access to the resources they need to succeed in school, explore interests and ignite a love for learning. Wave offers free, live programming including diverse courses, tutoring, college application help, career mentorship and more. They have worked with 13,000+ students in all 50 U.S. states and 61 countries across all continents. Wave has also engaged 1,000+ volunteers across the globe to help organize, instruct and tutor students. Throughout 2020 Wave partnered with 600+ schools and organizations serving low-income students to deliver the resources most in need. Most recently in 2021 Wave successfully piloted a model of close partnerships with schools to provide after-school tutoring and enrichment opportunities, which they hope to expand nationally with the help of university chapters. By the end of 2021, Karly plans to impact 50,000 more students, specifically targeting Title I schools, solidify and automate Wave’s online learning platform, and launch university chapters across the United States. Ultimately, she hopes to evolve WAVE into a frequented central resource for students and support system for educators worldwide.