Story by: Mauricia Brown 

Growing up, thinking about your future aspirations, and achieving success is constantly on your mind. The MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation is an after-school program that helps make your thoughts about achieving your goals become reachable and true. At an early age they help prepare you for the real world. The program is all about serving hope and changing the lives of the youth in Jacksonville, Florida.  

The MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation (MWYF) is a non-profit organization in Jacksonville, Florida. The after-school program was founded by the former professional tennis player MaliVai Washington in 1996. The foundation focuses on providing educational and character development and life skills and experiences they will never forget.  

The foundation’s primary mission is to serve hope and change young people in Jacksonville’s lives through educational and life skills programs. It aims to instill values such as discipline, integrity, and hard work. The foundation’s programs often use tennis as a vehicle to teach these life skills. 

MWYF is big on tennis, the sport as a means to engage and teach youth valuable life skills. They provide tennis and opportunities for young people to participate in the sport. The competitive team plays team tennis matches, USTA tournaments and take trips to see professional and college matches.  

In addition to tennis programs, the foundation offers educational support to help students succeed academically. This may include tutoring, mentoring, and other resources to support their educational development. MWYF places a significant focus on development, aiming to build qualities such as leadership, responsibility and resilience in the youth they serve. The program gives the kids mentors and sponsors so they can have more positive people to look up to.  

The foundation is actively involved in the Jacksonville community, collaborating with schools, local organizations and volunteers to expand its reach and impact.