Our Vision
What We’re Building
Wonderland envisions a world where every African-American child receives a first-class education, dreams big and has the tools and confidence to achieve those dreams as a family member, successful professional and influential community leader in the just, economically equitable society that he or she is helping to create.
Wonder Works: Phase I
A measured, strategic approach to growth
Once completed, the new Beatrice Mayes Institute campus will welcome 800 elementary and middle-school students, nearly doubling opportunity for families to provide their children with an academically rigorous education focused on developing not only talent in STEM fields, but also developing character and the leadership skills necessary to succeed in college and beyond. Students will enjoy technology-enabled classrooms, dedicated STEM laboratories and flexible common spaces in addition to, for the first time at BMI, a cafeteria, a gymnasium/performing arts space and plans to develop a football/soccer field.
The 84,000-square-foot academic building will also house administrative offices for the 30 new administration and faculty positions built into the expansion plan. These new positions will support expanded counseling services and enhance student support, as well as create jobs in the Third Ward, contributing to the health of the local community.
Once the Beatrice Mayes Institute is operating at full capacity, work will begin to acheive Wonderland’s “Cradle to College” pathway with the addition of the Thomas Mayes Senior High School. This measured, strategic approach to growth ensures the quality of a Wonderland education is always maintained as we expand our reach and impact through the Wonder Works campaign.
“Wonderland and BMI are ‘bastions of blackness.’ These are institutions where children of color are safe, comfortable, and free to express themselves and their cultural norms without fear of judgement, ridicule, or derisiveness, thus increasing their confidence, self-worth and sense of belonging in a world where Black Americans struggle to get to a place where our lives are valued.”
— parent of a Beatrice Mayes Institute student