A More Wonder-Filled World

WonderPlay began with a simple belief:

Life is full of wonder. Sometimes we find it. Sometimes we create it.

We believe people flourish when they have opportunities to learn, belong, contribute, and grow throughout life. Through experiences, resources, and learning communities, WonderPlay helps people discover the joy of learning, belonging, and growing together.

WonderPlay comes to life through Wonder Studio experiences, StoryLab resources, and Wonder Grove learning communities. While each takes a different form, they share one purpose:

Creating a more wonder-filled world.

The Founder Story

People often ask where the idea for WonderPlay came from.

The truth is that WonderPlay did not begin with a business plan, a nonprofit, a school model, or even a particular program. It emerged from a lifetime of experiences that shaped how I see people, learning, community, and the world.

I grew up moving between different schools, communities, and ways of life. My parents divorced when I was young, and my family was culturally diverse long before diversity became a topic of public conversation. Around our family gatherings were people of different races, cultures, faith traditions, professions, personalities, and perspectives.

We did not always agree, but we belonged to one another.

That experience taught me something I have carried throughout my life: people do not need to be the same to learn from one another, care for one another, or build meaningful communities together.

Throughout my life, I have been drawn to creating opportunities for people to connect, learn, and grow. Whether founding clubs as a student, teaching in classrooms, leading schools, supporting families, or building educational programs, the common thread has remained the same:

People flourish when they have opportunities to learn, belong, contribute, and discover purpose.

Over more than two decades in education, I have served as a teacher, literacy specialist, instructional coach, assistant principal, principal, preschool teacher, and special educator. Each role reinforced a belief that has become central to my life:

Development matters. Relationships matter. Every person deserves opportunities to grow into the fullest version of themselves.

WonderPlay exists because I believe learning is not something that happens only in schools.

Learning happens through stories, play, relationships, service, exploration, creativity, work, faith, nature, community, and everyday experiences.

I believe curiosity is worth protecting.

I believe wonder is worth cultivating.

I believe community is worth investing in.

Looking Ahead

My hope is to help build places where people of different ages, backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives can learn from one another and build meaningful lives together.

A world where people live fully, learn continuously, love deeply, contribute meaningfully, stay curious, build community, create wonder, and leave people and places better than they found them.

That belief is not simply the mission of WonderPlay.

It is the way I have tried to live my life.

WonderPlay is the continuing expression of that journey.