Founder's Story

Growing up in Kansas City, Kansas, Dr. Dana Jackson learned early that school could be two things at once: magical and… painful. She remembers the teachers who lit up her world—and the systems that made her wonder who, exactly, thought sitting and listening to someone talk for hours was an engaging way to learn.

Those experiences didn’t push her away from education—they pulled her straight into it. After 15+ years teaching students of all ages, leading school teams, being a college professor, and now finishing her sixth year as an administrator, she realized something important: students deserve a school that matches their brilliance, not one that dims it.

So she decided to build it herself.

Enter Wonder Lab Academy—part inquiry-based school, part real-world learning lab, part “What if school actually inspired kids every single day?" It’s a place where curiosity isn’t a distraction but a compass; where students create, question, build, solve, debate, dream, and shine.

Dr. Jackson’s vision is bold but simple: transform learning into something joyful, culturally relevant, hands-on, deeply human, and full of wonder.

And maybe—just maybe—prove that school can be the place where every child discovers who they are and who they can become.

Wonder Lab Academy is where individuality and culture are celebrated.