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A student works independently during a learning block at WonderHere, where students are encouraged to move at their own pace. | Courtesy of WonderHere
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4-minute read
Polk County Public Schools will pilot a new project-based learning program at Philip O’Brien Elementary after the school board unanimously approved a two-year partnership with Lakeland-based education model WonderHere.
The agreement outlines a two-year pilot running from March 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028.
District leaders say the pilot, approved March 3, will operate as a “school within a school,” embedding WonderHere’s learning approach inside the campus, while the district retains authority over staffing, curriculum, and school operations.
WonderHere was founded in 2016 by former Polk County Public School teachers Tiffany Thenor and Jessica Zivokovich, who developed the microschool model after years of teaching in traditional classrooms.
“My dear friend and I quietly left our classroom to try to reimagine school a little bit differently,” Thenor told board members during a work study discussion on Nov. 18, 2024.
Testing a new approach to learning
District leaders said the partnership could help Polk County retain and attract students at a time when school choice programs and charter schools are expanding nationwide.
“Families are looking for something unique, something different,” Superintendent Frederick Heid said. “Why not create that opportunity within our own system?”
Heid said the district began discussing the concept more than a year ago as part of a broader conversation about innovation in public education. He told board members the partnership is part an effort to expand learning options for families.
“Why are we not innovating in areas where there’s a high interest or high desire for a very different type of approach to instruction and teaching and learning?” Heid said during the November 2024 discussion.
How the pilot will work
The pilot will support select kindergarten through second-grade classrooms at Philip O’Brien Elementary School. District documents emphasize the partnership does not authorize a charter school or independent program and that WonderHere will serve only in an advisory role.
Families will apply to participate, similar to the district’s magnet or choice programs. Students will not be assigned to the program.
During the November 2024 discussion, district leaders estimated roughly $75,000 for curriculum licensing and training and about $50,000 for an on-site program director to support the pilot.
Under the final agreement, the district will pay WonderHere up to $135,000 per year for instructional coaching, curriculum alignment, and implementation support.
The agreement also includes advisory support for implementing a shared “Wonder Studio” learning space, designed for hands-on, project-based learning.
About WonderHere
Thenor and Zivkovich said they created the WonderHere model after becoming disillusioned with rigid, high-pressure school systems that left little room for curiosity and creativity.
Thenor has a personal connection to Philip O’Brien. During the November 2024 discussion, she told board members she began her teaching career there and spent eight years at the school. She sees the partnership as a chance to bring the model “back into the very halls where WonderHere was first imagined.”
WonderHere recently gained national recognition after receiving a 2025 Yass Prize STOP Award for education innovation.
During the board presentation in November, Thenor said the model was designed to encourage curiosity-driven learning and give students more time for project-based exploration.
Finalizing the details
The district will evaluate the pilot using several criteria, including instructional impact, teacher feedback, operational effectiveness, cost effectiveness, and whether the model could be scaled within existing district structures.
Payments will be tied to milestone deliverables, including the program launch, a mid-year implementation review, and a final report.
School board members asked several questions during the November discussion, including how students would be selected, how the program would operate, and whether neighborhood students would receive priority.
Board member Sarah Wyatt said she supports the concept but emphasized the importance of access for local families.
“I want to make sure the kids who live in that neighborhood have the opportunity to attend,” Wyatt said.
District leaders said additional implementation details will be finalized before the pilot launches. If successful, the partnership could help guide future innovation efforts within Polk County Public Schools.
Insight Polk examines community conditions and solutions in six target areas from UCIndicators.org: economic & employment opportunity, education, housing, food security, transportation & infrastructure, and quality of life.
LkldNow’s Insight Polk independent reporting is made possible by the United Community Indicators Project with funding by GiveWell Community Foundation & United Way of Central Florida. All editorial decisions are made by LkldNow.
Kayla Borg is a Lakeland native and graduate of Western Carolina University, where she earned her degree in English and film production. She began her media career in Atlanta at CNN, quickly rising from production assistant editor to technical director/editor, leading live broadcasts alongside field reporters. Since then, she’s worked in education, instructional design and independent filmmaking.
