The Wonderful Company today officially opened a new, state-of-the-art campus for its Wonderful College Prep Academy in Delano. The new facility serves as another reminder of Wonderful Company Owners Lynda and Stewart Resnick’s deep commitment to supporting education and opportunity for Central Valley youth and ensuring they are prepared for both college and career. 

Wonderful Academy, the company’s first charter school in the region, is a shining example of this dedication to academic excellence, as evidenced by the school’s recent state standardized test results, which rank it as the #1 high school in Delano and among the Top 3 high schools in Kern County.  The school’s mission to prepare students for college has also proven successful with 100% of the Academy’s 2016 graduates enrolling in college, 70% of which are attending a four-year institution.

Today marked the official unveiling of Phase One of the Wonderful Academy campus master plan, which includes a high school complex with ample indoor/outdoor instruction space, an administration building, library, gymnasium, athletics fields and track, and an outdoor amphitheater, all situated within a beautifully-appointed, open-air academic environment. 

Cutting the official ribbon were Wonderful Company Owners Lynda and Stewart Resnick, U.S. Congressman and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA 23^rd District), and U.S. Congressman David G. Valadao (R-CA 21^st District), as well as 10^th grade student speaker Abigail Sanchez and 12^th grade Associated Student Body President Telian Espanta.

“This amazing campus was designed and built specifically for all of our Wonderful Academy students for today and tomorrow,” said Lynda Resnick.  “We want these kids to have the best possible education, every tool and opportunity they’ll need to reach their goals, and an incredible environment in which to achieve academic excellence and establish a strong foundation for a successful life and a rewarding career.”   

Stewart Resnick added, “Lynda and I hope the educational experience our students will receive here at Wonderful Academy puts them on a path toward the bright futures that we know await these wonderful young men and women.” 

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“We welcome the new Wonderful Academy campus to Delano and applaud the Resnicks for their ongoing dedication to serving the kids of California’s Central Valley,” said Rep. Kevin McCarthy.  “Education continues to be an important issue for the San Joaquin Valley, and it’s good to see companies like The Wonderful Company taking on such a vital role in developing our future workforce and tomorrow’s leaders.”

“The exceptional academic opportunities that the Resnicks have given to the children of Delano and across the Valley are beyond compare,” said Rep. David G. Valadao.  “It’s gratifying to see and important to have local businesses like Wonderful take such an active interest in supporting the kids and communities they’re a part of, and this new campus is certainly another tangible, lasting symbol of their commitment.”

The four-phase Wonderful Academy project will reach completion in time for the Fall 2019 school year, at which time the campus will serve preschool through 12^th grade students.  At full build-out, the campus will feature a music center with amphitheater, an arts pavilion, learning gardens and a learning kitchen, commercial greenhouse, state-of-the-art robotics and science labs, a full-service cafeteria and kitchen offering students healthy meals daily, additional sports facilities and more.  

The Wonderful College Prep Academy charter school is part of Wonderful Education, a robust academic program for Central Valley youth that has already reached more than 55,000 students across 83 schools in 24 districts, and has awarded more than 1,500 college scholarships and 1,300 teacher grants.  Wonderful Education currently operates preschools in Avenal and Lost Hills; 25 summer camps every year; arts education for 4,000 students annually; parent engagement and education programs; and its acclaimed career pathways program, Wonderful Agriculture Career Prep.  Wonderful is also currently working with the Kern County Board of Education on approval of its second preschool through 12^th grade charter school, scheduled to open in Fall 2017 in Lost Hills.  

The Wonderful Company, one of America’s foremost agriculture companies and a leading employer in California’s Central Valley, has a long-standing commitment to investing in the communities where its employees live and work.  Wonderful has directed more than $120 million in environmental technologies and sustainability research, and it invests $45 million in charitable giving, community development programs and education initiatives every year.  Now in its second year, the company has also developed its innovative Wonderful Health & Wellness program, which includes two new, free primary care clinics for employees and their dependents.

About The Wonderful Company

Headquartered in Los Angeles, The Wonderful Company is a privately held $4.0 billion global company dedicated to harvesting health and happiness around the world through its iconic consumer brands. The company’s 7,800 employees worldwide are dedicated to bringing consumers everywhere the freshest, most wholesome pistachios, almonds, citrus and pomegranates; bottling the finest water and wines; and creating colorful bouquets that are sure to touch the heart.

This commitment is reflected in the company’s market share: Wonderful Pistachios is America’s No. 1 tree nut brand and one of the top-selling salty snacks; Wonderful Halos is the No. 1 mandarin orange in America; POM Wonderful is the No. 1 100% pomegranate brand in America; FIJI Water is America's No. 1 premium bottled water brand; Teleflora is the No. 1 floral delivery service through local florists; and JUSTIN Wine has the No. 1 Cabernet Sauvignon in California. A 2016 Nielsen study evaluating the familiarity, quality, and momentum of more than 2,500 leading brands revealed that Wonderful Company products dominated the top 10 lists of consumers across all generations, more than any other consumer goods company.

To learn more about The Wonderful Company, its products and core values, visit www.wonderful.com, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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