Video summary
The video documents the grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony for Wiz World Kids Academy in Columbia, featuring remarks from city officials and the academy's leadership. Colena Ginyard, a program compliance specialist, introduces the event and outlines the speaking order, which includes District 1 Councilwoman Tina Herbert, Director Tamika Evans, and founder Julia Watkins. Councilwoman Herbert expresses her excitement on behalf of Mayor Rickenmann and the City Council, highlighting that the academy focuses on five key areas of child development: mind, body, heart, self, and community. She emphasizes that the facility was designed to integrate early learning with emotional wellness, providing a safe space where children can learn, grow, connect, and feel secure during their most critical developmental years.
During her speech, Councilwoman Herbert shares a personal anecdote about her nickname "Wiz," which she adopted in school, noting that while it was once considered fake, the name fits perfectly for this new venture. She also reveals that the location is historically significant as the former site of the Benjamin Law Firm and where she worked with the former Mayor Benjamin, adding a layer of local pride to the opening. Director Tamika Evans follows by thanking founder Julia Watkins for making her dream job a reality after nearly twenty years in education. Evans highlights the academy's unique emotional regulation program, which benefits not only children from early childhood through college but also adults who need similar support, reinforcing the center's commitment to serving the broader community regardless of whether their families enroll their children there.
Founder Julia Watkins concludes the formal remarks by reiterating the mission to create a safe and nurturing environment that supports the whole child academically, socially, and emotionally. She expresses deep gratitude to everyone who helped bring this vision to life and invites the public to join them during the current enrollment phase. The academy operates Monday through Friday from 6:30 AM to 6:00 PM, offering an eleven-and-a-half-hour window for parents to drop off their children with peace of mind. Watkins provides contact details, including the phone number 803-888-6158 and the website wizworldkids.com, while also announcing upcoming community events like Family Flow Day on September 19th to further integrate the center into neighborhood life. The ceremony ends with applause and music, celebrating a new chapter for families in Columbia.
Read the full video transcript
Good morning everyone. My name is Colena
Ginyard. I'm the program compliance
specialist specialist with the city of
Columbia's office of business
opportunities and we like to thank you
all to we like to thank you all for
coming out to today's ribbon cutting for
Wiz World Kids Academy. And the order
speakers will go as follows. First we
will have Columbia City Councilwoman
Tina Herbert representing District 1.
And then we will have the director of
Wiz World Kids Academy Tamika Evans. And
finally the owner and founder of Wiz
World Kids Academy is Julia Watkins.
Councilwoman Herbert.
>> Thank you.
Thank you so much. Y'all I'm pretty
excited to be here and I'll tell you all
towards the end. But on behalf of Mayor
Rickenmann and City Council, it is my
privilege to join you today in
celebration of another ribbon cutting in
our great city and of course in my
district. Wiz World Kids Academy focuses
on the growth of children in five areas.
Mind, body,
heart, self, and community.
The academy was created to provide
Columbia's families with the opportunity
to bring together early learning and
emotional wellness. I have some adults
who may
need to join you all as well.
I would like to recognize Julia Watkins
who saw an opportunity to create an
early learning environment that not only
prepares children academically, but also
helps them develop emotional awareness,
relationships, and strong sense of self
at an early age. Building a strong
foundation is essential during the most
important developmental years of a
child's life. And Wiz Wiz World is
giving children a place where they can
go and learn, grow, connect, and feel
emotionally safe while doing so. The
city of Columbia would like to grad-
congratulate Ms. Julia and her team
um and we're excited about the
opportunity that you all present um and
for this area and we understand that
it's much needed. Um I will say that I
my personal opinion is that y'all have
made some very good decisions thus far.
Um little known fact that I gave myself
um the nickname of wisdom when I was a
young lady um and I went to garden
school and I was Wiz and then I forgot
it was my nickname. Um so like as an
adult someone was like, "Is that Wiz?"
and I was like, "Yeah, that was kind of
fake." But Wiz World
that's a really good name. I I like it
and I'm feeling the wisdom. The other
thing is um and this is just totally
personal but real. Um this is where
Benjamin Law Firm started. Um and so
this is my first job working with the
former Mayor Benjamin right up the right
upstairs. Um
so another good decision. So I'm now and
I'm really excited about um that is a
good foundation for you all too. Um and
so I wish you the best and anything that
you need from us, we're here for you. Um
and we're excited to have you here with
us.
>> [applause]
>> Good morning everyone. My name is
Tamikia Evans. I go by Kia. Um I am the
director here at Wiz World Kids Academy
and I just want to take this opportunity
to
thank Ms. Julia Watkins who is our
founder and the brains behind our whole
framework for giving me an opportunity
cuz this is my dream job. I have been in
education for almost 20 years and
working with young children and the
emotional regulation program that we
have here is right up my alley.
I am praying that we get everyone to
come in because this is beneficial to
children from the beginning all the way
up until their college years and like
you said Councilwoman and some of us
adults that need to be regulated as
well.
We are having a bunch of community
events because one part of our thing is
community. So Wiz World is very much
wanting to be a part of the community
having the community be a part of our
center even if your children don't go
here. We have a lot of exciting things
planned. We have our family flow day
coming up on September 19th. We would
love for everyone to come out and now
I'm going to hand it over to our founder
and our owner Ms. Julia Watkins.
>> Good morning everyone. Thank you all for
joining us here today.
Wiz World Kids Academy was created to
provide a safe nurturing environment
where we support the whole child
academically, socially, and emotionally.
And I'm incredibly grateful for everyone
who helped bring this vision to life and
we look forward to serving the children
and families in the community.
Welcome to Wiz World Kids Academy where
learning meets emotional wellness.
Yes, we are currently enrolling. We're
in the enrollment phase and our business
hours are Monday through Friday 6:30 to
6:00 p.m. So we're pretty much 11 and
1/2 hours open facility. So you can
bring your kids out and be rest assured
that you're in a safe nurturing
environment.
And our phone number is 803-888-6158
and our website is wizworldkids.com.
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>> Woo!
>> [music]
[music]