Our History

A spark of inspiration, undying passion, and whole lot of hard work.

WINGS launched in 1996, before "social emotional learning" entered the mainstream. Early on, we faced real skepticism. One foundation rejected our proposal with a note scrawled in red ink: "Who cares how children feel if they can't read or write?!" But the truth is simple: kids can't learn without feeling safe, supported, and engaged.

The Inspiration

In 1995, WINGS founder Ginny Deerin attended a conference where Spelman College president Johnetta Cole urged women to break free from self-imposed limits and "fly beyond the cage." Around this time, Ginny recognized crucial life skills—empathy, communication, individuality—that she wished she'd learned earlier. She committed to teaching these to children, drafting a mission on a legal pad: "By the time children are teenagers, they will know how to live joyfully, powerfully, and responsibly." On her flight home, Ginny discovered a TIME Magazine cover story on Daniel Goleman's Emotional Intelligence. His list of emotional skills matched her own notes almost exactly. Emily Dickinson's poem "'Hope' is the thing with feathers" tied it all together, inspiring both the organization's name and vision: to help children soar with WINGS.

The Evolution

In 1996, a one-week summer camp for girls ages 8-12 called WINGS for Girls. After consulting educational experts,  the program was designed to build emotional and social skills—identifying feelings, self-acceptance, stress management, communication, and conflict resolution. The model paired small groups of girls with individual counselors to foster meaningful relationships. Over 100 girls from diverse backgrounds participated that first year.

We quickly realized one week of camp wasn't enough time, and that boys needed these lessons too. When an opportunity arose to launch an afterschool program at a Charleston school, WINGS Afterschool was born. 

Memminger Elementary, a neglected Title I school in the heart of downtown Charleston, was home to a vibrant community of young people full of curiosity and potential. Like many under-resourced schools, it became clear that the right conditions — enriching after-school activities, wraparound support, and consistent caring adults — could unlock what was already there. The children weren't lacking potential; they were lacking access.

The Present

Since then, the program has evolved through continuous refinement of strategies, teaching practices, and curriculum. Our core mission remains unchanged: instilling life lessons through engaging programming that helps kids live joyfully, powerfully, and responsibly. We've grown deliberately and methodically, becoming an AmeriCorps program and receiving support from the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, NoVo Foundation, Wallace Foundation, and Susan Crown Exchange. We were also the subject of a 4-year randomized control trial by the University of Virginia, funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences.

Today we help transform the lives of kids through WINGS Afterschool programs in Atlanta, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina –and we’re spreading WINGS through a growing network of national partners and champions.