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URBAN PIE PIZZA, KIRKWOOD Walk through the halls and classrooms at Imagine Wesley Charter School and you might forget that you are actually still in Atlanta. Everywhere you turn, you can spot Asian artwork and influence, whether it’s the wooden dragon atop the principal’s conference table, the Chinese country flag, or an Oriental mask adorning a wall. And at some point, you will hear each of the 470 students speaking Mandarin Chinese, and 45 staff members trying to keep up with translations.
In 2007, the school opened its doors using the existing church structure which was built in 1904. The school has added a new building with 17 classrooms, and later this year will be opening the doors to a second structure, housing 17 more classrooms. The campus currently houses grades kindergarten through seven, and will soon add an 8th grade class.
The charter school is a public school, and all students eligible to attend an Atlanta public school in their zone can attend Imagine Wesley. Students simply select to attend Imagine Wesley and are admitted on a first-come/first-served basis, with a random lottery used if there are more applicants than there are student openings in the school. The parents at Imagine Wesley all participate in their child’s education, and are expected to volunteer at least five to ten hours per school year, although most parents greatly exceed those expectations by volunteering in classrooms, reading to students, tutoring, mentoring and supporting fund raising events. 
On the campus, the new school buildings were designed to blend in with the existing architecture of the church by incorporating brick exteriors to match the church building. The round stained-glass window of the church is echoed in the ends of each of the new buildings with a similar circular design etched into the brick. The new buildings also have gable roofs constructed at the same angle as the original church structure. A brand new playground has been added to the courtyard between the buildings.
The school offers most classes in single-gender setting, with some courses offered for a mixed student body. The school is planning to implement the International Baccalaureate Primary and Middle Years Programme (one of only six in Atlanta), and already has a curriculum that includes state-of-the-art computer technology, science, art and music classes.