As Western Reserve Academy celebrates its Bicentennial year, the school is investing in its third century with a bold expansion. A transformational $5 million gift from the CJ Wang Foundation will launch the next phase of the Wang Innovation Center, expanding the school’s creative and applied technology hub while deepening its commitment to innovation, interdisciplinary learning and student creativity.

The gift, announced as part of the school’s Bicentennial celebration, will support construction of a new 16,000-square-foot addition to the existing 6,000-square-foot makerspace. First established in 2017, through the generosity of CJ Xuning Wang, Refounder and Chairman of SharkNinja and Founder, Chairman and CEO of Joyoung Co., the space was inspired by Wang’s belief that students thrive when given the tools and freedom to create.

Wang envisioned bringing the spirit of Joyoung’s innovation center into an educational setting, beginning at Reserve, where his two sons attended. Today, that vision has become one of the defining features of the WRA experience.

Students use the makerspace to design prototypes, build productions and collaborate across disciplines using state-of-the-art tools like laser cutters, robotics systems, advanced manufacturing equipment and emerging artificial intelligence technologies. The facility is frequently cited by prospective families as a driving factor in choosing WRA.

“The Wang Makerspace and Innovation Center shows what is possible when students are given the tools and trust to dream, create and build,” said Barney Wang ’15, a representative of the CJ Wang Foundation and WRA Trustee. “This gift demonstrates our family’s pride and confidence in the students and faculty at WRA as it enters its third century. We hope this investment strengthens WRA’s leadership among schools and encourages others to think boldly about how philanthropy can stimulate innovation in schools.”

A cornerstone of the expansion will be the creation of the Center for Food Innovation, Sustainability and Service — a first-of-its kind offering at the high school level. The Center will serve as both laboratory and classroom where students can explore food systems through multiple lenses, including agricultural engineering, environmental science, economics, nutrition and service. The interdisciplinary approach reflects WRA’s belief that meaningful innovation connects technological advancement with fundamental human needs.

Momentum for the Center accelerated following WRA’s receipt of the prestigious Edward E. Ford Foundation Educational Leadership Grant in 2024, national recognition of the school’s leadership in educational innovation.

“Thanks to the generosity of the CJ Wang Foundation, while we honor 200 years of history, we are simultaneously igniting the future,” said Head of School Suzanne Walker Buck P ’24. “The Wang Makerspace and Innovation Center is about both ends of the spectrum: new frontiers in technology and our most fundamental human need — food. Technology and humanity are not mutually exclusive.”

Buck added that the expansion carries special significance during the Bicentennial year.

“Breaking ground during our Bicentennial year is a testament to what our students will design, invent and lead in the century ahead,” she said. “It is a full-circle moment from where WRA began in 1826 as an educational outpost established by pioneers.”

Since its founding, the Wang Makerspace and Innovation Center has served not only WRA students but also the broader community. During the COVID-19 pandemic, students and faculty used the space to produce personal protective equipment for frontline workers. The facility has also functioned as a regional incubator, supporting entrepreneurs, businesses and community partners pursuing projects of all sizes. 

Our expanded facility will strengthen those partnerships while creating new opportunities for students to engage in artificial intelligence, robotics, digital media, entrepreneurship and interdisciplinary design.

Akron-based Wheeler Bolz Architects is partnering with WRA on the project, with a groundbreaking scheduled for June 5, 2026 during the school’s Bicentennial Celebration Weekend.

Click here to read more in Crain’s Cleveland Business.