Classes Duo Paris/Knoxville: Legacy
Nine years have passed since the Wells International Foundation (WIF) first contacted the City of Paris about organizing a groundbreaking cross-cultural exchange between elementary school students in Paris and Beauford’s hometown of Knoxville, TN.
After eight months of preparation, students from Nature’s Way Montessori School met the children at Jean Zay Elementary School via Zoom for the first time in January 2018.
And in October 2018, Nature’s Way students traveled to Paris to meet the Jean Zay students in person.
As part of WIF’s 10th anniversary celebration, Founder and CEO Dr. Monique Y. Wells reached out to the parents of participating students to learn what impact Classes Duo Paris/Knoxville has had for their children. She was able to interview three of the students who participated in the two-year program and also made the trip to Paris.
WIF banner for Classes Duo Paris/Knoxville Web page
Jesse Wojcik
Jesse (pictured at the far right in the banner above) had been to Paris several times prior to this visit due to traveling with his mom, Dr. Mary Campbell of the University of Tennessee Knoxville.
Because of this, he had the opportunity to meet a few of the Jean Zay students before the entire Knoxville cohort came to Paris.
Jean Zay students and Jesse (far right) at the Luxembourg Garden
© Wells International Foundation
Jesse said he enjoyed the Classes Duo excursion because he was able to go with friends that he knew from school. He recalled having fun at the boys’ sleepover event and mentioned seeing some of the students from Jean Zay again during a subsequent visit to Paris. He recalled visiting landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe with the Knoxville group and said he would recommend the program to others.
Jesse’s rendition of Beauford Delaney’s Curvy Trees
© Wells International Foundation
Andrew Stone
Andrew (pictured in the center of the banner above) was a 14-year-old freshman enrolled at Bearden High School in Knoxville at the time of the interview. He was only six years old when he started the program and seven years old when made the trip to Paris. It was the first time he had traveled by plane, and he described it as being exciting but also scary, particularly due to the long 7-8 hour flight.
Andrew Stone
Courtesy of Joy Stone
Among his favorite memories of places were the picnic in the Jardin Atlantique (Atlantic Garden) atop the Montparnasse train station and the visit to the Eiffel Tower on a cold, foggy day. He remembered the art projects that were part of the Classes Duo curriculum, including creating scenes of Knoxville and clay sculptures of Josephine Baker and her cheetah, Chiquita.
Andrew’s drawing of the Delaney House, soon to be the Delaney Museum at Beck
© Wells International Foundation
Andrew said he likes to doodle and finds that he often feels compelled to add more and more to these drawings until they become quite intricate. He described them as “detailed randomness.”
He mentioned seeing some of his fellow Knoxville students occasionally but not actively keeping in touch with them.
Andrew’s mom, Joy, also participated in the call. She shared that the family had kept every piece of artwork Andrew created during the program and that she took over 4,000 photos during the Paris trip. She would be happy if Andrew would consider doing a junior year abroad.
Mia Ghenov
Mia (pictured at the far left of the banner above) was a senior at West High School at the time of the interview. She was pursuing plans to either attend culinary school or travel and cook. She expressed how the Paris trip influenced her desire to travel.
Mia Ghenov
Photo courtesy of Mia Ghenov
Mia's favorite memory from her overall Classes Duo experience was connecting with students and learning about Beauford's work while traveling abroad.
Her favorite memory from the Paris trip was attending school and experiencing a typical French school day, including French classes and lunch in the cafeteria. She noted that this trip was her first time traveling abroad and had a significant impact on her, inspiring her to pursue a career in culinary arts. She was learning Italian as well as French culinary terms in support of her intent to apply to culinary schools and internships in Rome and France, and she shared her aspirations to become a chef or open her own restaurant.
Mia shared her thoughts about learning about Beauford's impact on Black communities in America and France, particularly his influence on James Baldwin. She highlighted her favorite art project from Classes Duo, which involved sculpting a clay portrait of Josephine Baker (which she still has), and noted that Beauford did not create any paintings of her despite his admiration for her.
Mia’s bust of Josephine Baker
© Wells International Foundation
In reflecting on what she would tell other students about participating in Classes Duo, Mia commented on the value of having experienced the program at such a young age. She recognized that colleges and some high schools offer such opportunities and said it would be great if they could be offered to other students more frequently.
Nature’s Way Educators
Dr. Wells also interviewed two of the educators who were instrumental in the success of Classes Duo.
Dawn Kunkel was the art teacher who built the curriculum alongside French educator Juliette Blache. She organized the outreach to Nature’s Way parents for the Legacy project.
She said the following about the program:
It was incredible … one of the big highlights of my life! I photographed probably everything that the kids did.
What has been so great about having gone through Classes Duo is seeing all of the sort of recognition that the Delaneys are now getting in Knoxville.
Dr. Monique Y. Wells and Dawn Kunkel at the Jardin Atlantique in Paris
© Wells International Foundation
Matt Hilton was the science teacher whose contributions to the curriculum made Classes Duo a true STEAM education initiative.
He commented on the program as follows:
I think the opportunity for the students learn French was a huge benefit of it. This language was not being offered at Nature's Way at the time.
Also, there was the opportunity to interact with children from a different country and get a new perspective. I know we have the connection through Delaney, but connecting with people who live all the way on the other side of the world and have a completely different experience helps you broaden your horizons.
Then, there was all of the stuff they got to learn about Delaney. I think it really highlighted his work. They probably would not have had that depth of exposure had they not participated in the program.
I didn't come on on the actual trip, and I'm sure that traveling over to France was a huge experience for the kids as well. Seeing how it impacted them is one of the things that stands out the most to me.
Matt Hilton presenting a science lesson on photography
Image courtesy of Dawn Kunkel
The Beauford Delaney-inspired artwork created by the French and U.S. Classes Duo students was publicly displayed in Paris and in Knoxville. This foreshadowed the experience of the Teens of Color Abroad students who participated in the creative writing workshop that Dr. Wells delivered in Aix-en-Provence in July 2026. Their works are to be displayed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in an exhibition called Between Cézanne and Delaney: A Summer in Aix from September 9-20, 2026.