In the heart of Northeast Wichita, an old Head Start building has found new life. Inside, young people record podcasts, study for GED exams, design T-shirts, and talk openly with mentors who understand their lives.
This is Build & Rebuild Educational Ministries — a faith-grounded community hub continuing the legacy of its late founder, Dr. William “Buggs” Polite.
He trained us for this moment. Our biggest challenge is not having him here… But we know the work has to continue.
Brandon Polite
Polite’s vision was simple yet profound: “Replace prison walls with school halls.” Through mentorship, academic guidance, and spiritual grounding, Build & Rebuild gives young people a safe space to grow, reflect, and dream bigger.
Today, the ministry is led by his children — William Polite Jr., Brandon Polite, and Ebony Polite Armstrong — along with longtime colleague Hercules Finley, who helped shape the program from the start.
A Foundation Built on Faith & Family
William Polite’s story began in Wichita, where faith, family, and service shaped his earliest lessons. His mother, evangelist Mother Dilce Polite, spent more than 50 years ministering in prisons and caring for men re-entering society. Her home became a haven for those trying to rebuild their lives.
As a child, Polite witnessed ex-prisoners living in his family’s home. In later years, he reflected on that time: He saw sharp, intelligent people in those rooms and wondered how one decision or circumstance had led them to incarceration. That question became part of his life’s purpose — how do we intervene before the arrest record?
A gifted mathematician with a deep spiritual center, Polite’s belief in the power of education carried him far — across the country in school-leadership roles — before returning home. In Wichita, he first opened the Build & Rebuild Math Academy on South Laura Street, then joined Wichita Public Schools (USD 259) as executive director of diversity, equity and accountability.
Within the district, he designed programs that still shape practice today. Better Academics and Social Excellence (BAASE) helped improve academic outcomes for Black male students by linking achievement with accountability. Future Ready Advocate Mentors (FRAM) placed positive Black men in schools to serve as consistent role models.
He also created Books Over Balls, reminding students that the “student” must come before the “athlete,” and Engaging Congregations for Future Readiness, which strengthened partnerships between churches and schools. Together, these initiatives remain active parts of USD 259’s equity and mentorship work.
Polite often told students and colleagues, “You have to build the mind before you can rebuild the man.” That conviction became his life’s guiding principle.
“Protect Your Mind”: The Blueprint for Change
Before Build & Rebuild took shape as a community ministry, Polite wrote a workbook and curriculum called “Protect Your Mind.” It taught young people to guard their thoughts from destructive influences — anger, hopelessness, violence, and peer pressure — through faith, self-discipline, and reflection.
The message was simple but potent: If your mind is safe from corrosive thinking — anger, despair, addiction — then the path forward is more stable.
“That was his first major project,” said Brandon Polite. “It was meant to stop the cycle early, to help kids protect their minds so their outcome isn’t death or prison. Build & Rebuild came after that.”
The curriculum spread through schools and juvenile facilities and remains the heartbeat of today’s ministry. Its lessons — on accountability, life skills, and spiritual renewal — still guide every classroom, conversation, and outreach.
Finley explained in earlier interviews that Protect Your Mind “changes the heart of a child through life skills and spiritual truth — and that changes direction.”
The Work Continues
When Polite passed away in April 2025, his children didn’t hesitate.
“It wasn’t even a question — it was automatic,” said William Polite Jr., creative director of Build & Rebuild. “Dad told us since we were little that it would be on us to continue. We just approached it like it was our turn to get in the game.”
“He trained us for this moment,” added Brandon Polite. “Our biggest challenge is not having him here. I still catch myself wanting to call him for advice or to hear him say, ‘You’re doing good — keep going.’ But we know the work has to continue.”
Their first task was enhancing the Build & Rebuild Education and Family Center, located at 1751 N. Ash in Northeast Wichita, now a dynamic hub that captures their father’s dream. It houses a recording and podcast studio, a gaming and development lab, GED and diploma testing rooms, a fitness and T-shirt printing center, tutoring rooms, and plans for a community garden. Each space sparks creativity, skill, and self-determination.
“Kids can learn trades, produce music, start businesses — it’s everything Dad dreamed of,” said Brandon.
This multifaceted hub allows Build & Rebuild to extend far beyond after-school tutoring. It’s not just a safe place; it’s a launchpad for purpose.
Partnerships That Strengthen the Mission
Build & Rebuild thrives on collaboration. The ministry partners with Dad’s Care 2, a separate organization helping fathers reconnect with their children through healing and mentorship; Books & Breakfast, a monthly event offering free meals, fellowship, and reading for youth; and community efforts such as Hope for the Hood, Save • Match • Grow, WSU Tech, and YouthBuild.
Finley notes that the goal extends beyond justice reform to help students, fathers, and families grow into their fullest potential. Each alliance reflects the same principle Polite championed: lasting change takes a village — schools, churches, families, and mentors working together.
Proof in the Lives They Touch
Impact isn’t measured in spreadsheets but in stories.
“When a kid gets out and the first thing he does is text me, ‘I prayed tonight,’ that’s everything,” Brandon said. “Another FaceTimed me from the gym to show his muscles and say ‘resilience.’ That’s when you know it’s working.”
Finley recalled a similar encounter: “A young man stopped me at a gas station just to say he finished training and got a good job.”
Moments like those remind the team why the work continues.
Faith in the Future
For the Polite family, ministry and education are inseparable. The spiritual core — the belief that transformation begins from within — remains their compass.
This fall, Build & Rebuild will serve as the starting hub for Wichita’s Million Man March commemoration, uniting organizations such as Heroes Academy, Dad’s Care 2, and Destination Innovation. The ministry also continues to host Books & Breakfast every second Saturday, offering food, fellowship, and inspiration for families across the city.
“The work will never stop,” Brandon said. “Protect Your Mind, Build & Rebuild, School Halls Not Prison Walls — they’ll live forever. Not just through us, but through the kids we reach.”
And so, in a building once filled with preschoolers’ laughter, a new generation now gathers — young minds protected, futures rebuilt — proof that Dr. William “Buggs” Polite’s vision still breathes through every lesson, every prayer, every life renewed.
Build & Rebuild Educational Ministries is located at 1751 N. Ash in Wichita’s historic northeast community. For more info or to get involved, visit BuildAndRebuild.org