As a native Spanish speaker myself, who has first-hand experience with the benefits and value bilingualism, I knew I wanted my child to be raised with these opportunities. In recognizing that the dominant language around us is English (including in my own dual-language household), I knew that in order for my child to be just as fluent in Spanish, I would have to be intentional about their learning of the language.
What this meant for me was for my child to not only routinely engage with the Spanish language in our everyday experiences at home, but also with other children in a setting where Spanish would be the primary language of play and meaningful experiences. I not only hoped that this would lead them to speaking and understanding the language. Perhaps, more importantly, I was hoping this intentional and consistent exposure would aid my child in experiencing meaningful interactions and developing meaningful connections with others in the Spanish language, thus leading to a deeper connection to and understanding of the language, the people, and the culture.
With this in mind and heart, I developed a curriculum grounded in Developmentally Appropriate Practice and in Dual Language/Immersion for my child but I was eager to supplement their learning with meaningful experiences and connections so I went searching for opportunities within my immediate community, but I was unable to find what I was looking for. The silver lining of this reality is that it led me to start to think about this beyond my own experience. I started to wonder if there were other parents and caregivers like myself committed to having their child experience first-hand the significance and value of bilingualism, and I found that I was not alone. After much consideration and overwhelming support from family and friends, I decided to plant the seed with the hopes to collaboratively cultivate a meaningful Spanish Immersion experience for our children and families! This brings us the start of: Blooming en Español (BEE). So, let’s bloom together!
With Immense Gratitude,
Kenia Torres Jewell
