Our Story
Vivamos Spanish began at the heart of where our passion remains: with a teacher & her students in the classroom. Our founder, Claudia Zurek, is a native of Colombia & a veteran teacher with bachelor's degrees in Educational Leadership & Second Language Acquisition, & a master's degree in Education. Throughout her two decades of teaching bilingual education, Claudia realized that there was still a major need for a truly comprehensive elementary Spanish program...so she created one! She developed this program thanks to daily inspiration from her students & real-life experiences in the classroom, & she is ecstatic to share Vivamos Spanish with educators & classrooms worldwide!
Our Approach
Vivamos Spanish was built from an energetic passion that continues to thrive each day. We believe that learning a second language is one of the best ways to introduce young learners to diversity, inclusion, and cultural awareness that broadens students' horizons far beyond the native places they call home. Our program focuses on lively engagement to ensure that children enjoy themselves as they develop a deep & well-rounded foundation of familiarity & comfort with the Spanish language. Our curriculum correlates lessons with delightful activities that develop vocabulary, build upon grammatical concepts, & organically lead to fluent reading, writing, listening, & conversational skills.
Our Standards
In addition to upholding the national ACTFL standards, Vivamos Spanish proudly champions the modern standards of E3, an organization that supports educators in embracing the diverse experience of all students in order to achieve their full potential. E3's specialized tools move far beyond standardized test scores by applying students' skills to navigate & thrive in the world around them. We incorporate E3 through...
Innovation Creatively Thinking Outside of the Box
Adaptability Exploring New Cultures & Customs
Teamwork Collaborative Conversations & Activities
Communication Cross-Cultural Awareness
Critical Analysis Thoughtful Decision-Making
Giving Back
Vivamos Spanish proudly supports Asociación CREAR, a non-profit organization that provides free education & resources to youth in the rural community of Samara in Costa Rica. Children in these areas often only attend school in short increments & they're frequently left without adequate supervision for the remainder of the day. Asociación CREAR's programs utilize this free time by providing ample opportunities for personal, social, academic & career growth. These programs focus on creative & artistic expression, English language development, socio-cultural responsibility, & women’s empowerment.
