Giving Back
Our Story
¡Vivamos! 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 two decades of experience in bilingual education in both the United States & South America. She graduated from the University of Colombia with a major in Educational Leadership & has a post-graduate degree in Second Language Acquisition as well as a Masters in Education.
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Throughout her years of teaching, Claudia realized that there was still a major need for a truly comprehensive PK-6th grade Spanish learning 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! with educators & classrooms worldwide!
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Our Approach
¡Vivamos! Spanish directly translates to "Let's live Spanish!" Our name truly encompasses our core values as a brand. This program was built from 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, excellence, & 21st century skills, & nothing makes us happier than being able to see educators & children alike connecting & having fun while learning!
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¡Vivamos! 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 exciting & delightful activities that build vocabulary, extend grammatical knowledge, & simultaneously integrate reading, writing, speaking & listening skills for children at each grade level.
¡Vivamos! is proudly partnered with E3: Education, Excellence & Equity. E3 is an organization that supports educators in embracing the diverse lived experiences of all students in order to achieve their full potential. The 21st-century definition of being "smart" has changed from how much a student knows to how they navigate what they know. Currently, educators measure student success by standardized test scores & grade point averages. E3's specialized tools move beyond this narrow definition of success to increase student engagement & achievement.
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How do we incorporate E3?
Learning Español with ¡Vivamos! has taught me how to think outside of the box & how to be more creative! I use these skills during school projects & beyond!
Innovation
Learning about cultures different from my own has helped me to feel more comfortable exploring new places & making new friends!
Adaptability
Learning a new language with my classmates has given us the
opportunity to work together. We love combining our study methods & practicing conversations in Español together!
Teamwork
Learning Español with ¡Vivamos! has helped me to realize that we all communicate differently. Now, when I interact with someone, I always think about how I can best communicate with them.
Cross-Cultural Communication
Learning a new language has helped me to make decisions more carefully. I look at situations from different viewpoints before being certain of my own opinion. I ask more questions to make sure I understand a situation so that I can make the best choice.
Critical Analysis
Giving Back
¡Vivamos! 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 for 3 to 4 hours each day & are frequently left without adequate supervision throughout the day, as many parents must work full time to maintain an adequate income to support their families. Asociación CREAR's programs utilize this free time by providing ample opportunities for personal, social, academic & career growth.
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Making a Difference
Asociación CREAR aims to create & reinforce environmental & social consciousness in their students through community projects & educational lessons so that they may bring with them this awareness back to their communities.
Learning Together
Asociación CREAR’s innovative programs focus on creative & artistic expression, English language development, socio-cultural responsibility, & women’s empowerment.
Working Together
Asociación CREAR offers volunteer opportunities that cover a wide variety of projects such as teaching ESL, art, communications, digital arts, operations, finance, environmental conservation, public health, sports, science & more.
