Luchadora Profile: Irma Vazquez Promoting Bilingualism through My Mochila

12Nov
by Adriana Maestas

Irma Vazquez is a native Spanish-bilingual teacher who has over two decades of experience in the classroom. She has a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies, a California bilingual teaching credential (BCLAD-Grades K-8) and a master’s degree in bilingual/multicultural education from Loyola Marymount University.

For over 15 years, Irma taught in the Lennox School District and then went on to co-found My Escuelita: Spanish for Kids. My Escuelita: Spanish for Kids teaches Spanish to children through play and interaction and using multi-sensory materials. My Escuelita is considered the premiere Spanish language school in the South Bay region of Los Angeles with over 250 students and a presence in over 10 schools.

Irma shared her experience looking for Spanish language lessons for her own children. “I was looking for something that was affordable, taught by credentialed teachers, and also something that focused on the culture and the people,” Irma said. Because she was unsatisfied with what was available, Irma and two of her friends decided to start My Escuelita ten years ago to teach children Spanish.

Since Irma and her friends grappled with finding ways to teach children to speak Spanish when they cannot attend lessons through a program like My Escuelita, she decided to create “My Mochila: Spanish on the go”. My Mochila is a subscription box that Irma curates with tools and crafts to teach children Spanish at home or on the go. This subscription box provides educational resources for monolingual and bilingual parents to work on Spanish language fundamentals with their children.

The My Mochila subscription is progressive so each month, new materials will be sent out so that learners can progress in their knowledge of Spanish.

“Every month, you will receive the new components for the new lesson, and you will swap out the older materials. You can keep them or give them to someone else who wants to learn,” Irma said.

Right now Irma is raising funds for My Mochila on Kickstarter, you can learn more about the project here.

For her work as a bilingual educator and for her initiative as a creator, we honor Irma Vazquez as a luchadora.

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Adriana Maestas

Adriana Maestas

Adriana Maestas is a Southern California-based freelance writer and education professional. Her writing has been published in NBC Latino, KCET.org, BlogHer.com, Alternet, and The Electronic Intifada.

She has worked in the non-profit sector, in the K-12 system, and in higher education in various capacities. When she's not writing stories or working on media projects, Adriana trains instructors to teach online at the University of California, Irvine.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, Irvine and a master’s degree in public policy from Claremont Graduate University.

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