About Us
Welcome to Bilingual Early Learning Academy, where we strive for excellence in early childhood practices in a nurturing yet challenging environment. We know you want the best for your child. That is why our staff is committed to collaborate with you, your child's first teacher, in guiding them to reach their full potential.
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Our program is oriented to promote bilingualism in our Austin community, so that your child acquires or continues to develop Spanish in the same way we learned our first language, through living it! We focus on building a strong foundation in literacy, encouraging creative thinking, and nurturing your child's unique talents.
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The best way to learn more about us is to visit our preschool and ask everything you want. Call, email, or send a contact form to schedule an appointment and come by. We would love to hear from you and your little language learner.
OUR
Story
Bilingual Early Learning Academy started as a family project to give the best of early childhood education to the Austin community.
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The idea started in 2012, long before the school actually opened, when my sister and I were pregnant at the same time! While we happily expected our babies, we worried about how to find the perfect place for them when the time came to go back to work.
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Personally, one of my biggest challenges was to find a high quality Spanish immersion or bilingual program to help my child become a global citizen. I knew bilingualism was a skill I wanted her to have, but most programs were extremely expensive, too far, or had a very short day. Not ideal for a full-time working mom.
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My child attended wonderful English programs, but shy her 3rd birthday, she started refusing to speak Spanish to me, our mother tongue. I knew this was happening because she did not have support from the community to speak our minority language. I researched how minority language immersion programs work great for native speakers and English speakers too! So I figured this must be added to the list my sister that my sister and I created when we were pregnant.
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In December 2017, BELA opened its doors to English and Spanish speaking families united by the commitment to give their children the gift of bilingualism. Today, we invite your family to join our #BELAfamily.
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Co-founder and Director,
Julieta Montes