About
Centro VIDA Children's Center offers songs, stories, play, interactive learning, and cultural events as part of its daily activities. The program is a bilingual Spanish and English toddler and preschool program that provides subsidized and full-cost preschool care for 64 children. It follows a play-based curriculum that is age-appropriate, meets the developmental needs of children, and follows the Learning Foundations, with a Spanish language immersion program and a dedicated Spanish-English bilingual program tailored to preschoolers.
• Ages: 2–5 years old
Centro VIDA Children's Center is part of the Bay Area Hispano Institute for Advancement (BAHIA), which was established in 1975, with Centro VIDA opening in 1982 and a toddler classroom added in 1985. For over fifty years, BAHIA has served families and strengthened the community of the east bay area. The mission at BAHIA is to foster lifelong learners through a play-based curriculum that promotes critical thinking, cultural pride, and self-confidence, and to emphasize the power of being bilingual. The leadership team includes Executive Director Jorge Lopez, Site Supervisor Diana Acosta-Leja, Senior Program Director Yanci Lucero, and Site Supervisor Paulina Alcaraz for Sol De Berkeley. Diana Acosta-Leja is a fully bilingual educator with 17 years of experience in preschool and school-age education, is certified as a CLASS observer for preschool, holds an AA in Child Development, and is pursuing an AA in Psychology. Yanci Lucero has over 18 years of experience in early childhood education in preschool settings, with expertise in curriculum development, staff training, and educational leadership. BAHIA is involved in the community through partnerships with the City of Berkeley, Berkeley Unified School District, Lawrence Hall of Science, and UC Berkeley’s Public Service Center–BUILD tutors, and through these partnerships Sol offers mentorships, mental health support, and individualized academic support, with transportation on a limited basis from several Berkeley elementary schools.
Last updated May 11, 2026.
• Ages: 2–5 years old
Centro VIDA Children's Center is part of the Bay Area Hispano Institute for Advancement (BAHIA), which was established in 1975, with Centro VIDA opening in 1982 and a toddler classroom added in 1985. For over fifty years, BAHIA has served families and strengthened the community of the east bay area. The mission at BAHIA is to foster lifelong learners through a play-based curriculum that promotes critical thinking, cultural pride, and self-confidence, and to emphasize the power of being bilingual. The leadership team includes Executive Director Jorge Lopez, Site Supervisor Diana Acosta-Leja, Senior Program Director Yanci Lucero, and Site Supervisor Paulina Alcaraz for Sol De Berkeley. Diana Acosta-Leja is a fully bilingual educator with 17 years of experience in preschool and school-age education, is certified as a CLASS observer for preschool, holds an AA in Child Development, and is pursuing an AA in Psychology. Yanci Lucero has over 18 years of experience in early childhood education in preschool settings, with expertise in curriculum development, staff training, and educational leadership. BAHIA is involved in the community through partnerships with the City of Berkeley, Berkeley Unified School District, Lawrence Hall of Science, and UC Berkeley’s Public Service Center–BUILD tutors, and through these partnerships Sol offers mentorships, mental health support, and individualized academic support, with transportation on a limited basis from several Berkeley elementary schools.
Last updated May 11, 2026.
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