¡HolaKids! Spanish Immersion Preschools

¡HolaKids! Spanish Immersion Preschools offers a total Spanish immersion preschool program where children experience the language in meaningful, real-life contexts. In the classroom, children study a specific Spanish-speaking country each semester, including topics such as clothing, food, music, shelter, celebrations, geographic features, wildlife, and family dynamics. Classrooms are designed to resemble family-like settings, and multiage groups allow older children to act as mentors and younger children to observe and learn strategies from older classmates. Teachers are predominantly native Spanish speakers and share cultural values from a wide range of Spanish-speaking countries.

• Ages: 3–5 years old

¡HolaKids! Spanish Immersion Preschools began in 2003 and offers Spanish immersion preschool programs in five locations throughout the Bay Area. The program operates on small neighborhood campuses, and the organization reports that it has launched dozens of teaching careers since it was founded. The team includes experienced teachers who mentor teachers-in-training in the ¡HolaKids! philosophy and methodology, and teachers provide early childhood education in a robust Spanish immersion environment that includes foreign language programs for preschoolers, developmental education, different learning styles, social-emotional curriculum, and integration of best educational practices in the immersion classroom.

The mission of ¡HolaKids! Spanish Immersion Preschools is to create a concrete, experiential learning foundation that centers on the development and achievement of the whole child in a Spanish immersion environment. The mission also states a commitment to maintaining preschools that stimulate, challenge, and create curiosity while engendering self-awareness and respect for others.

Campuses are located within close proximity to parks, libraries, post offices, fire stations, and grocery stores, and these neighborhood resources are incorporated into the curriculum to enhance children’s relationship with the local community. Classrooms and campuses are described as small neighborhood settings that resemble family-like environments.

The leadership team includes Founder Amory Donohue, Executive Director Ruth Hernandez, and Admission and Operation Director Jheymy Rivera Cruz.

Last updated March 28, 2026.