Rayito de Sol Spanish Immersion Early Learning Center

Rayito de Sol Spanish Immersion Early Learning Center offers a full-time Spanish language and cultural awareness curriculum where every interaction, instruction, lesson, and conversation takes place in Spanish. The program includes a bilingual curriculum, an intercultural curriculum that integrates culture into all aspects of learning through native Spanish-speaking teachers and staff, and integration of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) into the curriculum, including at the preschool level. The program emphasizes learning through play in its Summer Camp program and focuses on developing leadership skills, independence, and critical thinking abilities in its Kinder prep program.

• Ages: 6 weeks–6 years old
• Schedule: Monday to Friday 7:00 am–6:00 pm

Rayito de Sol Spanish Immersion Early Learning Center offers programs for children aged 6 weeks to 6 years, including a Spanish Immersion Infant Program (6 weeks–16 months), a Spanish Immersion Toddler Program (16–36 months) with separate programs for younger and older toddlers, a Spanish Immersion Preschool and Daycare Program (3–5 years old), a Spanish Immersion Kindergarten (Kinder prep) Program (5–6 years old), and a Spanish Immersion Summer Camp Program (6 weeks–6 years old). The curriculum fosters social-emotional, cognitive, language, and physical development in children ages 6 months–6 years. Rayito de Sol Intercultural Early Learning Center states that every interaction, lesson, and dialogue unfolds in Spanish and that it believes in nurturing the whole child and providing a space where children can explore, discover, and develop to their fullest potential.

The leadership team at this center includes Center Director Maria Laura Salik, who started her career in Early Childhood Education in 2017 and has taught in Costa Rica and the United States in bilingual, Spanish immersion, and traditional programs, as well as held administrative roles. Her combined experience in education, leadership, consumer services, and licensing is described as guiding families through the enrollment process and contributing to a warm, welcoming experience. The CEO and founder, Luisa Fuentes, established the inaugural Rayito de Sol school in 2002.

Rayito de Sol has accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). It has received numerous accolades, including being named the Latino Business of the Year in Minnesota by the Latino Chambers of Commerce, and it is described as a 2024 Twin Cities Notable Hispanic Leader.

Last updated May 28, 2026.