One of WILASC’s pillars of focus is foreign languages - we would love to use our activities as a way to encourage children to explore different languages and cultures and embrace diversity. We are so excited to debut our language program with a special Spanish camp happening this summer!
The all-day, Immersive Spanish Summer Camp at WILASC is an exciting and unique opportunity for local children to learn Spanish in a fun and interactive environment. This camp, led by a Mexican native and experienced instructor, allows your children to immerse themselves in a foreign language, and learn about another culture while having fun with friends..
Here are a few reasons your children should not miss this rare opportunity:
1. Improved Language Skills:
Spanish is the second-most widely spoken language in the world and is the official language of Mexico. Learning Spanish gives our kids the chance to practice their language skills.
It goes without saying that being bilingual or multilingual is becoming increasingly important in the globalized world and can be a valuable asset in many fields, yet there are not enough opportunities for local children to learn foreign languages yet. This is our motivation to start WILASC in general and these language camps in particular.
Photos: Spanish summer camp led by Claudia Samano and NWLCC in 2017
2- Teacher Claudia Sámano's expertise and energy!
Claudia Sámano is an experienced instructor with years of experience in teaching languages through her unique bilingual integrated learning method. She is the creator of BILMP® (Bilingual Integrated Learning & Mindfulness Program) - an enriched language program recognized by the state of Washington focusing on literacy, cultural awareness, socio-emotional learning, Comprehensive Input (CI), movement, and music. Her other titles include: certified Early Childhood Educator; US President and an Advisor Board Officer of the International Chamber of Language Teachers (ICLT), Movement Educator & Therapist, Choreographer, Certified Bilingual Facilitator, & Youth Mental Health Mentor.
Claudia will apply BILMP® in her summer camp for WILASC, embracing the method of learning a second language through neuroeducation. Movement education, rhythmic & music, socio-emotional skills, cultural understanding, and a healthy brain.
Many who have known Claudia Sámano in her role as the former leader & teacher of InMotion (a family recreation & enrichment center in Oak Harbor) would agree that Claudia is a charming dynamo with a wealth of experience and enthusiasm for working with children. Her passion for sharing her language and culture is contagious, as is her endless energy as a language and movement teacher! Her classes and camps are never boring as she is a strong proponent of engaging all the five senses in learning new languages, with an emphasis on movement and motor activities. Claudia also works to make sure that learners understand and “live” the language rather than memorize it.
Photos: Spanish summer camp led by Claudia Samano and NWLCC in 2017
We are fortunate to have Claudia as our advisor and camp leader for the Spanish summer camp (she has moved to Arizona already but is flying into Whidbey for this!) We hope your children won’t miss this rare opportunity to benefit from her wonderful teaching.
3- Your children will learn a lot about Mexico & enhance their cultural competence
Photos: Spanish summer camp led by Claudia Samano and NWLCC in 2017
Through the camp activities in geography, food, music, dance, art & craft, your children will have a chance to take a vicarious tour of Mexico and learn to appreciate this special culture, its different customs, traditions, and society. Understanding and respecting other cultures can lead to increased cultural awareness and empathy, which is an essential skill for our children in our interconnected world.
Learning Spanish and Mexican culture is also beneficial for practical reasons: Traveling to Mexico is a popular travel destination for many Americans, and their knowledge about Mexican culture can enhance the travel experience for your whole family, making it more meaningful and enjoyable!
4- A lot of learning will happen in the outdoors
Even though we have a classroom dedicated to the camp, many activities of this all-day camp will happen outdoor. It is the perfect way for our kids to move their bodies and soak up the gorgeous summer sunshine of Whidbey Island in late July – early August! Here are some photos of the past camps for your inspiration:
Photos: Spanish summer camp led by Claudia Samano and NWLCC in 2017
5- Building social skills, friendships, and memories
Summer camps are usually a great time for children for more than learning reasons. By spending four full days learning, eating, dancing, and playing games together, they will take away not only Spanish vocabulary & grammar, an improved accent, and better ears for the language, but also confidence, social skills, teamwork skills, and lasting friendship. We hope our first Spanish campers will form a tight-knit community of young learners that will continue to accompany and support each other in their learning journey.
Photos: Spanish summer camp led by Claudia Samano and NWLCC in 2017
6- The only Spanish camp on the whole island
Language summer camps and classes used to be held on Whidbey Island by the Northwest Language & Cultural Center (side note: WILASC’s founder, Hai Anh Vu, used to be a volunteer for NWLCC and helped to coordinate the Spanish camps and Spanish clubs in recent years, and Claudia Sámano used to lead SPanish camps for NWLCC too!). Unfortunately, since the organization closed its operation last year, the children of our island do not have any opportunities to access such enrichment opportunities.
This is why we are working really hard to make summer language camps and after-school classes happen again, in the hope to continue fostering a culture of curiosity and openness for languages and cultures on the island. We hope your children and family will join us on this new journey!
As a former long-time Program Manager for NWLACC I am thrilled that the signature language and culture camps developed for over 25 years by late Josette Hendrix and NWLACC on the Island, got a new burst of energy and enthusiasm with Hai Anh Vu and WIILASC!
This years campers are so fortunate to have dear friend Claudia Samano to lead them in exploration of rich vibrant Mexican culture and Spanish! Claudia‘s unique method of teaching language and culture through dance, movement, immersion, roleplay, self-expression solicits true learning at its best.
Maria Ellis