In 2026, BELLA Academy expanded its community presence through a variety of free bilingual events and educational programs.
We introduced bilingual programming at local libraries and at The Screaming Bean Café, creating welcoming opportunities for children and families to engage with language, culture, and learning.
We also launched our first bilingual summer camp in partnership with Harford Cheer, providing children with an enriching experience centered on language and cultural education.
Together, our current and past programs are helping BELLA Academy build community connections, increase awareness of our name and mission, and demonstrate the impact of our educational approach. These programs are an important foundation as we prepare for the future launch of our daycare and preschool programs.
This one-week passport camp introduces children to Spanish language and culture through travel-themed play, music, movement, stories, art, food, games, and hands-on activities. Each day focuses on a different Spanish-speaking country while building vocabulary children use in a short restaurant scene for families on Friday — customers approaching the counter and ordering food from the cashier, in Spanish.
BELLA Academy’s camp pilot provided a meaningful opportunity to test our educational model, build community connections, and create new learning experiences for children and families. The pilot served a small cohort of six children, who were introduced to new language, cultural education, and engaging learning experiences. It provided initial evidence that BELLA Academy can successfully deliver on its mission of promoting bilingual education and cultural learning.
The pilot confirmed interest in BELLA Academy’s programming and engaged families in a new educational experience.
Participants received language and cultural education aligned with BELLA Academy’s mission.
The pilot established new relationships with UniKidz and Harford Cheer, creating opportunities for future collaboration.
Camp programming showed the potential to provide both educational impact and sustainable revenue.
Beyond enrollment, the pilot served as a valuable proof of concept and a mission-development and relationship-building opportunity — a strong foundation for refining and expanding camp programming.
We are excited to announce that our inaugural after-school program will launch this fall. Our primary focus is promoting bilingualism within our community and demonstrating the effectiveness of our programming as we seek grants and funding.
BELLA Academy’s after-school Spanish program will provide direct after-school care for children in Harford County, allowing families to work their full schedule. Spanish is the second most spoken language in the United States, and there is considerable interest in this programming in our community.
Teaching young children through grammar drills or one-off sessions can be challenging. An immersive after-school program with a range of enjoyable activities — such as soccer taught in Spanish, or cooking with Spanish vocabulary — can significantly build students’ proficiency and confidence. For native Spanish-speaking children, it is a chance to share their culture and language with English-speaking peers, fostering pride in their heritage.
Students develop early bilingual proficiency, with improvements in Spanish receptive and expressive skills, while families experience fewer work disruptions due to after-school gaps.
We’re launching a pilot series of Mommy/Daddy & Me Spanish classes at The Playroom in Forest Hill, MD. Check our Facebook for these events!
A supplemental Spanish language and cultural learning community created specifically for homeschool families. Students develop Spanish vocabulary, listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills through engaging lessons, cultural exploration, games, projects, and real-world communication.
BELLA Academy bridges the gap between independent homeschool instruction and traditional classroom learning by providing structured Spanish-language education, cultural experiences, peer interaction, and meaningful documentation in a supportive, community-centered environment.