La Paz Language Academy is a small school with big plans.
Native Argentine Alba E. Ferreyra was shocked to find how little emphasis American culture places on language education. This complacency toward teaching foreign languages may not surprise most Americans given our geographical isolation. However, Ellie realized, a lack of familiarity with different languages has left many American families and businesses unprepared for the sweeping effects of globalization. So in 2003 Alba went on a mission, recruiting her neighborhood friend, Andi Ponsford, to handle administration while she taught Spanish at a new, avant-garde language academy in their own multicultural community in El Paso, TX.
They immediately faced the challenge of building a sound, small-business infrastructure while designing original curricula joining affordable world classinstruction with suburban-type American language needs. Their community immediately embraced the idea of learning proper Spanish, a necessity on the border. Andi and Alba soon recognized, however, that La Paz needed to expand to fully meet El Paso's diverse language needs and turned to SACS for help.
In just over six months, SACS helped La Paz standardize curricula and instruction methods, implement stakeholder evaluations and a viable action plan, and custom-design a comprehensive set of academy policies. Andi and Alba attribute much of their quick success in accreditation to working independently to meet SACS standards, guided by advisor Charlie Vanatta. La Paz has their hands full this summer, now offering over 10 languages to students from ages 3 to 90, giving credit to over 50 high school students, and running several fun-filled language camps for over 70 children.
Andi and Alba currently have their sights set on offering college credit, granting financial aid, and opening new locations. They won't rest until Europeans ask, "Where's El Paso, TX, and when are these ladies going to open a La Paz over here?"
La Paz Academy © 2007