Immersive pilot program at Miami-Dade school helps students learn Spanish through art

Spanish stopped being just words in a book and became a living experience, one that is danced, painted, and performed at Somerset Academy Dade.

A pilot program created by Adriana Vega, founder of Vida Art Academy, is transforming the way elementary students learn Spanish as a second language by connecting them with Spain’s culture and history through a creative and immersive approach.

Vega personally brought the initiative to the school with support from the Spanish Consulate after several years of development and planning. For many students, it felt like discovering Spanish for the first time.

“We went beyond what we usually see. We went deeper into where this language we’ve been learning actually comes from,” said fifth-grader Ashley Reyes, explaining how the classes encouraged students to think and create from a different perspective.

For an entire month, lessons turned into a cultural journey–where art became the main language. Through a curriculum designed by Vida Art Academy, Spanish was taught using visual arts, music, movement, and performance, tools that helped students feel the language rather than simply memorize it.

“I experienced the emotion of dance, music, and Spanish. I danced to celebrate Spain’s footprint,” said fifth-grader María Morejón.

For younger students, the message was clear: learning a language can be a shared and joyful experience.

“It makes me very happy that everyone can learn and also understand what Spain’s footprint is,” said fourth-grader Amanda Lorenzo.

One of the key moments of the program was its focus on literature, particularly a children’s version of Don Quijote de la Mancha, selected by Vega as a gateway to Spanish cultural heritage. For many students, the iconic character sparked surprise and curiosity.

“At first, the kids were like, ‘This is crazy… I don’t know what this man is doing,’” Reyes recalled. “But then we understood it was his imagination and creativity, and that imagination wasn’t just something in our minds. We understood what was really happening.”

Vega explained that the project grew from her long-standing work using art as an educational bridge between cultures.

“With La Huella de España, the goal was to show what Spain has left in our cultures and bring that directly into schools,” she said. “I wanted students to encounter authors like Cervantes, writers many of them had never explored, through creativity, not intimidation.”

For teachers, the impact was immediate.

“There has definitely been a before and an after,” said Spanish teacher Rasyel Morales. “Once we introduced Don Quijote through this program, students became extremely motivated. They described him as imaginative because he read so many books of chivalry, and that curiosity led them to speak more and engage more with the language.”

The program also reflects an educational philosophy aligned with today’s students.

“If we stayed with traditional methods, it would be outdated,” said Alberto García Salinero from the Education Office of the Spanish Consulate. “Today’s children need to learn through movement, motivation, and enthusiasm, and culture provides all of that.”

That dynamic helped reveal hidden abilities in many students.

“We saw very shy children who, when drawn in by a different type of class created through this program, began to show talents and confidence we didn’t even know they had,” Vega added.

For educators, the results went well beyond art or performance.

“What impacted me the most was the love for the Spanish language, how they value it and how motivated they are now in class,” Morales said.

Today, students are more confident, more participatory, and more willing to express themselves without fear, regardless of the language they use.

Somerset Academy Dade is the first school to implement Adriana Vega’s cultural and educational program, but she hopes to expand it to many more schools next year.

The initiative shows that when language is blended with imagination and culture, learning stops being an obligation, and becomes an experience that is truly lived.