What is the Elementary Spanish Program?

The Elementary Spanish Program (ESP) is a 501 c(3) nonprofit organization, independent of the school district, which focuses specifically on teaching Spanish to children. For 40 years, we have introduced thousands of children in Boulder County and surrounding areas to the Spanish language and the cultures of Latin America and Spain.

Our Classes

ESP offers enrichment classes before and after school for kindergarten through 5th grade students at many public schools, and up to 8th grade at a few private and charter schools in our district. Our communication-based instruction includes two or three years of auditory instruction and two or more years of reading, writing, and literature.

This year we are excited to integrate more physical teaching and storytelling into our current auditory curriculum that is based on an approach called Total Physical Response Storytelling (TPR/S). We are also introducing a new curriculum for our upper level classes that will focus on a series of culturally rich beginning chapter books. To learn more, see the Curriculum page.

ESP Schedule

Our classes meet two times a week, 45 minutes per class, for 10 weeks each semester. For most of our schools, ESP Fall classes begin the third week of September and resume the second week of January. For more information on specific times, days, and schools, see the class schedules . Please note that these schedules are subject to change based on changes at individual schools or changes in enrollment.

Enrolling Your Child in Spanish Classes

The ESP registration period ends September 16 for the 2012-13 school year. As a nonprofit organization, class revenues are used to provide classes that average 10 students, to train and pay our highly qualified staff, to create and purchase curriculum and classroom materials, and to rent classrooms at your child’s respective school.

Learn more or register online.

Silvia Katinka Ponce Clough Scholarship Fund

Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to support the funding of scholarships for those families in need. No amount is too small, and 100% of every dollar you donate helps to offer this educational program to a child who may otherwise not be able to benefit from this educational outreach due to financial hardship.