Ivy Tech Week highlights early childhood bilingual program

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Ivy Tech Community College South Bend-Elkhart's highlights students, programs and community during "Ivy Tech Week."

One program under the spotlight in 2026, is the Early Childhood Bilingual Program.

In 2021, students went to the program's director, Anna Duron, voicing the need for more programs taught in Spanish. Over the last five years, Ivy Tech has created classes for Spanish and Bilingual speakers.

Duron saying, "There was definitely a large need in the community for the classes to be taught in Spanish," and "The community needs youth, needs teachers, bilingual, not bilingual. All of it is just a huge need, the early childhood education part of it is extremely important. It's not just taking care of children, but it's actually having children learn."

One of those students turned educators is Paola Sarmiento, the owner of Mimi and Friends Daycare.

The South Bend daycare stemmed from Sarmiento's changing family needs. Once Sarmiento became a mom to three, she was forced to leave her IT technician job of nine years, to take on childcare full time.

But thanks to a high school course, she was able to start a business and start making money that took care of her and her family.

Sarmiento said, "I took the high school course through family connection, and that's when Ivy Tech was introduced."

Sarmiento enrolled in the Early Childhood Bilingual program, that Duron says is for students, "looking to work like as a teacher assistant or working as with home daycares, is just the basic education that they really need for to continue working with children. It helps the students through their CDA certificate."

As parents look for bilingual childcare options, supporting bilingual educators has become even more important.

With a 90 percent retention rate, Sarmiento is urging Spanish speakers interested in expanding their education that, "Es importante que se pan sobre esta oportunidad, porque a veces pensamos que no opportunities para nosotros en nuestro idioma, el Espanol, pero IV techno programa, bi lingua y croquem."

If someone in your life is looking to work like as a teacher assistant or working as with home daycares, this program is the basic education that they need to continue working with children.

It helps the students through their CDA certificate. Ivy Tech offers students three pathways to higher education in the early learning field.

There are certificates, technical certificates and associates degrees. The college can accommodate certificates in Spanish while those looking for technical certificates or associates degrees will need to speak some English as well.

For more information or to enroll in classes, you can stop by the college during office hours to see your options.

Otherwise, head to Ivy Tech's website.